The Chronicle Q&A: Artist Rachael Garland on creativity and Whanganui

Whanganui artist Rachael Garland moved to Whanganui for art school and hasn't left. Photo / Supplied

Artist, mother and owner of Magpie Studios, Rachael Garland, chats with reporter Eva de Jong about martial arts, poetry, and how she survives financially as an artist.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I don’t think I ever decided to be an artist, so it wasn’t a conscious decision it just sort of evolved. Right throughout school and in my early 20s I always dabbled in art. Then basically one day I looked in the paper and saw applications were open for the Quay School of Arts and so I applied for art school and that was back in 1999. I honestly had thought, I’ll do art school for four years and then decide what to do with my life, but as it turned out, art became my life.

Tell me about what brought you to Whanganui.

It was the art school that brought me here because it had quite a good reputation, so I arrived here for that purpose. It was a four-year degree and in that time the learning and growth were immeasurable, it was amazing. So, what brought me here was the art school, and then what kept me here was the art community and Whanganui in general.

Is there something weird you do to inspire creativity?

I make art at weird hours of the night when I can focus on things. I don’t have a fixed schedule I just work as I feel I need to. It’s not a nine to five, and most often I paint at night when the world is quiet, and I have nothing else to do. I am way more awake at night.

What are your interests outside of art?

I train in martial arts twice a week and I’ve been doing that for a couple of years now. I do Zen Do Kai at the local dojo. I started at the age of 49 which was a bit of a challenge. But I love the spiritual side of it and it keeps me fit, and it’s goal-orientated because you move up the belts. It’s very good for self-discipline.

Who is someone that inspires you in your creative practice?

That’s like asking how long a piece of string is. There’s a long list there. I have a few poets that I enjoy, and their words inspire my creative practice. David Whyte is one of them and T.S. Eliot. I have a wide and varied mix of music I listen to, I like Classical, Rock, Indie, and Punk, it’s very hard to pinpoint and it changes from day to day.

What’s the best way to wind down after a long day? Or a long night?

Definitely going for a walk along the river, which I like to do regularly. On my doorstep is the river walkway so I like to get out and go and see the trees. Or else going into the studio in the peace and quiet and listening to music and pottering about with a cup of tea.

What do you love most about Whanganui?

I love the climate and the river, and all the green spaces we have on our doorstep. I love that you can get parking and there are no traffic jams and everything’s five minutes away. There are a lot of grassroots things that go on here that you have access to, like festivals and music, it’s a very individual town. It’s a hidden secret really, it’s been a wonderful place to raise a family.

What challenges do you face running an art studio?

Honestly, keeping it tidy. In my practice, I start lots of things at once and I can have 10 things on the go, and because I have a studio that’s accessible to the public you need to be able to shut the door sometimes. I also find it hard planning ahead and maintaining that structure and juggling other aspects of life as well because I’ve got kids, but it’s such a nice way to be living.

How hard is it to survive financially as an artist?

I do struggle with not having a consistent income, some weeks are fine and then others I might feel compelled to make things just to keep the income coming in, so that becomes challenging. The solution to that for me is working elsewhere, I do a couple of shifts per week on the Durie Hill Elevator. It’s brilliant because you meet people and get out of your own head a bit.

Is there something that might surprise people about being an artist?

We struggle with putting our work out there because it’s such a personal thing, it’s very hard not to feel exposed. Even seemingly successful artists struggle with imposter syndrome all the time. There’s insecurity about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, it’s certainly not plain sailing. I’ll have months sometimes where I really struggle to be creative, we’re not machines.