Meet Fatspatrol | Artist

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

Hi fatspatrol, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
It’s funny because I think my work life balance has changed more by making my work more deeply connected to my life. At earlier stages of my career, being an artist was work and my balance was out of whack. I worked excessively, didn’t know how to switch off, was burnt out and really constantly consumed by what needed doing. and how to make the money.

Now, being an artist is not just what I do but who and how I am. It is tied to my value system. (Of course I realize this may not be applicable to many careers). In that, I realize I don’t always have to be ‘doing’ the thing, but rather being more authentic in ‘being’ the thing. I’m an artist when I’m walking through the woods and feeding my creative senses. I’m an artist when I’m reading a book and painting a picture of what I’m reading in my head. And that sort of took the pressure off the obsession with doing. Those moments of not doing but just being out in the world being artist-ic is actually what has strengthened my practise and my work and turned the corner in my career. It’s helped me find and hold strong my voice and develop my style. Made me set stronger professional boundaries as to the type of projects I will and will not take on and in return it doesn’t feel like a race anymore, but a journey.

So I guess instead of trying to constantly maintain the boundary between work and life and frantically trying to jump from one side of the wall to the other, I’ve blurred it out?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would say painting big walls has been my stand out achievement in my career though I work in a lot of mediums. It’s not what I was aiming for or pursuing necessarily but where I proudly ended up. The journey has been interesting. I knew I wanted to work in the arts, I never had the confidence to ‘be’ the artist. So I worked in galleries, I ran my own urban art agency for 10 years and eventually moved into being a full time artist. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t always making art, I just didn’t value myself creatively enough to put on the hat.
Through my agency (www.thedomino.org) I started doing the odd gig myself when I couldn’t find the right artist for the project and found my feet that way. After going through a bad breakup 10 years ago, I threw myself into it more and I think betting on yourself, investing your time in developing your style, your portfolio etc. is then rewarded. I started getting bigger and bigger walls.
In that sense I’m also really proud of having a stand out style. People often say you know when you see my work, and I think that’s awesome. And hard to do.
Being an Indian woman who grew up in the Middle East, a shy and anxious woman, makes being on that global street art circuit that much more of a yay. I hadn’t seen women like me do what I do when I was coming up. I still see very few.

The main lesson I’ve learnt and that I tell younger artists is to connect to your purpose in art making. Make sure you do it for you first. Make sure you connect to that innate drive and desire as a human who needs to express and create before you even tap into any of the outside noise and let money water it down. I set aside one day a week to play as an artist. Just play. Make a mess. Try new materials. Scribble. Just to keep reconnecting to my inner voice first. I think doing that especially in the last 6 years has made a world of difference in how I feel about my work, and in turn how people see it. I think authenticity and honesty is incredibly powerful. In a time when everyone is panicked about technology being able to do what we can do, being outwardly human is that much more important. And that’s what art is.

I would say a lot of career has been a result of rebellion. Going against what was expected of me; what was the norm for me cultural, where it seemed like I should have given up, what felt too risky and dangerous. There is power in conviction. And conviction is what I try to stand in, and often do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh dear. I’m not the person to ask this! I spend a lot of time alone, I’m relatively reclusive. I’ve grown out of nightlife, etc.
So for me it’s usually nature and wandering.

For the last 6 years I’ve been between Toronto and Dubai. And for me the answer is always to get in a car and drive out of a city, especially if my best friend is visiting 🙂 If I can’t do that, I’ll just wander. Happily with a friend.

So a road trip. Canada is amazing for a road trip, a hike, a swim in a lake or a river. You don’t need to go far to find these. In fact that’s amazing ravine systems in the middle of the city.
And when you leave Dubai you’re out at sea, in the desert, driving through little towns or in the mountains.

I would opt for these over a nice restaurant any day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everyone! Every negative or positive interaction has moved the story forward.

My closest friends and family always.
Ex partners.

Artists. So many artists I’ve worked and interacted with.

People who have really pissed me off have helped me identify what I don’t want to do again.

Arts organizations who take on creating opportunity for artists.

Clients who give you creative freedom.

Teachers, professors. Every single person who has taught me something.

Therapists!

Etc.

Website: https://www.fatspatrol.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatspatrol

Linkedin: Fathima Mohiuddin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fatspatrol

Image Credits
Jo Askew
Stan Clawson