Madeline Owen

“When in doubt, always follow your nose.” - Gandalf

The core of this thought process of mine is continuously born out of doubt. I’ve followed my nose and things haven’t always turned out as planned. In 2018 I began 10 large paintings and found myself giving up on each one. I stored them all away. When I had moved on from a school environment with

constant validation from peers, I realized I had more to figure out than I thought. What was my brand? What was my art about? It was only through persistently working on my craft and letting go of having a definite answer to these questions that the answers slowly revealed themselves on their own. My creations became my portal to discovering myself. More than anything, expressing myself through my art has become synonymous with chipping away at something much larger than myself.

When talking with Aria (CRÉATEUR Editor-In-Chief) she said, “Whenever I ask a successful creative how they go to where they are, pleading for a direct road map, the answer is always some form of the same…they say, ‘well…it just kind of happened.’” I think there is something to be said for this ‘falling down the path’ bit. Who you are is right there in every moment. You must see it. Accept that it is in you right now as you read this. It is not something that you have to find. No more questioning, self-doubting, or attempting to construct a direct road map for yourself. Just trust that inner light and follow the path, wherever it may lead.

There is no story. All we have is now.

-Madeline Owen