Meet Marika Wagle | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marika Wagle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marika, is there something you believe many others might not?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” If it’s working that’s great, but I am constantly trying to push myself to what I refer to as “the edge”. I want to consistently challenge myself to go to that edge of what is comfortable, because that’s where I will discover something new. Where I will grow as an artist. I have learned that the purpose of my creative work is to take you on a journey with me, to push your boundaries as much as I do mine. And that means taking risks. If a certain painting style or piece is a commercial success, I avoid trying to recreate it for the sake of “people will like it” or “something like this sold in the past, so I should do it again”. Often I will get asked to do a commission based on a piece I have done in the past, even if my work and creative process had evolved since then. I have made the mistake of trying to recreate that success, even though I am in a different place creatively. Not only is it frustrating and difficult to do the work, but the viewer can sense that tension in the piece. Although everyone may not like a new creative direction I go in, I can’t change what inspires me or feels right to me in my gut to fit that outside validation. I may lose some of my audience, but I may gain some as well. That’s the risk I’m willing to take, and the risk I have to take as an artist. And if I’m not constantly evolving and going to that edge, I don’t fulfill that intense creative pull that drives all artists. And my audience will sense that frustration in the final product.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I had a successful fashion career for 15 years, mainly working with designers to help them execute and fulfill their vision. I loved experiencing their creativity and helping them achieve their goals, but it usually came at the cost of subverting my own creativity. I had been an artist as a child, but in the pursuit of my career success, had left it all behind. At a time when I was struggling with difficult personal issues, I picked up a paintbrush again for the first time in over 20 years. I used that creative release to process my emotions, never imagining anyone else would see my work. What sets me apart is I expose my own vulnerability, express my shame, put my inner battles into words on a canvas. I have heard “me too” from so many people of all ilks who see my work, and that has become my inspiration. It was and is a challenge to be so raw and vulnerable in my work, but it has healed me. And in the process, bought light to the struggles and pain that so many people experience. If my work makes just one person feel seen, then I’ve done my job.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield is what got me to pick up a paintbrush again after leaving a successful fashion career. It was the first time I heard someone describe the resistance in the creative process that was going on in my head. It taught me that that tension I was walking around with could be released by just allowing myself to dip my toe into a creative space. To walk through the fear, and just do. I constantly recommend it to anyone who is looking to move into a creative career.

Website: www.marikawagledesign.com

Instagram: @marikawagle

Facebook: @marika.wagle