We had the good fortune of connecting with Ali Rose Dachis and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ali Rose, how do you think about risk?
I am learning that my desires as an artist, and as a human lie way beyond the “good girl” structure I was raised in. I am opening myself up to more risks in my life, and in my work- and I think they go hand in hand. When I take a risk and move into new territory in my work I am often terrified. Only until I live in the risk for some time, does that begin to subside, which leaves room for a new risk to present itself and I am invited to go even deeper. Whenever a risk comes, fear comes with it, usually in the form of what other people will think of the work, of me-but if I can take other people’s narratives out of my equation even for a moment, I am able to dive in with a pang of gratitude, panic, and exhilaration. And it is worth it every time.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As an actor and painter I am ever curious about how we tell stories. How we tell stories visually, and especially with our bodies. Every portrait I work on I look for the story. I particularly appreciate stories with hope and tension. I particularly love to paint with a sense of movement. I love working with water (primarily watercolor, and water with ink) it teaches me a lot about movement because it has a soul of its own, and it is not easy to control- which is why I want to be so close to it. Professionally, I am still building, it has been joyful and slow. I am still figuring out how I want to put my art out into the world. But I guess the thing that is most important to me as I keep creating, is getting closer to my own personal truth so I can share more openly and freely through my art, in hopes that someone will feel some connection to it and feel more seen.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am lucky to have a lot of people in my life that have been supportive (especially my family), but today I would like to give a shoutout to my friend, Peter Rivas. He lives with a full artist heart, and there is rarely anything more inspiring than that. He has supported my creative endeavors with encouragement and guidance. Several years ago he pushed me to get my own studio space to create freely and it changed the course of my work. It is a big gift to have someone who is always willing to tell the truth, and generously.
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