Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Alexandra Yaszemski.
Hi Dr. Alexandra, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When people ask me what I do, I’ve got a list for them: I’m a neuroscientist, an artist, a full-time caregiver for my aging parents, and a dog mom to the best big dog (hi, Bruce). I think a common thread throughout my journey has been that I consistently choose to show up as myself, as messy and hard as that can be sometimes, it’s led me to say yes to making an experience out of everything, no matter how small. I think that’s why people would describe me as “full of life”.
I’m a scientist by training. The majority of my life has included my love and curiosity for why things are the way they are. Passionately curious is what my Dad used to call me, and today that’s a pillar of my company. I was a big visual learner throughout my academic journey. I think my desire for what I currently do, designing scientific figures and illustrations, and scientific writing for academic institutions and biotech companies, was born out of my love for understanding a topic and translating it through my own visual lens (an early form of science communication, you could say!). Thus, throughout my science education, art became an integral tool in the way I learned, and has remained a foundation of how I communicate.
I more than likely would have stayed the traditional academic course after completing my PhD. I think of this often – whether you’re a believer or not in the universe having bigger plans for you than you’re aware of at the time, I sure am – where life might have taken me if my Mom wasn’t diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. A bit of an ironic joke from the universe, in my opinion. Training to be a neuroscientist and your parent is diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease (we’ve got a dry sense of humor over here, you can chuckle at this with me). That diagnosis was eight years ago, and jokes aside, this has been the biggest blessing that I wasn’t even aware that I needed. I’m currently writing a book that details this experience and how I’ve found myself blending science, art, and advocacy to improve how we care for our aging population. My Mom was a great listener (she still is), she had endless empathy, and her desire to make the world a little better is a legacy I’m honored to continue through sharing our story.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Trying not to get *too* existential here, I think a major challenge throughout my lifetime thus far has also been my biggest realization: you don’t need to fit yourself into a single checkbox. I’m proud of myself for finding a path that incorporates my myriad of interests and skillsets. I’m still figuring this out by the way, if you’re reading this and think I have it all neatly packaged, I do not. I think self discovery is a perpetual cycle that changes with our experiences and our environment. So, I try to remind myself that wherever I’m at with this at any given moment is where I’m meant to be for that season of life. If I can offer parting wisdom from this read, I would tell you to try the thing, learn to accept the discomfort of being bad at something new. If you lead with curiosity, you will often find connection – with yourself, others, and the space around you.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am thrilled that I have blended my love for science and art into a career that I truly enjoy.
I currently have three main pillars to my design company: science, art, and advocacy.
In my work with scientific writing and illustration, I help academic groups and biotechnology companies visually bring their ideas to life. I find this to be mentally stimulating and a great way to exercise my critical thinking. I’m exposed to numerous topics, of which I am not an expert, and I translate that into something tangible.
My personal art exploration focuses on themes of authenticity, ambiguous loss, and my love of nature. I consider myself a mixed media artist, and my process is mainly working digital to physical. My signature floral line art series was born from processing my experience as a caregiver for my Mom. The intricate details of the flowers is my reminder that there is always something beautiful to be noticed out of every experience. I also do a lot of work that highlights my love of being Minnesotan. I have a deep passion for the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota, many of my pieces are inspired by my camping trips, and I try to honor the land that we are so lucky to experience through my art. My most recent design (the purple piece in the shape of our state) is an homage to the BWCA in a style I don’t often do (I really should though) yet love so much. It’s kind of a Where’s Waldo vibe, incorporating all things Up North and showcasing why I think everyone should experience the Boundary Waters, at least once in their lifetime. Overall I love bright, bold colors, I stay curious by learning new techniques, and I encourage everyone who says that they aren’t artistic that they just haven’t found their medium yet.
The last and seemingly most important (and most rewarding) pillar of my company is my advocacy work. Being the primary caregiver and advocate for both of my aging parents has been the most eye-opening experience into the state of care in aging in our society. I would consider our experience to be on the more fortunate end with successfully keeping my parents in their home as long as possible (we’re still going, 8 years strong). I think of where my parents would be (if they would even still be here) had we not been able to find the in-home care support that we have. I think about people my parents’ age who don’t have and advocate like me, or don’t have much of a support system at all, and what happens to them. I believe everyone should have the chance to safely age with dignity, and it’s been a commitment of mine to be as involved as I can on multiple levels to educate and to hopefully improve policy surrounding care in aging.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I continue my love of educating through speaking engagements. If there is interest in my science, art, or advocacy work, please reach out through my website, I would love to connect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://studioaydesign.com
- Instagram: @ayaszemski
