Joe Celli – Art and Cake
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What does a day in your art practice look like?
I usually arrive in the studio around 9 and immediately settle in to emails, doomscrolling and some general tidying up while the encaustic warms up. By 10am I am up and at it. I use the studio as a home base for my day job as well. Doing so allows me to bounce
back and forth, with varying degrees of success, throughout the day.
What would life be like without art?
It’s almost unimaginable, isn’t it? I suppose my life without art would be dark. To the point that I’d almost rather not think about it. Seems to me that it would result in a pretty bleak existence.
What is the hardest part of creating your art?
The constant self doubt.
What inspires you?
That feeling I get when I am lit up by someone else’s work.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Believe in yourself. Self doubt and a lack of self esteem will only hold you back. Also, you can be so much more than “just” an Artist.
Who would you most like to collaborate with? Why?
My day job requires a lot of collaboration, I started making my own work in an attempt to run away from the collaborative process. There are loads of Artists whose work I admire but I don’t know that pairing up with them makes sense for me
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
“If you can do anything else with your life, you should.” To this day it still sounds harsh but I’ve come to realize that you have to love what you’re doing, down to the depths of your core, otherwise you’re wasting other people’s time.
If you could change anything about the art world, what would it be?
I wish it weren’t so overwhelming. I often feel that putting your art out into the world is a bit like screaming in space, no one will hear you.
If you had the chance to live during a different artistic movement other than now, which one would you choose? and why?
I’d love to have studied at the Bauhaus. The strong geometric lines and the synergy of art and craft are things that speak to me every day and things I reference regularly.
How has personal experience influenced your creativity?
I’ve come to lean in to and get comfortable with the idea that you make what you know. I’m in a phase where the lines/shapes/structures of the entertainment business are at the forefront of my work.
What are your words of wisdom for someone starting out in your field?
Recently I heard an Artist on a podcast say that “you are not the work”. It really struck me. No matter your success or lack there of, it doesn’t define who you are.
How do you make the leap from an idea in your head to the action you produce?
I almost always start with pencil, paper and a sketchbook but ultimately I lean into 3d modeling software to get an idea on it’s feet. There is usually then a period of trial and error that begins to bring the work to life.