Amanda Adams
Multidisciplinary Artist, Podcaster, Business Owner
Amanda Adams is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Baltimore where she graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art. There she founded her fiber art and illustration business Close Call Studio in 2012 and in 2017 in collaboration with fellow artist Nicole Mueller launched Beyond the Studio, a podcast about the business of being an artist.
Dear Artists,
My final body of work in art school was titled “Please Continue” and it was an appeal with myself to always try to be an artist. Now years removed from college spent working as an artist, I understand how difficult a request that actually was. Being an artist is hard but I think it’s worth it, and I hope you do too.
As much as being an artist is somewhat involuntary, I think it’s also a choice. You have chosen to expose parts of yourself to the world for the sake of beauty or story or whatever your motivation. I know first hand that being an artist requires honestly, vulnerability, sacrifice, and reflection and none of this comes without hardship. You’ve chosen to share your vision because it matters and I must assure that your vision matters.
The work you produce makes the world around you better and in a time where things don’t seem to be getting much better, it’s important that you continue your practice. We need love, art, beauty, expression, and joy as much as we need technology, science, community, or anything else. You challenge conventional thought and life and force the world to grow and adapt in ways that it may not do otherwise. So dear artists, you are loved, admired, respected, valued, and absolutely needed.
Thank you for being an artist and making the work that you do, for sharing your point of view and laboring over your craft in a pretty thankless field and I will close with this same appeal that you also “Please Continue”.
Love,
Amanda Adams
Follow Amanda’s Work
Website: www.closecallstudio.com
Instagram: @closecallstudio
Podcast: Beyond The Studio