Meet Xenia Smith

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

Hi Xenia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Pursuing a creative career just felt natural, my interests have changed and grown but I’ve always been a hands on kinda gal. I have a lot of memories as a kid being very artsy, especially with my grandparents. My dad’s parents had a closet with every single art supply you could possibly need from paints and crayons to beads and clay. They would always let us paint on their sliding glass door and I remember doing a lot of baking with my grandmother. My mom’s mom, I remember having tons of fabric – I would try and sew little pillows for my dolls or whatever easy project I could come up with to sew by hand.

I can sometimes be a bit reclusive – just hiding away in my home painting, listening to music; but I really enjoy it, it’s very fitting for me. Lately I’ve been going on a lot of walks and taking my camera with me, there’s so much to capture living in the desert.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think what I’m most excited about is the momentum I’ve been feeling the last two years with my creative pursuits. I felt like a late bloomer with my artistic career – I didn’t study art in college like I really wanted to and it took me until after graduating to circle back to that part of me.

I’ve explored a lot of mediums searching for my creative voice, while also trying to put my work out there in every way possible from coffee shops to local art galleries to zines. So it feels like I can finally look back and see the progress I’ve made. This fall I’m participating in my first year of the HighWay 62 Art Tours and I’m really excited for it! The first three weekends of October artists of the high desert will open up their studios to the public. I think it’s going to be really fun, I can’t wait to share my creative space and give visitors a more personal and up close look into my processes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The high desert is the most magical place – there is so much to explore especially if you like the outdoors and can hang with the bugs and critters! Obviously there’s Joshua Tree National Park, but all you have to do is drive down 62 and. look around you, its a beautiful view from every direction. Personally, I love live music and there’s a lot more here than people think; Red Dog and Pappy & Harriets always have great shows lined up, plus I’ve seen some great bands, both local and traveling, play at spots like Giant Rock and Mas o Menos.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Most importantly my family deserves a shoutout – for both supporting and trusting me on this creative path and always cheering me on. I recently moved from Palm Springs to Yucca Valley – and even though I’ve only been living here a few months I’ve already found myself such a supportive community. It’s an amazing desert community here in Joshua Tree, filled with so many artists, musicians and creatives – I feel very lucky to be here and be surrounded by these magical people.

Website: www.xeniasmith.com

Instagram: @xeniazmith