Meet Suzanne Head | Artist

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

Hi Suzanne, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
That’s been a big one for me. When I was younger I thought “It’s simple, I’ll just work harder than everyone else, and that will put me on top. I’m tough, I can handle it!” There were definitely people in my life that warned me about burn-out; but there were also those who thought the same way as me, and encouraged me to never take time off. Sure enough, though, I experienced a severe burnout in my mid twenties, and right when my glass career was starting to really take-off, I decided to quit. The two years I spent not working in glass were important for me, though. I took a deep dive into Buddhism and meditation; I started painting murals and engaging with friends and community a lot more; and I also explored ideas through my drawings and acrylic paintings that were too experimental and risky to try when I was gunning for a career. I do regret the time that I lost to burnout. I sold off a lot of my materials and equipment that I wish I still had; and I’ve watched my career fall behind a bit. Nevertheless, things are going really well, and the time I spent healing was a pivotal moment of growth and introspection for me. I’m a much better human because of it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve lived in many places throughout my career; and I currently live in Brooklyn, New York. When I decided to move there all of my friends were pretty surprised; because I’m such a hippy dippy nature girl. I guess I just always took that for granted. Living in the city is making me realize how important nature is to me; and I think it’s going to help me solidify what I want to focus on in my art. So to answer your question: I’m excited for the future, because at 29 I finally feel like I’m starting to get a clear glimpse of who I am and the energy I’d like to embody. I think it’s going to start coming through in my work.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Well, staying with the topic of burnout: I think a part of the reason I worked so hard was because it allowed me to avoid people. I had a lot of social anxiety growing up and I think it evolved into a kind of narcissism. Perhaps a part of me thought I could work harder than everyone else because I thought I was better than everyone else, or if not better, at least different, special, unique. There’s nothing wrong with an artist thinking they’re special, in fact, I think that idea is necessary to create ambitiously and passionately; but when it gets in the way of genuine personal relationships, it’s a problem. I remember talking to my friend Aaron about how lonely I was; and he told me that the way to combat loneliness is to be more generous with your time. To give people your time. I had never heard it put that way; and it made so much sense. I’ve tried to do that ever since and it’s changed my life.

Website: www.suzannehead.com

Instagram: @suzanne_head

Image Credits
The profile photo of me in the white dress, and the photo of me sitting in front of the bear drawing with a red flannel, are credit Yarden Lior