What is the best thing that I love about my work?
There is great cathartic pleasure in being able to express my personal ideas and experiences in a visual format. There is a metaphor I often use for the act of painting: I see myself folding my ideas into paper ships, then sending them off downstream. I enjoy knowing my little navy will scatter, and land where they may. Occasionally one may be unfolded, its message read, and understood. But it’s sailing them that I enjoy the most.
What is my idea of perfect happiness?
Busy days and accomplishments interspersed with and supported by home and comfort.
What is my greatest fear?
Butterflies.
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?
Impatience.
Which living persons in my profession do I most admire?
Dorielle Caimi, for her superb intelligence and bold insightfulness; Redd Walitzki, for her unrelenting drive and graceful strength; Michelle Avery Konczyk, for her darkly evocative palette and macabre poetry.
What is my greatest extravagance?
Dining.
On what occasion would I lie?
To protect someone I loved.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?
When I was in school, a drawing instructor said something I’ll never forget: “You know what I like like about paintings? They look like paint.” My preferences in other people’s work tend to run towards a more painterly quality, which I’ve strived for years to achieve. My own hand, though, gravitates towards tons of blending and tiny detail. I really wish I had the knack for looser brushwork.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work?
Any time I enter a flow state, covering ground and really in tune with my process and progress. Jammin’ out with art is one of the best feelings ever.
If I could, what would I change about myself?
I easily get anxious or frustrated with time — overeager to get here or there, do this or that. I work towards cultivating greater moment-to-moment patience.
What is my greatest achievement in work?
The discipline of making it. It can be very difficult to sit yourself down to create on your own. Structure and community are invaluable.
Where would I most like to live?
I love the Pacific Northwest, and have a home and studio out in the woods here, near Seattle. If I ever left, it would probably be for London.
What is my most treasured possession?
Photos.
What is my most marked characteristic?
Enthusiasm.
What is my most inspirational location, in my city?
For me? My gym. I find such joy and clarity in movement.
What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city?
Cafe Juanita or Sushi Kashiba.
Who are my favorite writers?
Oh, my, what a question! I have created so much work influenced by stories, which often shows up in both thematic impressions and direct visual references. I’d say some of my most formative reads have been by Mervyn Peake and China Miéville.
You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?
Early 2000’s synthpop.
Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?
Lina Inverse; FitzChivalry Farseer.
Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?
Crispin Freeman, Amanda Palmer, Christopher Hitchens.
Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime?
Cat Soup.
What role plays art in my life and work?
A huge one. Almost everything I experience clicks and connects with some other story I’ve read, image I glimpsed, podcast I listened to; I get so overwhelmed by the sheer number of thoughts and visuals I want to create!
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?
The fantastic painter Erich J. Moffitt has been an irreplaceable sounding board for all things art, both process and conceptual. His unrelenting joy and enthusiasm for the act of creation are endlessly inspiring to me.
With whom would I like to work in 2018?
Caitin Stickels and Victor Victoria, two models I’ve wanted to shoot with for a long time! I’m also starting off the year working with a new gallery for the first time, and looking forward to pursuing additional partnerships!
Which people in my profession would I love to meet in 2018?
Everyone I can! I love running into new people at shows and events, and being able to put faces with names and art!
What project, in 2018, am I looking forward to work on?
This year, I want to make a big tableau scene with a bunch of figures. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and I hope this is finally the year where it gets made. I’ve very excited to be experimenting with several additions to my process. This year, I’ll be putting a greater emphasis on oils, as well as refining the addition of ink drawings into my final pieces.
Where can you see me or my work in 2018?
My Instagram features tons current work and studio updates. http://wwww.instagram.com/shootaskew
My Patreon is the place to go for in-depth insights and process previews, not to mention doodle giveaways! http://www.patreon.com/majaskew
My website has a collection of my finished work, along with upcoming show schedules. http://www.majaskew.com
And to browse work currently for sale, check out my online store, http://www.majaskew.bigcartel.com
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?
Even as we each grow and change, the ability to experience drive and interest — to appreciate our world and how we can move in it — is intrinsic. As I’m fond of saying, Everything matters.
Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story?
