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

Hi Amy, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
The risk of rejection is important to overcome, embrace, and maybe even strive for! As an artist there are so many opportunities: shows, residencies, publications, grants, scholarships, teaching positions…and they are all extremely competitive. (There are many talented artists in the world, which is great!) I try not to get bogged down by rejection letters or take them personally; if I’m not getting rejected from opportunities it means I’m not pushing myself or my work far enough. The greatest opportunities I’ve ever been awarded came from the applications I was most certain I’d be rejected from.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My artist practice has taken a winding path through many mediums, but everything has always lead to everything else in a sensical way. I’ve worked with clay, printmaking, papermaking, and now textiles. Each step always informs the next. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My incredible grandmother Nancy Simons: from a young age she taught me to cook, garden, sew, knit, weave, change car tires and overall showed me the value of working with my hands.

Website: www.amysimons.com
Instagram: @amysimons_

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.