Today we’d like to introduce you to Savannah J. White.
Hi Savannah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My creative journey can be characterized as having no beginning or end. As a child, I always loved any type of creative outlet… drawing, painting, needlepoint, and sewing. Art class was always a highlight for me when I was young, and when I started high school and realized I could take art every single day I was thrilled. I graduated high school finishing AP Art but went on to earn my University degree in Communications.
I never stopped painting for myself, and others throughout college, but it was not until I started the first corporate job that I began to exhibit my art. One group show leads to another, to a solo show, to connections with interior designers placing my work locally, to shipping my work to 3 continents in 1 year. Something about existing in a regimented world during the day allowed my creativity to explode by the time I got home in the evenings, and I like that balance. I still have my studio in my home as a means to comfortably work as late or as early as I please.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggles along the way can only be described as the ones I self-inflicted… The “if you build it they will come” mentality is one that I cling to as a creative because I find that as long as the work is there, someone will always love it. The trouble is making the work… seeking inspiration… denying imposter syndrome… working through mental blocks and creative blocks.
Some days I wake up and I look at my past work and I wonder how I ever painted such things… It is easy to feel out of touch when I’m not actively nourishing my inner creative child. It is true that the first stroke is always the hardest, but on the business side and the creative side I always try to focus on the “next best thing.” The one step I can take at that moment is to move forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have painted a variety of subject matter over my art career, but I’m currently on a 3-year streak of these lovely relaxed landscapes. Some are more vivid and realistic, some more abstract. I travel immensely for both business and pleasure and everywhere I go I’m always snapping photos for inspiration.
There’s something about vast landscapes that have a grounding effect I find profound. Feeling tiny at the summit of a 14,000-foot mountain, or on a cliff overlooking waves crashing over a rocky coast 150 feet below. I hope to translate the sense of wonder that the gift of traveling to almost 30 countries has given me.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think digging into layers of your mentors is important… who/what inspired the people that pushed you to the next level? Who helped them along their way? Who were some of their contemporaries and what is their story? As an artist, a handful of my most inspiring mentors are dead and have been for a long time… and that’s okay!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.savannahjewellart.com
- Instagram: @savannahjewellart
- Facebook: @savannahjewellart
Image Credits
Stephanie Rawlinson Photo
