Passion and work combine perfectly

For Lexie Lazenby, art isn’t just a hobby; it’s a crucial part of who she is.

Ever since she could hold a pencil, Lazenby has found herself drawing.

Although the artist nearly trained to be a hairdresser, she decided to follow a different creative passion and study art, with a bit of encouragement from her parents.

“They decided I wasn’t going to be a hairdresser,” Lazenby said.

“But if I went into the art field, I had to get an education degree as well, just in case my paintings didn’t sell.”

After studying visual arts and education for six years in Perth, it only took a week before Lazenby was offered a position at Central Regional TAFE in Geraldton.

Now, 21 years later, Lazenby is the visual arts co-ordinator, teaching students a variety of different artistic styles.

Although she doesn’t have much time to focus on her own art pieces these days, Lazenby said it’s a privilege to work in an industry she loves.

“I happen to be very lucky to get paid for doing what I love,” she said.

“I’m very much a new-age thinker in that if I do something daily that I hate, it’s actually going to damage my soul.

“Practising and teaching art pleases my soul and I definitely do it because I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Having worked in the arts industry more than two decades, Lazenby has grown accustomed to people saying there’s no jobs available in the arts.

While Lazenby admits it’s not easy making a living as an artist, she said there’s so many different career paths creativity can take you.

“If somebody thinks they’re going to earn millions of dollars from painting the minute they leave school, that’s probably an unrealistic thought,” she said.

“There’s always a way to earn money from art, probably more now than ever.

“It’s about thinking cleverly and realistically; everything we do, wear, drive, has all been designed or drawn at some stage.

“Art is intrinsic to our society, it’s been around forever.”