Brie Uzzell graduated summa cum laude from the College of Charleston in 2015 with a degree in Studio Art. I interviewed Brie via Skype and talked with her about her successes and struggles thus far. I think you'll be able to tell from this interview that art is her passion in life, and she has some inspiring words to share. You can find out more about her on her website, Brieuzzell.com, and you can browse her art up for auction on her artFido page.

Gracey Williams: Hello Brie!

Brie Uzzell: Hello Gracey!

GW: So, what inspired you to be a studio art major?

BU: Well, I have always had a passion for art since, you know, I can remember. It's been what I knew what I wanted to do since you know, you start thinking about that in what, elementary school. And I had an initial talent with it when I was younger and so that also kind of inspired me. I was like, "Wow, I'm actually kind of good at this", and I enjoy doing it. So I decided that's what I wanted to do as a career, whether it would be illustrating or it would be making fine art, I didn't know--I just knew art should be a part of my life.

GW: When you got to the College of Charleston, did you know what you wanted to do once you graduated?

BU: No, I definitely didn't. That was kind of the scary part. I got there and I loved my classes and for the first two years I was just thinking "make good grades" and "do your work", and not really thinking about the future like I should have been. And then junior year sneaks up on you and suddenly they're like "what do you want to do with this?" and that's a hard decision to make especially in creative fields, I think. When I was younger I thought about illustrating children's books, so I looked into that and I did get those jobs right out of graduation, but I decided that's not what I wanted to do anymore. So in school, I was definitely up in the air. I just knew that art was what I wanted to do but I just wish I had planned a little better.

GW: What have you done with your major since you have graduated?

BU: The illustrations, of course, for the two books I'm working on. And then I want to go back to grad school eventually when I can afford it. Right now my student loans are pretty heavy, but I would like to become either an art professor or a gallery curator and eventually open my own gallery. So right now, I'm just trying to build my body of work. So I learned a lot while I was in school about technique and about making my paintings better, and it took me a while after graduation, but I'm finally, you know, focusing on that, focusing on being an artist like I really wanted to be.

GW: Have you ever had a hard time finding inspiration for your art since leaving college?

BU: For sure, definitely. In college, you're surrounded by other artists and creatives constantly, and you don't have to try to be, you just are. So you go into your studio and next to you is somebody else creating work and that inspires you, and they motivate you, and they critique your work, and they make you better. And then once you're out of college, unless you're fortunate enough to be surrounded by a bunch of artist friends, you're kind of on your own and you have to make that motivation for yourself and I was definitely lacking when I graduated. It's like I suddenly didn't know how to start a piece without having a deadline or having a professor telling me to. It was all up to me, and I didn't have the support of my peers that I had when I was in school, which of course my friends and my family support me, but it's not the same as being surrounded by artists. It took me 6 months before I actually started painting for myself. You know, I did paintings for commission, for money, but I wasn't really getting that much joy out of it. I've finally started painting again just for me and hopefully for gallery showings in the future.

GW: What are you working on currently?

BU: My new series that I started is going to be called "Are You Not Entertained", and it is about the negative effects of using animals for entertainment purposes and for the benefits of humans. It's basically going to take a look at the different sectors that animals are used. The first few will be based on the circus, kind of that old-timey, vintage feel. So the first painting I'm doing is called "I'm Not a Toy" and is based on circus lions. And then I'm using that initial theme and I'm kind of correlating it with how women are often viewed in society, and it's kind of a look at is putting this woman in an other worldly form giving her a higher status in society? Is she kind of seen above the female form? Or is giving the animal a human form giving them their humanity and making people look at them with more respect? It's this back and forth between the two ideas.

GW: What are you going to be doing with this work?

BU: I have acquired a lot of art through college and what I'm planning on doing with that work is definitely selling it. I'm going to get rid of all of it. It was a part of my life that I was still learning and I don't think it's really quality for gallery showing except for maybe 2 or 3. But the new stuff I feel like I have overcome some obstacles that I was having trouble with in college that have made these pieces more mature, and although of course it takes 10,000 hours to become perfect at anything. So I have a long way to go, but I believe with this specific series that I'm doing I'll be able to show it in a gallery and hopefully get my name out there. But as for my other pieces those are definitely going to be for sale. One is for sale right now, and I'm putting up a few more today and tomorrow.

GW: Awesome! Where are you selling them?

BU: Right now I'm selling them through artFido. It's an Australian art website for galleries and artists and individuals looking to buy art or possibly sell it if they're helping an artist out. The reason I chose this website is because I did some research on the best websites to sell your art when you know you don't have a big following yet, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to kind of showcase my art to not just my friends and family or people who already know me, and try to kind of make a name for myself in that manner. Right now I could put it on my website, but not very many people see my website or know about my website, so I'd like to go through artFido until I get a better following, and then I'd go to my own site, and therefore not have to pay any commission or anything like that.

GW: Of course. Well, is there anything else you'd like to add?

BU: Just basically, if there are any other college students who are about to graduate or just graduated and are completely lost, you are not alone. For 6 months, like I said, I was literally lost. I had no idea what I was going to do. I was like "Why'd you go to college for something you can't do anything with?", but if you went to college for something that you love and you just work hard and keep pursuing it and keep being aggressive with what you love, then eventually it will pay off. I finally got an interview at a gallery space, I finally started making new art, and I have a steady income finally and I'm able to start paying off those loans. So, it'll work itself out, it just takes some time.