My name is Bri Hopkins.
I am a lot. I love champagne with oysters. My favorite kids movie is the Lion King. While I have a super cute dog, Al Pacino, I really am more of a cat lady and adore my baby, Duchess. She lives up to the name I promise. I love to pretend I am good at cooking and try recipes just out of my comfort zone. I have never met a stranger in my life. Unless I really don't feel like talking to anyone. Also, I believe fresh flowers make anything better.
And I am an Artist.
And I cannot even begin to tell you the journey it has been to feel comfortable saying that daunting a-word.
Let's be clear, I never dreamed of being an artist. When someone asked baby Bri, "Bri, what do you want to be when you grow up?" my answer was "astronaut with a specialty in anthropology." because I wanted to find dinosaurs in space...duh.
I then spent my formal education trying to be a theatre person while at the same time knowing that I was never going to be a theatre person...
So when I went to therapy for the fifth time so far in my 25 years of living, I was underwhelmed at the notion of trying "art therapy" to manage my anxiety, chronic depression, and past trauma.
Naturally I was already telling myself that I wasn't going to be creative enough for anything visual arts related. So I watched a few YouTube videos about "fluid art" and thought "Yeah, that seems easy enough. They have tutorials for 3rd graders, I really can't screw that up.".
What I didn't know, was the feeling you get when you put on the right playlist. And something about the colors are speaking to you. Then that third glass of wine starts really hitting you. So you thoughts wonder and your deepest pain, and darkest moments start peeking through for you to see. What I didn't know, was how I could capture those unspoken energies onto a canvas. How I would go to bed, wake up a little hungover, look at the culprit of said drinking, and realize what I made was actual not bad...actually it looks kinda good.
And then I heard it for the first time. "Wow Bri, that is really good. Are you selling it?"
I love the colors! You know it would look perfect in that spot in the living room. How much is it?"
"Bri these are so rawr. You are like an artist now right?"
Well I don't know friend. Am I an artist? Do you just become an artist over night? Is it a never ending journey? Or is it something that is always there.
I can't say I have the answer to that question. But you can watch me on my personal "artistic" journey that I promise will be filled with some hard truths, wine, and a lot of acrylic paint in unusual places. (Seriously, how does paint end up behind your ear?!)
Enjoy my silly, beautiful, and emotional mess.