Meet Leslie Adkins: Artist & Business Owner

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

Hi Leslie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe risk-taking is on a sliding scale, and I’m riskier than average (life is too short not to be!), but I’m also calculated with the risks I take. I have over-calculated in the past, experiencing “analysis paralysis” either because of fear of the unknown or because of limiting belief patterns that I had yet to rewire. For example, I could have pursued my art career more seriously over 10 years ago, venturing out to create my own business back then, but I still had limiting beliefs that were holding me back from being where I am now, in the previously unknown territory of being a professional artist and business owner. The calculated part of my risk-taking at this time in my life is about critical thinking, rather than the sophisticated forms of resistance and fearful thinking it often was in years past. Those were also times when I ended up blindly jumping off of proverbial cliffs because “I couldn’t take it anymore!” Inevitably, I did run into complications as a result of the lack of foresight, but I also had some of the most exciting, invigorating, and ultimately, enlightening experiences of my life. I regret none of them. I lived and realized that taking risks is key to truly being alive, but I also realized I could refine my risk-taking approach; in other words, I’ve gotten better at it. My bottom line: I endorse taking risks. If it’s calling you, go for it! Even if you regret one or two, you’ll find that if you let them, those regrets will mature into realizations and self-knowledge. Every decision I’ve made has made me who I am today, and though I’m unfinished, I’m a “piece of work” nonetheless. Taking risks has led to my outer world looking more and more like my inner one, and that’s both fulfilling and thrilling, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My creative journey has evolved over the years, I started figurative painting in my early twenties and decided to go to art school at Columbia College Chicago. During my time there, I realized that making art was what I really wanted to do. However, it would 10 more years after graduating before I decided to commit fully to being an artist. The journey to finally committing to my art practice has been full of resistance. In order to make that commitment, I had to rewire the limiting beliefs about being an artist that I was carrying around and turn them into empowering thoughts (it’s a daily practice). One of the best books I’ve read about artists & the resistance they must overcome is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. A couple of the ways in which I’ve advanced my creativity and confidence is through being an avid yogi and meditator. I’ve been practicing Transcendental Meditation, which has changed my connection with the artistic process because it takes the door to creative visions from being a crack open to coming right off its hinges. My work is deeply influenced and connected with nature. I often use ‘found objects’ from the natural world and ‘found insights’ from my meditation practice as pivotal components of my artwork. I work with several different mediums, mostly painting, but also with textiles and the indigo dying process. I am excited about the series of paintings I am currently working on, which take a deeper look into the relationship of nature and our personal inner worlds. I believe nature can be a mirror to our relationship with our inner selves, on an individual and collective level. Finally, I’ll add that it’s important to me that I provide excellent customer service to my buyers. I want everyone who invests in my artwork to feel the appreciation I have for them and to know that their support is deeply valued.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Los Angeles is one of the most adventurous cities to visit. You can curate the experience and tailor it for the person visiting. You really have to choose one part of town per day because the infamous traffic is a real thing. I live in Topanga, so of course, a little tour of Topanga Canyon is always a must. I would take them on a hike to Red Rocks, and then hit up Topanga Living Cafe for one of their heavenly smoothies. Beach days are the best, but there is a real need to carve out the full day for such an adventure. El Porto, in north Manhattan Beach, is one of my favorite surf spots and there is a cute little cafe right on the beach. Renting one of their bikes, and biking the strand is also a really great way to see the charming South Bay. A lot of my friends love shopping, so there would be a day spent thrifting for vintage in Silverlake and hitting any number of amazing restaurants there for dinner. Within the same day, you can bounce over to Echo Park for vegan ice cream at Sage and then walk to the Echoplex for Funky Soul dance night (when the pandemic is over). Other favorite places to show an LA visitor are art galleries and museums. I would go downtown and hit up The Broad, The Hammer, and MOCA, but you can probably only fit one museum in per day. Finally, I would wrap the trip up with a relaxing day in Malibu, and grab some seafood from the Reel Inn located on the PCH. 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Lacy Phillips, the Founder & CEO of Tobemagnetic.com has literally changed the direction my life has taken in the past few years. Her brand offers a neural manifestation technique full of workshops for healing & reframing old patterns so you can go on to manifest what you want out of life. I highly recommend checking out her website & IG @tobemagnetic. Also, my friend Lauren Alexander, owner of DACHA, a home decor & lifestyle brand here in Los Angeles. She has shown me you can run a successful, woman-owned business in LA and really make your vision come to life! Check out her stores located in Manhattan Beach and West Hollywood, or online at dachainteriors.com.

Website: www.creativesunstudio.com
Instagram: @creativesunstudio
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliejadkins/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativesunstudio/

Image Credits
Adam Noble Roberts