An insightful Artist Parent interview with Pete Donnelly (PJ Donnelly) @titanic_pete, an artist from Leeds, UK.
Tell us about yourself?
Hello, I’m Peter Donnelly and I’m based in Leeds. I’m an independent sculptor, member of Leeds Fine Artists and co-owner of the Sculpture Gallery based in Leeds Corn Exchange.
I’m married with a six year old son and two year old daughter.
After completing a degree in English Literature, I decided to pursue a career in social work and completed an MA to enable me to achieve this. I have worked within this field for around 15 years, eventually specialising in mental health and qualifying as an Approved Mental Health Act Professional.
I began to focus much more on developing my ability as a sculptor about 10 years ago. It has since become a large part of my life carefully balanced alongside my other priorities such as my social work career and my family.
How has being a parent had a positive impact on your artistic practice?
One of the many positives is being able to watch your child begin their own journey into creativity. That brought up a lot of happy memories for me. I love the freedom and purity of watching them create.
There's something in that fearless attitude that speeds up learning in children. They don’t carry the same kind of insecurities such as the fear of mistake making which we experience in later life. I find this whole perspective very infectious and free from the sometimes judgemental or opinionated perspectives that can influence an artist. Watching my kids explore their imaginations just inspires me to keep my art honest, pure and fun. It is playing really isn't it? and that's why I love it. We should never stop playing.
What are the challenges you have faced in your artistic practice being a parent?
Time and priorities. It's inevitable that your kids will take priority after they land. So that inevitably will affect where art sits on the list depending on your individual situation. Especially in that complex jigsaw of money, work, family, self-care , teatime, car insurance and whose putting the bins out. Having children ultimately leads to a massive reshuffling of most elements of life. It's pointless to fight against that and, in those first few years, I think it's so important to just accept the inevitability of that and do what you can around the edges.
I consider myself to be extremely lucky as I’ve a partner who is supportive and helps me with that balance. At the same time, I don’t want to miss chunks of time with my kids when life is whizzing by like it does.
Any advice for other Artist Parents and how they can continue to nurture their practice?
I took the perspective that I just didn't have the same amount of time to spend on my work as before. In throwing a full time day job into the mix it was just impossible to put the same amount of hours in. With this in mind, one of the most helpful things was to accept this as a fact and think "if I can't do what I have been doing... What can I conceivably achieve in the available time I have". I decided that by scaling down my work from large sculpture to small figurines I could experience the satisfaction of completing projects in the small windows of time available to me on a night. I also framed these pieces in my mind as small prototypes or maquettes, allowing me to pick the more successful designs to inspire larger projects.. when I have the time.
Is there anything else you would like to say, share or promote?
There appears to be this modern perspective that the practice of art and creativity is frivolous, indulgent, or even unnecessary. I truly believe that it is this practice which holds me together and allows me to be more confident, more creative in all areas of life, less anxious and a better husband and father.
Thank you to Pete for sharing his story and thank you for reading. If you would like to read more stories or for your work to be shared then follow and tag @artist_parent on Instragam.
Uploaded 22nd October 2024