Life & Work with Molly Chopin of Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Chopin.

Hi Molly, we’d love for you to introduce yourself.
I’ve been a visual artist my whole life, and my story begins in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where I grew up in a household where my creativity was encouraged. From the time I could hold crayons and markers, I was drawn to creating art, but throughout my childhood, I was influenced by the “starving artist” stigma not to follow the path of being a full-time creator. After graduating from high school in 2003, I went to college and earned a degree in K-12 art education. I then worked as a full-time secondary school art teacher for seven years, which was an overwhelming but incredibly fulfilling experience.

During this chapter, I fell in love, married, and moved with my partner to North Carolina. Not long after this move, my life transitioned in a way that forever changed my art-making. I got married quickly, and my partner and I hadn’t taken much time to get to know each other (or ourselves) before committing. After our move to North Carolina, my partner converted to the highly conservative religion he was raised in. By the time we separated, approximately 3 years after our commitment, I was experiencing emotional and physical abuse on levels I’d never experienced before. A few weeks before ending our marriage, on a Saturday, when my partner was out of town, I sat down to paint, and an energy arose that I’d never experienced before while making art. I was sitting in front of an old portrait study from college. Praying about my predicament and asking my inner guidance what was happening. What am I doing here? What can help me want to stay on this “ride” called life? Something inside me then made me fall into a flow state with my brushes, and I lost myself for a while in a dance of rendering bright colors and sparkles over this old portrait. As I painted, I felt rushes of joy, even bliss, as the portrait evolved into an angelic being inspired by fire, ice, and starlight. As I leaned into this joy, an onslaught of unspoken messages filled my heart – I was going to be ok, it was worth sticking around here, and I had the power to step away from my situation. Eight hours of painting flew by seemingly in a flash, and by the time I was done, I had a newly finished portrait (titled “Seer”) and a new sense of direction in life. I was filled with a newfound faith in the invisible energies that surround and move through us and a reinforced sense of faith in myself and the healing, transmutative power of art.

I left my ex, and about a year after this. I chose to leave the public school system, too, as the stress of working there on top of the divorce overloaded my nervous system. I was passionate about painting, but at this point, I didn’t believe that I could do it full-time, so I continued to teach art part-time, and otherwise supplemented my income through restaurant work, commissions, and face paint gigs. I developed a love for face painting while working at a Halloween festival as a school teacher, and this practice led me to the events that introduced me to the circus arts, body art, and Burning Man communities. All of these communities profoundly impacted my evolution as an artist and person. With body art, I grew to love an art form that is collaborative and reflective of the temporary nature of all things, and that also destigmatizes the nakedness of the human condition while bringing to light the soul that exists within this form. The Burning Man community opened my eyes to the potential of creating and collaborating in a decommodified space. It inspired me to practice radical self-expression and creation as a gift while exposing me to a greater creative community in this area.

Fast-forward to 2020, in the months before the pandemic, I was working part-time at a restaurant while painting and juggling the various gigs that came my way. In March 2020, the restaurant shut down, all events were put on hold, and I found myself at the crossroads of – do I find another job? Go back to school? Or start creating and sharing my art full-time? The “it’s-now-or-never” sense of things the pandemic brought on inspired me to decide upon the third option. I could invest in some education and equipment through luck, privilege, tenacity, support, and grace to get started down this path. I’m thrilled and grateful that, two years after officially beginning this journey, I’m still on the path, am carrying no regrets, and am continuing to find a sense of momentum.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been winding and rocky at times, with struggles, puzzles, and moments of doubt. One of my main struggles has been working through the blocks of my mental conditioning. There were voices inside my head that for many years told me I didn’t have what it takes to be a full-time artist – that I wasn’t worthy of walking this path and that it was reserved for a certain elite or lucky few. I’ve come to recognize now these voices aren’t accurate or valid and that I was conditioned by societal influences to not value or feel empowered by my creativity. I credit much of this recognition to a book called “The Artist’s Way” and the Vision Train, a global community of artists I’ve connected with during these pandemic years. I still experience moments of doubt because societal conditioning runs deep, but I’m continuously being led to one of the biggest lessons along this path which is learning how to trust the calls of the “heART”. One of the puzzles I’m currently working with is how to remain calm in the face of unpredictability, as the flow of opportunities and income along this path aren’t as predictable as in other lines of work. Honestly, though, every time I’ve gotten to the point of questioning or wanting to give up on myself or this journey, something has come along, some unexpected opportunity or miracle, that has inspired and enabled me to keep going.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I create paintings on canvases and walls to inspire awakenings and expansions of consciousness and to remind viewers of their spiritual energy so that they feel empowered to keep working with the pain and puzzles that life presents. I specialize in a style that combines abstract expressionism and realism to draw attention to the layered qualities of this reality and the invisible energies that flow through it. People who are drawn to bright, rich color combinations, undulating patterns, symmetry, and sources of light tend to be drawn to my work. It also appeals to those who are on journeys of healing from trauma and want to be reminded of their inherent divinity.

I am most proud of how I’ve evolved into doing what I’m doing now and the faith and courage I’ve cultivated to keep following the calls of this creative path. I’m grateful to be continuously healing from the trauma and conditioning of my past and finding my voice and rhythms as both a spiritual messenger and small business owner.

In addition to original paintings, I currently offer a variety of archival fine art prints and other ARTifacts on my website, www.mollychopinart.com. I also welcome inquiries for commissioned paintings and murals.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I’ve lived in Raleigh for over 11 years and have grown to love the creative communities I’ve crossed paths with her. I’m inspired by the prevalence of festivals, makers’ markets, and events initiated here that are intended to bring people together while inspiring a love and appreciation for the arts. Many people here radiate love and acceptance and work hard to create spaces where others can feel safe and inspired to do the same. The thing I like least about Raleigh is that it is 8 hours away from where my nephew lives.

Pricing:

• vinyl stickers – $3+
• tapestries – $60+
• canvas prints – $120+
• paper prints (ranging in size from 5” x 7” – 20” x 26”) – $12 – $145+
• original artwork – prices vary

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mollychopinart.com/
• Instagram: @mollychopinart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mochopin

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Gail Moore
Additional Photos: Ren Allen (portrait1)

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