Meet Leigh Brooklyn | Multidisciplinary Artist

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

Hi Leigh, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think everything in life is a risk. You’re always risking something no matter what you do. Even doing nothing is a risk. You risk possibly losing an opportunity. I will always take risks on my career, on getting my name out there, on approaching someone or some place like a gallery. If I don’t ask the answer is always “No” so I always ask and give myself a chance. I don’t get embarrassed or too disheartened if they say No, I take it as a “Not right now”. People can change their mind over time. So it’s important to put yourself out there to give yourself a shot.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think what really sets me apart besides being an interdisciplinary artist and my attention to detail is my tenacity. I had to completely start my life over at the end of 2019. I lost about everything, nobody knew me, I hadn’t really worked in 10 years. Then COVID came a couple months later, the world shut down. Nobody would hire me, not then, not without experience and not during the record unemployment. There were countless times I felt like quitting but I didn’t. Deep down I felt like there had to be more. While dealing with complete chaos in the background I realized nobody was coming to save me. That no matter what was happening I had to get name out there. I applied to every online show I could, going to all the zooms so people could see me and hear what I had to say about my work and my story. There were so many times I had to put on a sales face after dealing with something really difficult. As things opened up I went to every opening I could in person. I was applying to around 5 things a week. Eventually getting into my first show ever in Cleveland where I could show my paintings in person. I won people’s choice and my name slowly started getting out there. I continue to do all this. I do not get into everything I apply to but I keep going. I will go door to door into galleries introducing myself. I will cold call people. There is nothing to lose when your back is against the wall. I created work based around women empowerment during this time. I think I needed that personally, I still do and I think a lot of people do. I’ve learned through all this that I’m a lot stronger than I once thought. I’m incredibly strong to have gone through all that and still manage to accomplish what I did. I’m proud of myself. I took my life back and that wasn’t easy to do. I have learned to trust my instincts a lot more. I’m surrounded with so many amazing people now and I just feel so blessed for that. I’m just getting started with all this and I think as I continue to work hard my life will continue to blossom into something incredibly beautiful over the next 10 years. I hope to be a beacon of hope for others who have or are going through something – sometimes you have to take one step back and two steps forward, but eventually you will get there.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting I would take them to the Art Museums in University Circle, we’d head to dinner right there in Little Italy. Maybe go through some different shops there. I absolutely love University Circle. Later I’d take them to see the Orchestra, or head downtown to Playhouse Square to see and show followed by the Marble Room for dinner and perhaps up to the Foundation Room above the House of Blues to see one of my favorite DJs Lolo Knows.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could list a lot of people who have come into my life since early 2020. I feel beyond blessed to have them, truly. They have supported and encouraged me in more ways than I could mention here, in more ways than I would have ever imagined. But above all I have to shout out to my mother. She has been by biggest supporter day in and day out. She has ALWAYS been there. She will stay up late into the night helping me if I need her, even if she has work the next day. She goes on road trips with me to different shows which I love because it’s more time together. She is my biggest emotional support. She has been there through the hardest times and is also there to celebrate all of my wins. She works so hard and her love and support for her kids is never ending. I talk to her everyday no matter where I am.

My mother is also very creative. I watched her decorate cakes when I was a kid. She would use this color flow frosting and food coloring to paint these beautiful artworks onto her cakes. She has always drawn on everything in front of her. This includes her recipe cards – which are fully illustrated, or the old styrofoam take out boxes at the restaurants that she would exquisitely decorate with a ball point pen to show the name of the corresponding owner. I remember her showing me some of her artworks that she made in school when I was little and I thought it was the most amazing thing. I wanted to be able to draw just like she could. She was the first one to inspire me to be creative. She sacrificed a lot for my brother and me. She deserves much more than a little credit.

Website: leighbrooklynart@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leighbrooklynart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighbrooklyn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WLeighBrooklyn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leighbrooklynart