Dorielle Caimi, Genevieve Saint Charles Monet, and Roxanna Walitzki.
How can you contact me?
Directly through my email, shootaskew@gmail.com
Here follows a message of Peter de Kuster, founder of The Heroine’s Journey
Spring Journey
Wednesday 14th March – Sunday 18th March
The best of The Heroine’s Journey condensed into a single, unforgettable week.
The Heroine’s Journey is a global organisation dedicated to teaching skills not covered by the regular education system – skills that develop storytelling intelligence and encourage psychological well-being for creative professionals. The Spring Journey brings together the very best in our storytelling.
We will cover such themes as how to make money doing what you love, how to promote your business, which is you, how to choose our partners more wisely, how to make relationships last, how to find and create your dreamjob by meeting your rolemodels and making testdrives, how to manage your time and organize yourself creativitely, how to focus on our creative goals, how to have the financial freedom to create and how to more regularly experience creative flow and happiness.
You’ll embark on a rich and enlightening voyage, discovering how to make lasting, meaningful change across every aspect of your creative life. By working within a fixed group led by Peter de Kuster over the week, you’ll dive deeper than would be possible in any single daytrip. You’ll be challenged to think deeply about the issues that matter most, and provided with a space to share your thoughts, ideas and experiences.
The Journey is ideal for those seeking a more meaningful, transformative vacation; for attendees of our daytrips who now wish to take a structured journey through our expertly curated material; and for those wishing to save time in the long run by working through the dilemmas of creative life, business, passion, and your own story in a single, high intensity week.
Blending tuition, exercises, meeting with stories of rolemodels, and discussion in journeys in a world city, each day of the Spring Journey will equip you with tools and strategies to help you find answers for your creative life’s big questions.
Join us for a truly transformational vacation for the mind in Rome
Ticket costs Euro 1250 excluding VAT per person, includes all teaching, materials, light refreshments & additional activities.
You can reach Peter for a skype meeting about questions you have by mailing him at peterdekuster@hotmail.nl
DAILY TIMETABLE
09.40 Tea & Coffee on arrival
10.00 Morning Session
13.00 Lunch Break
14.00 Afternoon Session
17.00 Drinks
Read on for a detailed breakdown of the Spring Journey itinerary.
“You are the Storyteller of Your Own Creative Life. You can Create Your Own Legend – Or Not” – Peter de Kuster
Spring Journey Itinerary
Day One: The first day of the Spring Journey is designed to equip us with the core skills of The Heroine’s Journey and Storytelling. We will learn the power of the story we tell ourselves, why our minds have a hard time understanding themselves, how to map and understand our passions, and how and why we characteristically respond to them.
Day Two: The second day of the Spring Journey takes us on a structured journey around the power of your story as creative professional. Creative flow is always in essence a mental phenomenon, it is a result of ideas- and a story you tell yourself therefore relies on having to hand a raft of enriching stories about your business, your money management, your self promotion and your time management that can be called upon in moments of truth. The day begins with a Heroine’s Journey Breakfast – considering what three of the greatest creative heroines of all time have as story about the art of creative living wisely and well.
Day Three: The third day of the Spring Journey teaches us how to choose our clients and business partners wisely and make our relationships last. One of the gravest errors we make around business relationships is to imagine that they aren’t things we can get wiser or better at. On this day we will learn to practise and rehearse our skills at working with the people who can help you further your creative business (clients and business partners like agents, publishers, marketing professionals etcera). In the evening, we will attend a Storytelling Dinner in a local restaurant – learning to overturn small talk and master the art of opening up our deepest stories.
Day Four: The fourth day of the Spring Journey teaches us how to achieve our creative career potential. We will employ storytelling tools to be better able to understand our creative talents and to move forward using the opportunities that are open to us.
Day Five: The final day of the Spring Journey explores new business opportunities and markets for you to as creative professional. Many of the challenges we encounter in modern life require us to develop creative solutions to complex problems. And even when we’re not tackling big problems, continuously improving the way we live using invention and imaginative strategy is deeply important.
You can reach Peter for a skype meeting about questions you have by mailing him at peterdekuster@hotmail.nl
The Heroine's Journey 