Meet Abigail Hewitt | Therapeutic Art Coach, Visual Artist and Designer

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

Hi Abigail, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work life balance is something I struggled with for years and would have resulted in burn out plenty of times throughout my career. Previously I worked as a Talent Acquisition Specialist in a very high volume and fast paced environment. This space and working conditions encouraged a very toxic relationship with balancing work and my personal life. It took me getting to a state of a really bad burn out to call a time out to make changes in this regard. Since then, my balance has changed significantly for the best as I have opted to set healthy boundaries with work and my personal life. It is very important that we have a healthy balance between work and our life as this is the fuel we need to be able to operate at our optimum. This balance for me includes taking our mental, physical and emotional health in high regards.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Art is the love of my life, I bear my heart and soul in each piece that I create. I have been drawing out the womb I’d like to say as I drew on walls around the house before I had fully developed my mobility. Whoever wants to know anything about me ought to look carefully at my art works. My work is a manifestation of raw emotions and energy that is primarily in direct proportion to life inspirations. When I’m creating, I get completely lost in a trance like state. I express basic human emotions – tragedy, joy, pain, ecstasy and so on that is influenced by the in-between spaces of our lives that we see but often do not notice, nature, real life experiences and the lives of women who live unapologetically in their truth in my art. My art incorporates a dynamic combination of textures, materials, colours and patterns utilizing zero waste items. At the core, my art depicts abstracted and surreal forms and I leave the door open for my viewers to interpret based on their own unique individual perceptions and how the piece connects to them. It is always an amazing feeling when persons share how they feel and what they see when they view my art. The conversations that follow are always very insightful and heartwarming and that is something I am always honoured by and proud of. Over the years my art has seen many changes and transitions but there is always a distinct connection that allows viewers to know the pieces are created by me. I would consider my career to be one that is transcendent of reality. Over the last six months I took the opportunity to reconnect with sharing my work publicly for sale and it has been a great revelation and reminder of how I do not want my work to show up in the world. My art is very precious to me and so it always rubbed me the wrong way when encouraged by veterans in the art world that I should aim to create for consumers and fight for their buy in for sales. That has been a major challenge for me as I create from a very deep place which breaks my heart to place on a value scale. I have overcome this challenge by honouring my creative process and not lean on creating solely for sales. I wholeheartedly believe that operating from this space cheapens my worth and as such I create for myself and share where I feel called and if my soul calls to let a piece go to a collector I free it.

Art has been a major healing aspect of my life and I’ve unknowingly been sharing this magic called art therapy with people for years before I knew what it was. My brand has since transcended physical and sustainable wearable art to include therapeutic art workshops, classes and private sessions. I curate and create safe spaces for freedom of expression, relaxation and healing through these therapeutic art sessions. For the most part these sessions have been private and the transformational magic that takes place in these sessions leave me in awe every time. In one of my most recent sessions a guy who was really hesitant to join in eventually got lost in a trance creating and shared “You have no idea what you are doing for me right now. This is bringing me back to something I have a love hate relationship with- drawing and writing” (he dropped out of school really early and did not know how to read and write until adulthood). This really touched me deeply as I could wholeheartedly feel him releasing and healing his inner child.

My brand is dedicated to helping people along their healing journey through creative expression as an offering provided. We get grounded out in nature and I share activities and a lifestyle practice that I have lived by my whole life. I’ve dedicated a part of my life to helping people to rekindle the flames with and heal their inner child through therapeutic art.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s always a dream to show visitors to Jamaica/Montego Bay the best time. For a weeklong trip we would definitely head to the beach for starters to relax and unwind.

Day 1: Assuming we meet by noon on a Monday we will grab lunch at Prapa Spice which serves up some of the best plant-based food and natural juices in the city. After we’re all fueled up we’ll head to Doctor’s Cove Beach/Sea Island Beach Club to unwind and relax with a complimentary art therapy session from me. These are neighbouring properties and the best place to watch the sunset in Montego Bay. For the remainder of the day we will chill and enjoy the nightlife on the Hip Strip.

Day 2: We will start the day early with a road trip to the beautiful parish of St. Ann for some river hopping in the beautiful and picturesque piece of paradise. There are several food stalls along the way that serves some of the freshest in local cuisine and fruits. We will go rafting down White River which is bordered by the picturesque flora and fauna and later go river hopping to several river attractions in the surrounding areas where you’ll find locals freediving into the unbelievably pure turquoise waters. We’ll have lunch at a riverside cookout with Vital Juice Bar which serves up the most soul nourishing plant-based food. There are also several local street food vendors with sumptuous local cuisine. We’ll later head back to Montego Bay for a relaxing evening of game night.

Day 3: We’ll start the day with early with a Catamaran Cruise to Negril. The cruise typically last 3-4 hours on a private yacht equipped with a premium bar, live DJ and private chef on board and stops by the best snorkeling spots which gives an excellent experience at sea for those who dare to jump in. The yacht will make a stop on the 7-mile beach where we’ll have the opportunity to get off and roam to experience the vibrant culture of Negril. We’ll take a quick trip to the hills of Westmoreland to the cannabis farm and have lunch fresh off the grill from local shops. We later sail back to Montego Bay while watching the sunset.

Day 4: We start the morning with a trip to a river off the beaten path to get refreshed and revitalized. We’ll also take part in a therapeutic art and steam session by the river with a cookout. We end the evening by attending yoga class and a live music show at Pineapple Beach. There are cocktails and scrumptious meals available for all diets and you can dance the night away to sweet dancehall and reggae music. There is also a giant game a jenga on property and bonfire is sometimes lit as well. The Lounge 2727 is also a great option for partying the night away with friends in a more upbeat environment. This lounge also features a dispensary where you can source local herbs and psychedelics.

Day 5: On the final day we’ll spend the morning leisurely swimming, relaxing and possibly at Doctor’s Cave. The property also has several restaurants with great food options. We’ll grab lunch from street food vendors in the town and visit the National Gallery to view art. A great place to be on a Friday night is Pier One. This is a favourite Friday night spot for locals and tourists alive, Pier One offers stunning night views of the Montego Bay pier and is the ideal place in Montego Bay to experience the intensity of the dancehall and reggae scene where locals dance up a storm.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been several amazing persons who have been instrumental in my growth and development throughout the years. A special shout-out to my younger brother Tahj.X who has been very supportive, thoughtful, always there with advice, words of encouragement and insights I thank you. My parents and my siblings for their support throughout the years and a special shout-out to my dad for his undying support through the different stages of my journey. He’s been an inspiration to me since I was a child and I’ll never forget the words “As long as what you’re doing makes you happy, do it.” To Goo who believed in me before I found my wings, for his undying support and encouragement in the early stages of my art career I thank you. To Trissel for her undying support and encouragement throughout the years I appreciate you. To all the other persons who came into my life at different seasons, all the persons who believed in me before I believed in myself, I extend the deepest gratitude to you. You are the gifts that keep on giving and your support means the world to me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreverabiiparis/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/byabii.paris/

Image Credits
Andre Whitehead O’shane Megghross Hakeem Sinclair Nicholas Small