Artist and graphic designer Mary Beth Eisenstadt makes lots of things––lots of really great things! We got to speak to the Raleigh, NC creator about some of those great things, her wise advice she'd give to fellow artists, her favorite part of being creative, where to find the best pizza, and a whole bunch more. Read the full interview after the jump!
Tell us about who you are and what you do.
My name is Mary Beth Eisenstadt, an artist and graphic designer in Raleigh, NC (for now). I primarily make art on Illustrator/Adobe Draw but I also like to paint, knit, sew, embroider... there are a lot of ways to make art and I love exploring all the possibilities and finding new & interesting ways to create things. I also studied New Media in college so I really enjoy making videos, animations, and websites when I can.
When did you start getting into making art?
I've been making art for literally as long as I can remember - I was always drawing when I was a kid and grew up going to schools with really great visual arts programs so I had a lot of opportunities to create. My middle school offered a stained glass-making course, which was so cool and a lot of fun. Early in college I tried straying away from art in order to find something more "practical" (code for "makes more money") to go into as a career, but pretty quickly realized that I couldn't avoid something I was so passionate about.
What's your favorite part about being creative?
I kind of said this earlier, but the fact that there are so many types of media is a big one for me. Experimenting in things like fiber arts has been super fun. There are so many things to make and so many things I haven't made yet and it excites me!
What's one of your favorite pieces you've done?
The problem with my answer to this question is that no one is actually able to see my favorite piece... I made this huge painting while I was living in California, which was inspired by the suburbs of San Francisco. It was bright and full of color, and it was one of those rare times where I was actually happy with something I made. Unfortunately when I packed my little car to move back to Raleigh, the painting was too big to bring. I'm working on recreating it now. My favorite thing I'm working on is something I'm really excited about. It started out as a book about falling out of love, and now is turning into something that's kind of just about emotions and life and how complicated we all are. If that sounds ambiguous, it's because it's an ever-evolving project. I'm bad at planning and my mind's always changing, but I kind of enjoy the disorganization and just letting the project unfold naturally.
Who/what are some of your biggest inspirations?
My favorite artists are Yaacov Agam, Josef Albers, Jean Arp, Stuart Davis, and about a million other people. There's this lady named Adrienne Adams who did illustrations in the 60s that are sort of simple but detailed at the same time, which I love. Her work inspired me to make my egg-shaped illustrations. In terms of non-human inspiration, I have a lot of very vivid emotional dreams which definitely have inspired a lot of my digital illustrations. Emotions, dealing with mental illness, the complexity of life, strangers, and people I love all play a part in inspiring me to continue creating.
What's some advice you'd give to fellow artists?
Gonna say something really cliche here - don't give up. Ha. Being a designer, it took me over a year to find a job after college and there were times when I wanted to stop designing things and making art. Eventually I found a job, but it's definitely a struggle. As an artist, I'm totally still struggling, but it's something I love, so I'll keep working at it. Draw every day (even if it's ugly, even if it sucks), but don't feel pressured to make beautiful finished masterpieces every day. I think that Instagram puts a lot of pressure on artists to do that, post every day to maintain a following - it's pretty much impossible unless you have all the free time in the world to make art and is exhausting to try to keep up with. I constantly struggle to keep up with having a full time job and making my own art at the same time. You can't do everything, give yourself a break.
How is your personality reflected in your work?
My best friend called my art "kindhearted, relatable, emotional, and easy to be around" - so I'm going with that. I don't know, I honestly think my art is nothing like my personality. I usually feel very unstable and chaotic, and I think my art is very relaxed and calming.
Music you've been listening to lately?
Cibo Matto, Portishead, and Yelle, always. I've been having trouble finding new music lately - everyone reading this, send me things to listen to!
Best place to get food in Raleigh?
Honestly, I hate beer, but Trophy Brewing has the best pizza in Raleigh.
Anything else you'd like to add?
My website is marybetheisenstadt.com, thanks so much for the interview - talking about myself is weird!
Follow Mary Beth Eisenstadt on Instagram (@marybetheisenstadt)