Walk and Talk!

North Shore artist, Quinn Zenner, took a break from his practice to join me for Walk and Talk! this week. Please enjoy our conversation covering: dreams, creative energy, and more.

DF: Hey, Quinn! Welcome to Walk and Talk-I guess it’s more of a Sit and Talk today!

QZ: Haha, yeah. My legs are tired today.

DF: Luckily, we have this lovely bench to sit on out here. So, what’s been on your mind lately?

QZ: Well…I’ve been thinking a lot.  I don’t know…about my subconscious.

DF: What about your subconscious? Like your dreams?

QZ: Um…like…I can’t tell you in words-you know what I mean?

DF: Maybe? You know, I’m a fan of your work because you often incorporate complex concepts that aren’t easy to convey vocally. How do you feel when you draw? Do you think about things before you draw them out or do the images just flow out naturally?

QZ: Like when you go to sleep-ok…you see visions.

DF: Yeah. What do you often dream about?

QZ: I don’t know. It’s like a guide…to the unknown.

DF: YES. How do you make sense of your dreams? Do you draw them out?

QZ: Well, I don’t usually draw them out. People encourage me to do it but-you know I hear voices in my dream. My dreams come and go. They’re hard to remember.

DF: Water used to be a pretty common theme in my dreams. In one particular dream, I was in a large room filled half way up with water and I was just floating there. I then put my head under the water and saw that there were two large octopi toward the middle of the room. They were both identical: decked out in pearls and intricate designs-and they were completely motionless; they looked very regal. I had to swim across and I remember feeling pretty nervous. I try to jot my dreams down…might make for some interesting art work. Do you ever jot down anything that inspires you? Hey, look it’s our friends! They must be taking a walk.

QZ and DF: Hello!

Group of friends: Hello!

QZ: It’s like a small parade or something

DF: Ha. Yeah. Bye, everyone! Enjoy the rest of your walk!

QZ: Bye.

Group of friends: Bye!!!

QZ: The source.

DF: What does that mean?

QZ: Well, think of a mirage. You can’t see the mirage. You can’t feel that. The thing is what’s in you.

DF: So it’s some unseen energy that flows out of you. That’s what drives you.

QZ: I think but I’m not sure. I go back and forth

DF: I feel like you’re usually working on multiple things at once. Abstract things. So if someone wanted to know more about your work…what would you tell them?

QZ: It’s kind of like flowing; like the wind. See-I like to catch the motions…you know-in anything.

DF: Free-flowing and energy filled seems like a really accurate description of your work.

QZ: Well, it’s not easy for me because I’m very articulate but very forgetful.

DF: So you think about a lot of things, but you forget about them?

QZ: Yeah, haha.

DF: There’s so much to be inspired by-I get that.

QZ: Yeah.

DF: Anything else that inspires you?

QZ: Just what comes to mind.

QZ:   You know what I would love? I would love a big poster of Billy Joel.

DF: Ha! Billy Joel! Why Billy Joel?

QZ: So I can look at it; enjoy it.

DF: Do you have a favorite Billy Joel song?

QZ: There are so many…middle of the niiiight…*hums*

DF: Here, let me help you. Let’s look up “The River of Dreams”. He has many popular songs.

QZ: Yes

DF: Here we go. *Ad starts* Well that’s not it.

QZ: Haha

DF: Here we are! Shall we end our chat in song?

QZ: Yes

QZ and DF:

In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
Through the valley of fear
To a river so deep

And I’ve been searching for something
Taken out of my soul
Something I would never lose
Something somebody stole

I don’t know why I go walking at night
But now I’m tired and I don’t want to walk anymore
I hope it doesn’t take the rest of my life
Until I find what it is that I’ve been looking for

DF: We sound great! Haha. Thanks for your time, Quinn.

QZ: Haha. Sure!

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