Meet Lucinda Luvaas | Multimedia artist

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

Hi Lucinda, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My work and my life are totally one and the same. You need to feel that what you do defines you–that you are fed by whatever it is that you do. For me: it was the arts in general and visual art and film in particular. I knew from early on that these were the two things that would fulfill my balance and my life as a whole.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an artist and filmmaker. I came to both disciplines without much training or schooling. I thought: you should just work hard at these things to achieve your goals. I am content that I came to being a creative individual on my own and honed my vision and skills so that they are truly me. Originality, sincerity and clarity: these are the three things I’ve lived by. It has paid off well. It’s not easy to be creative in a society that values material things over all else. There’s very little understanding of what it means to be creative and yet as children all we want to do is draw and make things with our hands! Creativity is the stuff of what it means to be human. So, no: it’s not easy to be an artist, a musician, or a writer in this country. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t many people in the arts working here that are stellar and very worthy of recognition. I overcame the challenges of being an artist by just being one! and working hard and getting the work out there to the public where it could be seen. I was a public artist/muralist in NYC for a number of years. That was a real lesson in how art can affect a community. Then I went into studio practice and showed work in galleries, art fairs, colleges, universities and museums—wherever it could be seen and appreciated. My work is about reaching out and communicating to others in the hope that we can find common ground and learn to be more perceptive about the human experience and the planet that hosts us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The La Brea Tar Pits! and LACMA for sure. I’d take them to Malibu and some of the trails up there, such as Solstice Canyon which is so beautiful. The beach is wonderful as well: Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. Culver City downtown is great with many really good restaurants and the Culver City Hotel complete with ghosts! The hidden staircases around the city are really incredible THE MATTACHINE STEPS being one example.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My partner: William Luvaas who is a novelist and short fiction writer. He has always believed in my work and encouraged me. We do that for each other. There’s a real partnership in this house! A creative partnership. I don’t know what I would do without that. It’s very true that you need encouragement and nurturing to achieve your goals. No person is an island.

Website: lucindaluvaasnewwork.com

Instagram: @cinsensations

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucinda-luvaas-156236b7/

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