Susan Tuttle photographed in New York City by Susanna Gordon

Who is Susan?

Pieces of Me

Who am I? I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, an artist, a teacher, a musician, a friend, a student, and things that have not yet revealed themselves to me.

I am more than my body, my thoughts, my experiences, my passions and my fears.

I am a work in progress.

I am a divine soul; part of a greater tapestry of other divine souls — Beings of Light.

I am here to evolve into my best self — to come to trust in the Universe, learn from adverse experiences, and revel in as much joy as I possibly can in this lifetime by being true to my soul.

As an artist, what are your favorite ways to express yourself?

photography, digital art, mixed-media and abstract paintings, writing, playing my flute

You can visit my website here to view my work and also my blog here

Can you share with us your creative process?

My creative process is always a hearty (misspelling intended) adventure, taking me to places unexpected and often to destinations that look very different than what I initially envisioned. I own a little black moleskine book that sits on my bedside table. I often awake in the night with creative ideas and scribble them down — if I didn’t, I would not be able to fall back to sleep. Sometimes that hazy period in the morning between sleeping and waking yields creative seeds — remnants of the dream world in fragmented forms of chimera and strings of words that can be woven into poetry. I carry the moleskin in my purse on outings — I am never without it, as I can never be sure when inspiration will strike.

My creative spirit is most wild and alive at night — the inhibitions are lowered when I am a bit tired and I feel more connected to otherworldly spiritual life around me that I believe is a huge part of my process. You see, I don’t think that my creative ideas necessarily come from me, but more through me, from somewhere else that is greater than who I am. I say to the proverbial muse, “take me by the hand, show me what you want me to see, what you want me to learn, what you want me to make and help me send it out into the Universe to the place it was meant to be all along.”

Imagery that grabs or has personal meaning to me is a paramount part of my process, especially when I create digital montage and mixed-media collage. When I feel emotionally connected to the imagery, the process is that much more powerful and the energy that is created colors the entire piece — I think you can actually sense that energy in the finished piece. Some of my work explores darker subject matter, but at the same time there is always an attempt to bring the finished product to the light — it’s about healing, forgiveness and hope.

My process unfolds in a variety of ways. Sometimes it hits me hard and fast and I create many pieces at once that I am satisfied with. Other times the well is dry and I take that as a signal that it is time to rest and refresh. I used to be afraid that the muse might not come back when that happened, but experience has taught me that she always does when the timing is right. There are times when I work on just one piece for months — constantly returning to it, altering it, setting it down for a while, picking it up again when it calls to me. These long-winded pieces can sometimes be frustrating — I’ve often been tempted to throw them away. But, I have learned that these are often the gems that turn into some of my best work — so I stick with them.

I am passionately in love with the creative process — it makes me feel so alive, electric, connected — it gives a natural high that I can’t live without and it fulfills something in me that words cannot name — I would be lost and empty without art-making in my life.

What are you moved to express in your writing, art, photography the most?

truth and love i think.

When I share my writing and photography on my blog, for instance, there is an unveiling of truth that takes place — the photos from the day and the thoughts I have which I translate into writing somehow weave together into a cohesive whole revealing something more powerful than I could have ever imagined. When I blog, I feel like I am being taught as well as sharing with others. I would say that creating a blog post is very similar to the creative process that takes place in my studio.

How do handle an interruption in the flow of imagination or writer’s block?

I think this is one of the reason’s I create in the wee hours when the kids and dh are fast asleep:) In terms of creative block, I give into it. I’ve learned the best thing is to embrace the block, relax, do something fun — sometimes watching an off-the-beaten-path independent film is all it takes to whip up the creative repartee with the muse once again.

One of those movies I love is Very Annie Mary ~

What brings you joy, contentment, happiness?

My family, living in Maine, the simple and ordinary, art, photography, film, music, cooking, having enough, friends, conversation, coffee, books, gardening, a healthy and agile body.

What does the words ‘yes’ and ‘possibility’ mean to you personally?

Saying “yes” to life invites magic, miracles, possibility, surprise and even eternal youth methinks!

How has saying ‘yes’ in your life changed the trajectory of your life?

I wear my heart on my sleeve and follow my intuition and share it with reckless abandon with the right people. It has brought much love and adventure into my life. Leaping with a “yes” has brought me on a backpacking trip through the UK by myself, enabled me to write two books, gifted me with a beautiful family, and moved me to Maine where I feel truly at home. But, it doesn’t always have to be so grand. When I’m having a crappy day all it takes is uttering a ‘yes’ for an immediate attitude adjustment and change of outlook. With a ‘yes’ you can do anything you set your little heart on. Anything.

What hold you back?

I am having trouble answering this one. I don’t think at this point in my life there is anything innately holding me back from the things I am passionate about. It wasn’t always this way for me, but after a serious car accident in my twenties I understood the true meaning of “Life is too short” and decided there was no good reason not to embrace what i love. But there is one thing I wish I had more of to carry out my passions, and that is time.

Who are your creative role models? What books, art, music inspire and ignite you?

A few that inspire:

Books: The Inhabited Woman by Gioconda Belli, The Limits of Enchantment by Graham Joyce, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage, and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Artists/Photographers: Check out my lengthy list of links here:

Musicians: Bon Iver, The Bowerbirds, Patrick Watson, Athlete, Jem, Sara Bareilles, Sia

Film: White Oleander, Amelie, Billy the Kid, Atonement, The Visitor, The Station Agent, Babette’s Feast

What do you give yourself unconditionally in life to?

My family and my art.

Where has love taken you?

If there were absolutely no obstacles whatsoever what would you do tomorrow?

Travel, travel, travel.

What is on your wish list?

A 1960′s Savoy camera in mint green, a Muse lens with double glass optic from lensbaby.com, Polaroid 600 Instant Film, Delights and Shadows by Ted Kooser, and a warm pair of shearling boots from LL Bean.

What is on your inspiration board?

Where is your creative space/corner of the world?

Take a photo of a place you go to reground and root yourself when life gets a bit overwhelming and if you like tell us why it is so meaningful to you.

I retreat to the woods just at the edge of my yard. When I enter I immediately feel at ease. I focus on the beauty of my surroundings; the fine details of nature at my feet, in the trees, down the wooded path, the eagle overhead. It is my form of meditation.

Famous last words?

Susan Tuttle is a mixed-media and digital artist who resides in a small-town community in the state of Maine. Her first book, Exhibition 36: Mixed-Media Demonstrations + Explorations, was released by North Light Books in December 2008, and her second book, Digital Expressions: Creating Digital Art with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements, a technique-based publication on digital art, will be published by North Light Books in May 2010 and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon. Susan is a frequent contributor to Stampington & Company publications and other mixed-media books. You can visit her site at www.ilkasattic.com and her blog at www.ilkasattic.blogspot.com through which she is offering online digital art workshops on the subjects of photomanipulation, digital montage, and a variety of Photoshop techniques.