Meet Devyn Owen | Creative & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devyn Owen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devyn, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Honestly, Poiema Creative was an accident! A happy accident. It was a 1AM inspirational moment after about a year of being in a creative rut – not wanting to make anything, making something and it not looking good, having absolutely zero ideas. I got out of bed and made a piece, now called The Original. From that point on, it was my art! It was everything I wanted to create and more. My work has always consisted of some sort of line ever since high school, I just never had my specific creative style. The former name, The Bee Lines, was really a play on words consisting of my school’s mascot, The Savannah College of Art and Design, and of course, lines. I wanted the name to be cute and fun, something people would remember. Now, Poiema Creative means workmanship, something created skillfully. Recently I realized I wanted my brand to be more respected and sophisticated instead of cute and fun. So lots of changes are coming1 My main goal of success is to be recognizable. Committing to being an artist that wants to be recognizable for the love of her work and not the love of people’s praise. To be known for what I love.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work redefines how one would perceive line. In finding my artistic style, searching through all the elements of design led me to see how prominent line and shape is in my work. Line is important. It gives direction. The material, direction, and shape of a line can change a piece of work. Line can create shape and form and really define the composition of a piece. The simplicity of a line can add such complexity and is what drives much of what I do. My work is partially defined by my definition of success. In a world where success is now defined by financial prosperity or even fame, like I stated previously, my main goal of success is to be recognizable. For many artists it’s difficult to say you thoroughly love what you create no matter what goes into it. My self criticism of my work weighed heavily on me for so long… In the creative process there was rarely a time a finished product would lead to the thought of: “This is good.” It took a lot of process and brainstorming, messing around with different mediums and styles, to create the portfolio of work I have today. I’ve learned to love your work before you try to create something for someone else’s happiness. Where I am today is where I’ve wanted to be since I was 15 years old. I’ve sworn off doing commissions that aren’t reflective of me or my work, it ends up with me hating the piece and the process. I am most proud of how many individual shows and markets I’ve done! I love being around creatives and learning from them, but also having creative coming to see my work specifically and critique it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite places to eat in Savannah: Coco and Moss, Baobab Lounge, Bull Street Taco. My favorite places to drink: Starland Yard, Origin Coffee Bar, Peregrin. The Forsyth Park Farmers Market on Saturday mornings is my all time favorite weekend activity, along with Foxy Loxy’s Fire and Wine nights! My all time favorite shop is The Paris Market, a dreamy world of all things Parisian, coffee table books, antique furniture, and the best soaps. If you were to ever ask me what to go see in Savannah, these are all the things I would tell you!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Having gone to an arts high school in Norfolk, Virginia, my instructors at the Governor’s School for the Arts heavily influenced me wanting to have an artistic style, always pushing me to be creating at every free moment. Specifically my photography instructor, Angela Douglas, my art history instructor, Kathy Mosier, and my department heads, Heather Bryant and Liana Graham. I owe a lot to my family, for never once telling me I couldn’t be successful in the art world. Feck Perfuction, a book by James Victore, pushed me to do the weird thing, to go outside my comfort zone and to always be creating. My most recent show was dedicated to my boyfriend, Sasha Karlov, for always encouraging me to do the things that scare me, specifically in the art world. He is one of my muses and an inspiration to me daily.

Website: poiemacreative.com
Instagram: @poiemacreatiive
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/devynowen
Twitter: @devynowen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devyn.owen.7

Image Credits
Devyn Owen