We recently had the chance to connect with Anna Bryant and have shared our conversation below.
Anna, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
In 2026, I’ve decided to close the illustration and design sector of my business and focus fully on my personal portfolio and studio work. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but always hesitated because that side of my business has been a significant source of income. The idea of letting it go has honestly been pretty intimidating. But I’ve reached a point where juggling both is no longer sustainable. I’ve been spread too thin, and it’s time to make space for the work that feels most essential. I’m ready to trust that by giving my full attention to my own practice, the rest will follow.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a printmaker and studio artist based in Western North Carolina. My work explores impermanence, how places hold memory and what remains after they’re gone. After losing my River Arts District studio to Hurricane Helene in 2024, I became really interested in that suspended time between destruction and what comes next. The prints look closely at what endures while other things fade, and how something built to last can still feel fragile or forgotten.
I’ve always carried a deep sensitivity to place; the rooms and landscapes that quietly hold traces of what has passed through them. I think of these spaces as silent witnesses, preserving an imprint of a moment in time. My work often explores how memory inhabits form, and what it feels like to return somewhere and brush against the edges of a past life.
I work in a process called mono screen printing, translating rigid, architectural forms into layered and atmospheric images that shift between structure and softness, presence and absence. Each print carries traces of the one before it, creating a quiet continuity across the series. I finish by returning with pencil to bring back certain forms and let others fade. It’s a way of remembering and holding onto something that’s already begun to dissolve.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My grandfather taught me the most about work. He was the most generous and hard-working person I’ve ever known. I spent so much of my childhood building things with him and working in the garden. He was always fixing, tending, or making something by hand. What stayed with me most wasn’t just how capable he was, but the way he approached everything with care and patience. He continued creating and cultivating things until he passed at 97.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell my younger self that your current moment doesn’t define any part of your future. Everything is impermanent. When something feels hard, it’s easy to believe it’ll always be that way. I still fall into that sometimes, but I’ve gotten better at understanding that things shift, soften, and eventually move. Nothing stays fixed forever, and that’s something I’ve learned to trust.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I used to have a really hard time showing my true personality online. For a long time, it felt like I had to invent this other persona because I’m naturally pretty private, and it always felt strange to share so much of myself. Over the last year, I’ve made a complete shift. I’ve started letting my goofy personality come through, sharing little glimpses of my day-to-day, and it all feels so much easier and more authentic. Marketing used to feel frustrating and like a chore, but now I actually enjoy it because it’s become a space where I can be myself.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
When I started my business, I would have given anything to be as busy as I am now with the clients, inquiries and opportunities that I’m all so grateful for. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget how much that would have meant to me back then. Looking back, I realize that my younger self would have been so grateful for exactly where I am now, even if it doesn’t always feel like enough in the moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.annabryantart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna.bryant.art/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-bryant-a124bb208/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabryantart/
Image Credits
Layson Peters
