Artist Q&A w/ Lena Olson

name/location/mediums: *

Lena/Flathead Valley/Ink, Paint, Plants, rocks, clay, sticks, wool

social media/website: *

@hi.lo.art

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?

3 Goats, a bottle of baby's bluebird wine, my health

Do you believe in the supernatural? Have you ever had an spooky

experiences?

Yes. I have taken a lot of psychedelics and, totally sober, I faced my greatest fear in the AZ

desert alone on a full moon.

What is one of the most important things in your life?

Nature

What was the last work of art you completed?

Drawings, always doodling

What is something you want to experience?

What it feels like to be immersed in the woods for a very long time

Do you feel that the Missoula art scene is accessible? If not from or in

Missoula, where are you and is the music and arts scene accessible?

Yeah I love Missoula! The Flathead is hungry for art, but doesn't get the turnout like

Missoula. We're too spread out here or tucked away in the mountains.

What is your most prized/valued possession?

My bus, Stanley

What do you think Alex Jones thinks is in the water that is turning the

frogs gay?

Hope everything is alright

Hope everything is alright

What's that `oating in the water?

Ol' Neptuna's only daughter

I believe

In Mr. Grieves

Pray for a man in the middle

One that talks like Doolittle

I believe

In Mr. Grieves

Do you have another opinion? (Yup!)

Do you have another opinion?

(La la la la, la la la la)

(La la la la, la la la la)

Do you walk, take the bus, bike, drive, or some other form of

transportation?

When I can. Kill the petrol-dollar!!!!

What is on your wishlist right now?

Goats and bed to sleep in

Do you have a favorite Instagram that you follow?

My friends are all so cool

Do you think colors have inherent emotional qualities, or is it relative?

Meaning derived from arising emotions is cultural. The emotions themselves are outside

boundaries and are relative to the person experiencing them.

If you could play any role in a move, play, television show, etc. who would

you be and why?

I would be so down for a puppet theater. Anything with Jim Henson.

Do you have an “aesthetic”?

I think so. It's cartoon-y.

What do you listen to in order to “cheer up”?

80's

Do you have a creative process?

Yes. Right now it's intense research and craft focus until I can get lost in my dreams again.

Do you have any phobias?

Probably some really deep ones that have continued to shape my behavioral patterns. Deep

deep muck in a still lake. And falling. Werewolves.

Do you have any pets?

No

Have you heard of CRISPR? What do you think about it?

Nope. What is it?

Are there limits to human creativity? What are yours?

Yes. That's why I love consuming art, to see all the possibilities. My limits are my self doubt,

my criticism, laziness, judgmental tendencies that pull me out of the `ow.

What is your favorite article of clothing?

Alpaca sweater I bought from the Bolivians that sell sweaters on campus at UM

What movie has the best soundtrack?

The Last Unicorn

Describe your room.

I have several in different locations. All of them are stuffed with art "supplies" and camping

stuff. Like a Squirrel.

What is your preferred method of listening to music (YouTube, Spotify,

etc.)?

YouTube for the longest time, then switched to Spotify. I still like to check out cds from the

library. My commute can be long sometimes.

If you have written a song, what is the worst one you have ever written?

How did it go?

I burnt all of my highschool poetry books in a post-adolescent kt of rage one night. I don't

regret it too much.

What are your thoughts on higher education for visual and performing

arts?

Yikes. I've been ranting on this and I told myself I need to chill. It can attract a narcissitic

type of person and fuel a competitive rather than collaborative environment, with high doses

of stress and sometimes a self-deprecating pattern. That's the shadow side and I've

participated in that end of things. It's also a bunch of really amazing people making art in

community together, when it's at it's best. I liked learning culture and theory, I loved learning

technical skills, I wish critique was not so personal and based more in craft than idea. I am

deknitely using my art degree every day and experiencing tangible results so I am happy.

What do you think of the yellow vest movement/protests going on?

YES. I don't know if we can turn back the inequality avalanche that's started. I've read some

opinions that it happened in the Neolithic revolution. I think the world needs to disintegrate

more before we truly get to the root of what the movement wants. I'm tired of movements

that simply want to sustain our consumption of the earth and commodities, and at the same

time, everyone has the right to a good life on this earth, to be fed, to be at peace, to be cared

for in community.

If there is a root to all evil, what is it

Greed. I practice gratitude and am truly amazed at how it's changed me. I've heard it's one of

the higher vibrational emotional states. So at it's inverse is greed. The earth gives us so

much. One ring to rule them all, you know?

Do you like any cliche phrases, specifically?

For some reason "go get 'em tiger!" is the only thing I can think of

Is there anything that is on your mind you want to talk about?

I like this questionnaire. Some thought provoking questions.