Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Newton.
Hi Morgan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey with art has been a beautiful and transformative learning experience. As an only child, my Christmases would be filled with gifts under the tree each year. I vividly remember getting my first art set gifted to me for Christmas in elementary school. It was then I fell in love with drawing. In the coming years, I would beg my mother to buy me “How to” drawing tutorial books. Many of my early sketchbooks would be filled page to page with cartoon characters from television or characters I would make up. At age twelve, my relationship with painting started to develop. While attending The Imani School, my seventh-grade art teacher, Mrs. Williams introduced me to watercolor painting. She was very patient with me and inspired me to create more. Around that time, I realized I wanted to pursue a career in art. My parents were really supportive and bought me a set of supplies to fully invest in my abilities.
While continuing on my craft through high school, my work primarily focused on painting from a place of familiarity. My early inspiration depicts layers of my southern upbringing. The intimate gatherings of black culture like cookouts, dominoes tournaments, and block parties represent my familial life in the south. The sounds of zydeco and artists such as Johnnie Taylor, Betty Wright, Luther Vandross, & more symbolized the love and nostalgia within these events. I like to think of these moments as part of the soundtrack to my life as a budding artist.
As a student at Howard University, the school of fine arts is where I began to truly learn about myself as an individual and an artist. Initially, I was nervous to start a new chapter but it began to feel like home. During those four years, I was fortunate to learn about all forms of art and how to market & show up for myself as an artist. With the encouragement from my professors and the overall growth I experienced, I began to come into my own. Now a full time artist, I feel that I have grown immensely as an artist and individual.
Through the use of acrylic paint, I document that growth within each work by portraying vulnerability through creation. As someone who has struggled with their mental health, I find it helpful to express that through my art. The recurring themes in my work are self-love, self-actualization, and growth. I use these themes as a way of healing spiritually and emotionally. My subjects consist of black women in various different backgrounds/areas coming into their own authentic self. Each work is an ode to accepting multiple versions of myself. To be an artist, I feel that it is imperative that one must be honest with themselves first and then others. Each of my paintings also documents my journey as a black woman and who I am meant to be. I do this to fully step into my power and show up as my authentic self not only on canvas but in person. Painting is my passion and I am so grateful to see myself grow as a woman and an artist.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every journey has its ups and downs. The main struggles I have faced are dealing with rejection, learning to advocate for myself, and being confident in my work. During my time at Howard University, I had a big issue with being confident in my own style. I would often compare myself to my peers and could not handle criticism the best. As a sensitive person, I took many things personally and it would result in me being hard on myself. It came to a point where I started to face imposter syndrome. After accomplishing great things, I couldn’t celebrate myself because I was so focused on accomplishing the next thing. I slowly realized it was not healthy to be on a constant hamster wheel chasing what I believed to be success. It took a lot of time, patience, and encouraging words from my mom to learn to be gentle with myself and just exist.
Navigating life post-grad, I also had to reshape my relationship with rejection. Being rejected from jobs and opportunities would ultimately crush my spirit. Eventually, I had to accept that what is for me will not miss me. Lastly, speaking up for myself is something that I am still learning. Thankfully, I have realized that my words matter and that my thoughts and opinions are valid. As a black woman, it is important for me to advocate for myself whenever I can. To this day, I am learning to take experiences as lessons and receive them the best way I can. Going through these challenges have not been easy, but it has made me grow into who I am meant to be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a visual artist, I aim to continue the exploration and re-empowerment of myself. Through this I have deepened my relationship with my southern familial roots, black womanhood, spirituality, and healing in all forms. It has been a theme of my work to center the idea of “being” as a black woman and explore what that means. My goal is to inspire others with my transparency so that they can see themselves in my work. What does it mean to “be”? In this shade? In this body? The continuation of this exploration is crucial in my journey to formulate a deeper meaning of my past, present and future self. Overall, this practice is to uplift me and other Black individuals on this journey. I am most proud of coming to a place personally to let my light shine through my work to connect with others. Having the opportunity to communicate this through my work is very special to me as an artist and individual.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is learning to show up as my authentic self through art to inspire others to feel seen and heard. As a black woman in the south, I faced a big challenge when it came to showing up for myself. Over the years, I found myself performing for others and not embracing my authentic self. Eventually, I granted myself the permission to share pieces of myself on canvas. This practice has allowed me to invite growth rather than fear it. My paintings serve as an intimate documentation of my expression of vulnerability with figures that symbolize my own identities. Through this practice, I share my story with others to invite community healing and togetherness. This documentation is also important to me because it showcases my ongoing journey of self as a black woman. My overall goal as an artist is for people to be able to reflect and see themselves in my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artbymorgan.shop/
- Instagram: __morgannewton
