Born and raised in South Africa, Michelle Laver is a multidisciplinary artist, journalist, and the brilliance behind Laver Creations. Here she shares how fluidity and movement are an integral part of every successful artist’s journey.
Walking along the beach and listening to the waves crash up against the coastline made up an essential part of Michelle Laver’s life growing up. It comes as no surprise, as those same waves have trickled their way into her artwork, helping her to generate a distinct style that sets her apart from the rest. Sweeping lines, waves, and stunning black-to-white contrast comprise much of the work that Laver is known for.
Taking inspiration from surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, and photojournalist Steve McCurry, Laver is a digital designer, journalist, and founder of Laver Creations, but most importantly, she is an inspiration, whose creativity reminds us of the importance of going with the flow.
Laver’s style is captivating, alluring, and thought-provoking, and if you take a moment to look between the lines that she effortlessly pens on paper, you’ll see glimpses of a story just as intriguing as the creation itself.
Today, after a busy day of exploring the city of Oxford in the United Kingdom, Laver sat down with us to share her story, particularly the challenges she experienced throughout her journey as an artist, and how adopting fluidity has shaped her life and her art for the better.
“Being fluid means listening to your body, following your intuition, and going in the direction that you want to go, even if it means breaking away and doing something crazy,” she says. “Our bodies are complex, but beautiful, physically, mentally, and emotionally. If your body is telling you something, it’s really just your passion calling your name,” she continues.
Laver’s passion has led her to step foot in over 30 countries worldwide, to work for numerous media publications in South Africa and abroad, to write about millionaires, entrepreneurs, authors, and more, sharing their stories with the world as if they were her own. But getting to this point and being able to wear all of these different hats while continuing to hone in on her own artistic craft is easier said than done, especially when success is so subjective for artists.
“Success is a double-edged sword because art can be anything nowadays,” Laver says. “It’s so subjective, it’s all about how people perceive it. The older generation tends to think of success in terms of how much money it’s going to bring you but when it comes to art, I think it’s about so much more than that,” she says.
For Laver, success is about having a constant connection with your passion, always being curious, and trying to discover new things. She says that history has proven that really great art may not be successful straight away, and the most important thing is believing in yourself, trusting the process, and enjoying the journey.
Laver explains that being an artist is one of those experiences that will lead you to greater heights, even if you experience hardship along the way. Learning to channel difficult emotions into your creations can bring you more in alignment with yourself emotionally and spiritually.
“Art has always been my form of escape, and growing up by the ocean really made me want to just break away from my roots and find myself,” she says.
It was while Laver was in high school that she decided to pursue a career in the arts, but her decision was met with criticism from peers. “They couldn’t really wrap their heads around my choice, so I felt like I had to prove that this whole creative world was worth it,” she says.
“A lot of people believe that being creative is not going to get you anywhere, but I couldn’t let their feelings get in the way of my passion. I really wanted to see where art was going to take me so I just kept my headstrong,” she continues.
Today, Laver is much more than an artist. She’s also a multimedia storyteller, changemaker, and inspiration to those around her. She reminds us that you don’t always have to have everything figured out or need everyone’s approval. As long as you believe in yourself and your passion, nothing else matters.
“I know 100% within me that my purpose has something to do with being creative, capturing people’s stories, and transforming them into something new. I want people to feel that ‘wow’ factor when consuming my art, just like I did after seeing Dali’s illusions reveal themselves for the first time,” she says.
“I am just going with the flow of life, just like how life flows within me, and you should too,” she concludes.
To check out more of Michelle Laver’s stunning art or pitch a collaborative project idea, be sure to reach out to her on social media. She’ll be waiting!
