Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Bryan.
Hi Madison, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always had a very vivid imagination, some of my earliest childhood memories are of me finding different ways to bring it to life. Through writing stories and poems, dressing up, drawing, painting, and playing pretend, all of these activities are nothing short of what I do now as a young adult. Unlike many artists, my family has always been very supportive of my passions.
This privilege has allowed me to pursue my career as an artist with a lot of faith and love. I am now 22 years old and a senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design majoring in painting, but I am more than a painter. My favorite forms of art are mixed media and modeling, and also what I am working towards doing full time!
Art has always been a tool for me to have fun, connect with myself and my inner child, and it has also matured into a way that I can connect with my audience.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part, being an artist has been such a fun and exciting journey, it is so freeing. However, my journey into adulthood has brought some challenges, especially recently. I have experienced burnout which was pretty hard to get through considering making art is how I ground myself and find peace. I’ve also had some doubts as well, I am graduating college in a few months, and with art not being the most traditional job I sometimes have a lot of anxiety about my future.
Working to support myself, figuring out a “plan”, the mundanity of living day by day – everything that feels the opposite of what art is supposed to be – can all be very discouraging to me. These things caused me to feel depressed and I had to learn to be really patient with myself. Because just like life, art can sometimes take time! And I believe this is all-natural and can be a part of the process of turning your passion into a career.
Getting out of this slump also motivated me further to pursue my passions and to continue sharing my journey with others, because I want everyone to experience the freedom that art allows just as I do.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I create all kinds of art, I really enjoy exploring different mediums. Currently, I find portraiture to be one of the best and most enjoyable forms of communication and artistic outlets for me. I like to use vibrant colors, patterns, collages, and mixed media to create my expressive portraits.
They also help me express and contrast some of the otherwise raw and hard-to-understand feelings that I experience. I believe by being vulnerable and expressing these often intense emotions I have, I can create a connection that is meaningful to others. I am most proud of this connection and my ability to express my emotions in such a vivid and unique way.
It means a lot to me.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
When I was really young I was super outgoing, I loved to express myself in a bunch of ways. Especially through fashion, singing, and dancing. My parents said I loved to perform in front of family and friends, which was shocking to them because as I got closer to my teenage years I became more shy, quiet, and introverted.
Throughout high school, I barely spoke! I believe this is why my connection with art only grew stronger because it was the only way I felt comfortable communicating and as a way to cope. However, I believe in the past few years I and my inner child have grown so close, and I find myself becoming more like her, and honoring all versions of myself more and more each day.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://synclairstudiosllc.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddie.sb/
- Other: linktr.ee/MadisonSBryan
Image Credits
Chris Bryan
