Meet Lorraine Maxwell | Artist, Educator and Creative Thinker

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

Hi Lorraine, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have been a serial entrepreneur for most of my life. Some projects have worked and some have not. The important idea when starting something new is, ” Is this something very interesting to me and do I think that, despite all the hard work, I will have fun”. The older I get, another thought becomes equally more important; “is this something, however small, that will make life easier, better or more fun for anyone, besides me”.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My Art, like the art of many other artists, is very personal. It helps me to make sense of the world and my place in it. It also reflects the things that interest me; ancient writing and symbols, the interplay of colors and the magic of making something appear out of nothing, that is, the colors and shapes that appear on blank canvas or paper. To me, even after many years of creating art, I still think the act of creating art is a magical experience.
All of that said, I am most proud of being able to teach and encourage others to find their own artistic voice and rise above their own self-imposed limitations, to step outside of their own comfort zones. I strongly believe in the words of one of my heroes, Eleanor Roosevelt, “you must do the things you think you cannot do”. By always striving to step courageously into the unknown, I have had many positive experiences that I would not have had by holding back. (After all, I married my husband in Las Vegas twenty three years ago, after dating for a week). I also took the leap to show my drawing portfolio to the visiting Dean of the School of Arts of Boston University who gave me a full scholarship on the spot to the University and later, I fell into teaching Art by accident and found that I love helping others to find their own hidden (from them) skills.
Being a very private person, I do not have a “Brand” as you will see by my lack of social media outlets and prefer to reach people personally. I have no need to let strangers comment on how I live my life – in fact, it is puzzling to me why others have that need.
So, bottom line, I am happy to share my skills and knowledge with my students and friends but I am confident enough to not need validation from strangers.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my best friend visits, we go to Downtown Hollywood to the local movie theatre (Cinema Paradiso), to watch a movie, then go across the street for Chinese food (Helen Huang’s) (which happily has a large vegetarian section), and after, to Tasta, to get gelato for desert.
If there is a concert at Young Circle Park we sometimes go to listen. (Last month there was Maxi Priest). There is often an interesting art exhibition at the Hollywood Art and Culture Center which we like to visit.
A good hangout spot for drinks and snacks is The Tipsy Boar on Harrison Street in Downtown Hollywood.
The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is a fun place to stroll and people watch, especially in the evenings when it is a (little) cooler and the Bandshell on the beach often has free concerts.
We can take the Water Taxi from the Hollywood stop at Margaritaville to Downtown Fort Lauderdale and enjoy the New River Riverwalk which will take you to the Las Olas area and the many different restaurants/bars to try. Planta is a good choice for Vegetarian/vegan food.
Finally, if we have time, we book a morning or afternoon sailing cruise from Captain Dan from sailwindpirate.com along with a group of friends for a relaxing morning/afternoon at sea.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been incredibly lucky thanks to a large number of helpful and supportive people in my life. I would like to give a special shoutout to my close and dear friends Mevvie, Jackie, Barbara, Virginia and Mary, who have always been there for me, my past studio mates Mimi and Libby, who always and still, push me to do more, my mother, Erma, who never said to me “You want to do what?” and my husband Harold, who always says “You want to do what?”

Website: https://lorrainemaxwellart.com