I'd tell any aspiring artist to be themselves, develop a style that works for them, and practice as much as they can. Artists only get better as much as they practice but recognize that practice is not always the act of physically creating something.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I grew up in Washington, DC into a family that heavily influenced me to work in politics. I grew up in a world that was highly influenced by STEM, politics, and analytical pursuits but I always found a way to stay creative. I loved art class even though no one else I went to school with did, I went to theater camp, sewed my own clothes in high school, and later built theater sets and costumes.
When I got to college I was still creative even though I didn't consider myself an artist. I thought artists had to outwardly express themselves and be good at drawing -- neither of which I was capable of. I didn't realize how starved I was for creativity until I was out of college working in a very creatively-zapped field and I finally snapped and had to make something creative for myself. I made collages when I was younger, mostly out of old magazines and cool photos I could find, so I downloaded photoshop and I started messing around with digital collage.
Digital collage was a completely different game for me because I didn't need a whole room full of magazine clippings and corner snippings, but I also didn't know where to find images; I didn't understand the importance of image resolution or copyright, and I wasn't sure how to share my work publicly or if I even wanted to share anything I was making.
For the first few months, I really only made art for myself, but the more I showed my work to my friends the more they encouraged me to share it with the world and I am so glad that I did. I started posting art online as POST WOOK in July of 2018, and this is now my full-time job -- I have no issues calling myself a professional artist now, and I absolutely love what I do.
2. What inspired you to pursue art?
I've always really enjoyed parsing together parts of reality to create something new, and collage gave me an entirely new avenue to create a new world for myself. I really like how collage art is all about creating something out of nothing in a way that speaks to the artist. I don't create art to escape, I create worlds as a way to illustrate how connected life is for all of us.
Something about creating art felt good. It was a better feeling than any breakthrough research that I found or any paper that I wrote; it felt better than any legislative document I drafted or communication plan with my team in my previous life in politics. Making art is cathartic, it feels like scissors gliding on wrapping paper. I don't really know if I pursued art, in a lot of ways I feel like art pursued me.
I started sharing my art because people told me it was good, I didn't really care what people thought, I was more so interested in the way it made me feel. That led to more people finding interest and inspiration in what I do. Today people tell me my art evokes all sorts of emotions for them and I truly never anticipated that my work would touch the lives of so many people.
3. How would you describe your art style and aesthetics?
I consider my style to be contemporary surrealism landscape collage art, in a very specific sense. I've heard my work get described as fantasy landscape, surrealism art, and straight-up landscape collage. I love including elements of nature, lakes, roads, paths, hills, mountains, snow, and flowers, combined with the cosmos, galaxies, stars, and planets, to create something ethereal and otherworldly.
I'm very drawn to the moon and mountains in my day-to-day life. I see the moon as a portal to the sun, and I believe the sun is the creator of all things, so the moon is a reminder of that source. I love mountains because they help me feel right-sized and ever so human. Together these elements create a duality, a song, and dance of humans and the universe. My art is meant to represent the harmony of everything we can see from earth.
5. How do you overcome a creative block?
Since I love mountains, I tend to hike up them when I'm not feeling particularly inspired. I really enjoy looking at the ocean from the tops of mountains because I can take in all of the depth and texture from the mountain all the way to the ripple and repetition of the ocean. A good hike + some good music tends to get me out of a creative block.
If I don't have time for a long hike, I tend to take some time to rest and not force myself to make anything. I firmly believe that sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is nothing, so rest is always high on my priority list if I start to feel burnt out because burnout almost always is the cause of a creative block for me.
It's hard for me to say because I love a lot of artists equally, but if I had to narrow it down to a few I'd say Jen Stark, Sebastian Wahl, and Allyson Grey. I love all of their work for its spiritual implications and vibrant colors.
Stark's work is funky and psychedelic while still being simple and highly stylized. Wahl takes collage to a whole new level with resin and large-scale work that's best seen in person to truly appreciate the detail. Grey's secret language in her work and use of paint texture mesmerizes me.
7. What tips and advice would you give to aspiring artists?
I'd tell any aspiring artist to be themselves, develop a style that works for them, and practice as much as they can. Artists only get better as much as they practice but recognize that practice is not always the act of physically creating something.
Condition your mind to be gentle during your down days and calm your spirit so you can respond with grace when faced with rejection. Keeping yourself whole is just as important as creating your best work and consistently pushing your boundaries.
Natasha Chomko also known as POSTWOOK is a Los Angeles-based digital artist who creates otherworldly landscapes by splicing together elements of nature and the cosmos to create ethereal universes found in your dreams. Her work consistently pushes the boundaries of color theory, texture, and depth to bring new ideas to life.
Interviewed By - Serene Ingle
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