SharedBliss: Interview with Artist Kelli Bickman

"Lotus Bliss" by Kelli Bickman

Listening to: This song comes to mind as summer approaches.

Today's Bliss Formula: 39 years old and I get to say things like this: "Today I go to get my rubber bands changed on my braces! Perhaps pink?" (Right now, they are ocean blue.)

I think I have mentioned before that my introduction to the idea of blogging came about because I looked up Neil Gaiman a few years back, after having read and been blown away by American Gods.

And it was through reading his blog that I discovered the art of Kelli Bickman.

Bickman's art was a revelation for a couple of reasons. First of all, because it is. Much like Gaiman, Bickman dares to mix -- color, theme, mythology -- and she does so with respect and humor at the same time. A difficult feat.

Secondly, it was a personal revelation. My partner had been painting for a few years at this point and what she was doing did not look like what people thought of as "serious art," and yet she was not interested in producing "serious art." She wanted to make people think, yes, but more importantly to look at a painting and feel good -- even if just for that one moment.



"Green Tara" by Bickman

Kelli Bickman, a serious artist to be sure, does just that and proved to my partner and to me that art produced from a sense of joy could lead to an artist's life -- you know, the kind we all dream of, where our art is our living and our living is our art.

I think art such as Bickman's is actually the most "serious" of all in that it expresses something joyful and ecstatic about being human. I think, too, that art like this can only come from a certain kind of soul -- a happy, broad-minded, and delighted-with-life soul.

(Besides her own website, you can find her here and here.)

Describe the PrimeBliss of your life. How did you come to know that this was your PrimeBliss?

My PrimeBliss is the act of creating art. There are moments when everything of this earthly existence falls away and becoming one with creation envelopes me, time stands still and everything is perfect in that moment...from what I understand, this is what most creators search for. Mostly I am a painter but I explore many mediums. I prefer to work on large scale works, murals especially, but finding bliss can be in the simple act of making a line drawing as well...no matter what medium, it is the act of creation itself that thrills me. There are times when I am doing a commercial job and I literally laugh out loud because it is so wonderful to make money doing what I love. I've always been an artist but I guess I KNEW it when every job I had felt like I was 'doing time' for a paycheck unless I was creating...and I've had many jobs from receptionist to waiting tables in a jazz club to dressing windows at Saks Fifth Ave. I would always come home after my 'job' and make collages (early works) or paintings. When things started selling, it was very encouraging and I dedicated more time to creating and then somewhere around 2001 I made the leap of faith to paint full time. It hasn't always been easy but I remain steadfast in my intention to make a living as a fine artist and, God willing, my career keeps getting better every day.

"White Tara" by Bickman

What types of choices and sacrifices did you make to be able to craft this bliss-filled life?

I guess the biggest sacrifice in my life right now is space. I have a decent sized apartment in the West Village of NYC, but it is always full of visitors and family and seems to get smaller every day. My challenge is to find a space to paint large scale works in and store the hundreds of paintings I've made in a place other then my bedroom (one never gets away from the art when confronted with it first thing in the morning and last thing at night) and then find the time and energy to make the art.

How does your PrimeBliss radiate out into the rest of your life?

Creating works of art is only 50% of the job. The other 50% comes from an audience receiving the work. Sharing is a fundamental part of the exchange between the artist and viewer. So, my PrimeBliss is really to share my creations with other people all over the world. My work doesn't serve me or anyone when it is stacked up in my studio, so I love having shows or publishing images so the creative exchange exists. And, of course, when I sell work, I tend to be much happier and like to share my abundance with the people closest to me!

What are some other activities that also give you this sense of bliss? Things that make you lose track of time?

I live in Manhattan but grew up in a very small town in Minnesota. My nearest neighbor was a mile away and we had almost 400 acres of land. My father was a farmer, and although I was never much of a help to him on the farm (other than cooking meals), I do love to get my hands into the earth. We have an 800 sq foot deck on the back of my apartment (another rarity in NYC), so I have started an urban garden...very blissful to watch things grow and know that in a few months I will be able to go out back and pick strawberries, lettuce, kale, swiss chard, and many various herbs from our little garden (we even compost our organic waste to make soil for next year's crops). I also love camping, swimming, hiking, traveling, biking, and just generally being in nature. I appreciate Mother Earth so much more after living in a big city.

What is your daily or weekly spiritual practice?

Most important for me is to try to be mindful in every waking moment. I also do dream therapy before and after sleeping. Being grateful for everything is key to any spiritual practice. I also read tarot cards for myself as a guide. I practice yoga and do my best to sit in meditation, but in all honesty, I sometimes get lazy with practice even though I know it can help me move mountains.

What music is your bliss?

I love Krishna Das, George Harrison, Fredo Viola (www.fredoviola.com), Kid Loco, Brett Dennon, Bob Marley, and a billion others...depends on my mood at the moment. I did Live Painting at Seed Gallery in Newark last week and the DJ was really amazing...turned me on to a bunch of new electronica that was so inspiring to create to.

Name books or authors/poets or people who are your bliss, who influenced your bliss.

The biggest life changing books for me were: "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Yogananda Parasambava, "Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsh, "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, and "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Soygal Rinpoche. And, of course, one of my all time favorite writers is Neil Gaiman. I used to work for him, and he taught me so much about the world and has inspired me enormously. He has also been one of my greatest patrons.

What advice would you give to someone who feels they have not yet discovered their PrimeBliss?

Sit quietly and ask for guidance. The answer is always there if you can quiet your mind enough to listen to the voices in your head. Angels really do walk among us and are here to guide us towards our life purpose...all we have to do is be present in our lives and let the magic of the universe work through us and be clear in our intention. There are many great teachers on finding Bliss...Wayne Dyer is a great teacher to help people work with the power of intention and shift consciousness to a higher way of being. Another great teacher is Eckhart Tolle...he teaches stillness and is really amazing. Our planet is in a time of crisis, and each individual person needs to work to stay balanced to deal with the changes that are happening. I tend to listen to the audio versions of their books while I am painting or driving...it keeps me focused and in touch with what is 'real' amidst the chaos of existence as we know it on planet earth.

Do you have a favorite quote you would like to share?

Thoughts create reality.

And don't we all wish our reality
looked a lot more
like Bickman's thoughts?

"Mother of Love II" by Bickman