Interview with Pitz
PITZ – Can you tell us who you are and a little about yourself?
Heidi Swift –
Who I say I am and who others think I am are probably two very different things. I like to think that I am fluid and not bound by words or descriptions. I’m a little bit like the Pitz slogan, actually: judge me by my acts, not by my words. But maybe I can express a little more about myself when talking about my crafts.
PITZ – Tell us more about your art and creative process.
Heidi Swift –
I am all about exploring creativity. I treat making art like an experiment; sometimes it works, and other times it doesn’t. Creativity for me is not so much about the end result, but it’s about the beautiful process of creating and unlocking the potential I have. Getting my imagination and ideas firing and making the exciting, fluttery, OMG moments is what it’s all about! And if you don’t feel that, then why are you even making art?
In terms of style, I would class it as “childism,” a movement of art inspired by tapping into your childlike imagination.
PITZ – Can you remember what initially sparked your interest in art?
Heidi Swift –
I’ve always made art since I was little. I can remember convincing my dad to take me to the craft shops on numerous occasions to get all the fun crafting supplies. Just saying that brought back a memory of a beautiful box I made with lollipop sticks that I painted blue and glittery, of course! I stuck on all the shells I found at the beach, and the box looked amazing.
It’s always given me such excitement when I realize I can make things; maybe I get it from my dad because he would always say, “I’m not buying that, I could make one of those.” I’m still waiting on him to make me a few things, actually.
Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is I can’t truly remember when I started making art because it’s something I’ve just always done.
PITZ – How have you found the journey of becoming an artist?
Heidi Swift –
The journey of an artist is a hard one, you know. You’ve got to make money somehow, so you usually get a part-time job, but that job is so distracting that it zaps out all of your energy. You’ve got to train because no one is instantly good at art. You might have talent, but at the end of the day, you have to practice, practice, practice, and practicing doesn’t put food on the table.
So it is kind of a constant struggle. You wouldn’t work at a store for free, but becoming an artist is like an unpaid internship that costs you thousands to get started. Art supplies aren’t cheap, and university doesn’t come free. You keep investing because you have this passion to create, but it often doesn’t pay off. Then there’s social media with this promise that if you keep posting, the right people will see it, but it’s a lie.
And that’s kind of where I am now in my career, realizing that I’ve done a lot of practicing, I’ve bought into this social media dream and I’ve invested way too much time and money doing the wrong things. There’s been a lot of trial and error because there’s not really a clear path to becoming a creative for a living.
So now I’m just having a factory reset. I’ve deleted social media, and I’m not sure where this will take me, but I feel like it’s the right thing to do. I think having children has really helped with slowing me down and giving me time to start thinking more clearly. I feel more focused; they give me a reason to push forward and break the cycles.
PITZ – Have you thought about collaberating with any other artists?
Heidi Swift –
I’ve not really thought of working with other artists until you asked this question. For some reason, the thought of it makes me feel slightly uncomfortable, which tells me I should probably go and do it.
I’ve always worked on a solo basis, probably because I don’t like to rely on others. I really struggle to ask for help; I always have, and I don’t like to be shown or told how to do something. It’s one of my biggest flaws; it’s the reason I can’t swim and can’t drive. If I can’t find a way to do something in my own way, then I get stressed out. It’s funny because I see my daughter doing the same thing, so it must just be in our DNA.
I’ve got good qualities too, though! I’m very good at supporting and inspiring others with my bubbly, energetic personality.
PITZ – If you had to pick your favourite peice of art that you have created which would it be?
Heidi Swift –
My teddy bear Zelus of course!!!!!
I just love the lush colors and the contrast of the florals and the harsh gold outline, but what I love the most is the potential he has! Because he’s a teddy, he just feels so versatile; he needs to be everywhere!
We’ve got the Pitz x Heidi Swift Zelus T-shirts, but that’s just the start. I have so many ideas for him, and people always ask if he’s for sale, but I don’t think I could ever sell him! He’s my mouldy little bear.
PITZ – Tell us about some of the hurdles you have had to face and overcome.
Heidi Swift –
Staying focused is the biggest struggle for me. Working on your own has its perks, but there is no one to encourage you or give you advice. This makes it all too easy for me to talk myself out of doing things, which is why I’ve gone through a little phase of making myself do things that I didn’t want to do.
Pushing myself out of my comfort zone has helped massively because it’s given me this attitude of “let’s just get things done!” I can then move on to the next thing, the next big idea because I’m not dilly-dallying, humming and ahh-ing about whether it will work. This has stopped me from doing what I wanted in the past, which is like putting limitations on my creativity. I feel like I am overcoming it, definitely yes; I feel like an unstoppable creative butterfly ready to spread my wings with no limits, no rules, just me flying freely!
PITZ – What are your next creative ideas or projects?
Heidi Swift –
I want to work directly with the public even more! I’ve got a couple of ideas that I want to pursue.
Firstly, I am going to grab a blank canvas and take it to the streets of Barnsley with some paint for people to collectively express themselves for the day.
The other plan is a collective get-together to worship the great and mighty Lord Zelus! Okay, that’s a bit dramatic. It’s basically a teddy bear’s picnic in the woods; everyone gets dressed up in their fanciest clothes, we eat cake, drink tea, and scoff olives by the dozen. I do a ritual for everyone to bear witness. People come and sing songs, someone has an acoustic guitar, and maybe there’s a campfire later; maybe we collectively meditate, who knows. We just go with the flow; everyone, even ya nan, is invited!
PITZ – What is your message to people and where can they find your work?
Heidi Swift –
To learn more about yourself, you must put yourself in uncomfortable situations; otherwise, you are just doing and reacting the same and never learning or growing. Take a deep breath and enjoy life. It’s just not that serious.
You can find me in the woods holding an exhibition for the ants and the magpies.
Also at my website.
Pitz 