We recently had the chance to connect with Susan Hensel and have shared our conversation below.
Susan, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My first 90 minutes consist of coffee, news, coffee, email, getting dressed, breakfast, feeding the dog, coffee, doing my physical therapy, and getting a bit of aerobic exercise.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a multidisciplinary artist whose sculptural textile work merges digital and manual embroidery techniques with mixed-media practices. My artwork investigates the interplay between light and material structure, with a particular focus on the optical properties of triangular embroidery thread. Conceptually, my practice engages with the emotional and ecological dimensions of climate change, creating contemplative spaces that invite reflection and the imagining of restorative futures.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was always a beloved child of God and my family. Now, did I know that? Well, I knew that I was beloved by my parents and siblings. God? I don’t really remember! That idea I take “on faith.” As I got out into the world, I felt beloved until puberty and then had pretty typical reactions to the hormonal storms: a certain hysteria, quiet mournfulness, and lots of wishes and dreams. The way I dealt with it all was making artwork and wandering the fields behind my house looking for wild strawberries.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell myself that it really does get better. We always learn more from our hurts and failures than from our successes. Now, this does not mean I am willing to throw myself “to the wolves” to learn! But, I also know that sometimes, despite the best planning, failure happens. You learn resilience and reinforce creativity in this hard kind of learning.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Pretty much! I am basically happy, optimistic, and resilient!
But I am perceived as being outgoing and extroverted—and that is an exaggeration! I am on the introversion scale. Too many people, events, and obligations sap my energy. I go OUT to celebrate with groups rarely. Don’t get me wrong, though. I enjoy a small party with friends. I can attend my own gallery openings by dressing the part and putting on the demeanor of the happy hostess. And I do enjoy myself. But I come home so over-excited that it is hard to sleep. I am both fed by the socializing and utterly worn out by it.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Well, I am 75 years old, so behaving as though I only have 10 years left is reasonable!
So, I have stopped teaching. I have stopped saying YES to too many things.
I need to watch my energy levels and I need to focus on my career advancement.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://susanhenselprojects.com
- Instagram: @susan_hensel_multimedia_artist
- Facebook: SusnHenselProjects
