Kat Sloma is a photographer, ecourse instructor and sponsor of SYC. She just moved back to the States after two years in Italy, where she found her creative self. I got to ask her about how she found that creative self and more in this lovely interview!

What do you see when you look out your studio/office window? How does this view influence your work?
I see trees and light from my studio window. My studio is in the front of the house with a street view, and has the only south-facing window in our home. The trees buffer me from the view of pavement and the big picture window lets in the best light of the house. I think I need good light as much as I need food and water. I am so much happier and creative when I am in good light.

What is your typical “creative day” routine look like? Do you have any morning or afternoon rituals?
I am a morning person, so my creative day begins early, before dawn. I wake up before the rest of the house stirs and have a cup of tea, do some journaling and inspirational reading. This sets the tone for my morning and helps me get out any “crud” that might affect my work. I’m ready to create after this. Usually I write my blog post at this point and begin to work on other creative projects, either writing, photography or painting. Late morning I head to my “day job” as an engineering project manager. I love this schedule, since it allows me to use my peak creative time (mornings) for my own creative work and yet still hold the day job which supports my family. It’s a good compromise.

Morning drink of choice?
Tea! Any sort of flavored black tea. Love it!

What tends to be your muse, if you have one?
My muse is anything new. New ideas, new places, new knowledge. I’ve learned I’m most creative when I am seeking something new in some aspect of my life. I love to let the new ideas or experiences swirl around in my head and then see what connections are made and what new things I will create as a result.

What keeps your creative juices flowing?
Continually exploring the new, along with regular practice of my arts, photography and writing, keep my creative juices flowing. Exploring whatever interests me in the moment is important. Regular reading and journaling helps me to make the connections between seemingly disparate ideas. I love interacting with other artists, seeing their work and understanding their process. That continually fascinates and inspires me too.

What are some of your goals and dreams for the the future?
I have so many ideas! I would say the big goal right now is to get my Find Your Eye e-courses established and the word out about them. I am so excited to have this wonderful process that really helps photographers find their style through a deeper connection of heart and soul in their photography. I see that as my mission with my art. Beyond that, I would love to see my favorite photographs as a line of greeting cards and postcards. For me, the best thing I can do with my art is brighten someone’s day!

You just returned to the States from living in Italy for two years. Tell us about that. What for, how long, what adjustments did you have to make?
My family and I moved to Italy in 2009 for a two year assignment in my corporate job as an engineering project manager. Moving to Italy, the adjustments were huge. There was just so much to learn! We take so much for granted in our own culture, just knowing how to get things done since we’ve lived it our whole lives. The Italian way of doing things is very different than the American approach, and farther still from my personal approach to life, which added to the personal challenge. I also think this difference in approach to life is also what helped me grow creatively.

Coming back has been easier in some ways, and harder in others. I always knew I would be moving back after two years, to the same town and even the same house. Our time in Italy was like a two year break from “real” life. I’m happy to be back, because I have friends and a life here in Oregon and the US. I missed those direct connections while I was gone.

The big adjustment upon return has been seeing how my creative life, discovered in Italy, would integrate into my former life. The great news after 2+ months back, I brought my new creative life with me intact. I had thought about how to bring this creative life back with me—about how I was able to stay creatively inspired while in Italy—and had a good plan for re-entry. That really helped, along with having so many connections with other creative people online. My creative support system moved with me!

This summer you told me that you found your creative spirit in Italy. How did that happen?
A number of things came together to make that happen. First, I was ready for a change, open and seeking something new. I hadn’t been happy in my professional life as a people manager for a while. Taking the job opportunity in Italy got me out of the management career track I had been following, and allowed me the time and space to take a closer look at my life.

Second, I was surrounded by so much art and beauty. My family and I started to travel extensively, around Italy and Europe. We went somewhere new, if only for a day trip, almost every other weekend. In those travels, we started to visit art exhibits and museums. Imagine seeing a Monet or a Picasso for the first time, in person, and then being able to see more and more… Art was everywhere suddenly. I discovered a love of art that had been biding its time. I started seeking out opportunities to see art as much as possible, and reading books on art and creativity.

Finally, I began to explore my own expression in art. I was already a photographer, but was inspired by so many new subjects. I was drawn to painting, with a desire to express myself in bright colors. There was so much new and exciting that I couldn’t quite contain it all. Photography, writing and a little bit of painting became the way I could process and explore my experiences. I tell people I had my own “creative renaissance” in Italy.

Why has photography specifically become your passion?
I’ve been interested in photography for a long, long time. I’ve been studying and learning since I got my first film SLR in 2000. At the time I started seriously learning, photography was a complement to scrapbooking, but it eventually took over as my main interest. I love the way that you can capture a moment or a feeling through an image.

There were several things that came together while in Italy to elevate photography from “interest” to “passion” for me. I increased my practice significantly, since we were traveling so much I was always taking photos, usually 200+ per day. I encountered new subjects and light all of the time, so my skills improved as I was learning to handle all of these new situations. Add to that my blog, where I started posting a photo a day and then writing a little bit about it. I learned the power of images and words together as a form of artistic expression. I began learning more about myself through my photographs than I could ever imagine was possible. I found this deeper connection with photography as an expression of my heart and soul.

Can you tell us a little bit about your ecourse and how it started?
My Find Your Eye e-courses started out of my personal creative journey. At one point, in June 2010, I was able to claim myself an artist for the first time. It was an incredibly empowering feeling. I started looking back and asking myself how I got to that point, and realized I could see the stepping stones of my journey. I was so excited! If I could see the path, then I could share it with others. That’s when the idea of the Find Your Eye e-course was born.  Since then it’s grown into a series of classes.

The premise behind my courses is this: In order to find your unique photographic style, your “eye,” you need to look within yourself. Our own unique vision cannot be found solely through external means. Our best and most honest work comes when we are connected to our heart and soul. The course helps each participant to begin to value their own work and align with their own desires and motivations. They learn to see how they are expressing their heart and soul in their images, and find the common threads that define their style. Each of us has a unique vision to share with the world, there is no right or wrong. The participants find confidence and empowerment in seeing and owning their personal style. Fantastic things happen as a result.

From looking at your blog you seem to be involved in a few different weekly/monthly challenges or exchanges – what you call “Places I Play.” How do those online spaces feed you creatively? What place do they have in your creative process?
Most of the places I play online are places that have a nice community of artists, either photographers or artists of other mediums, who encourage and support each other. I have met so many wonderful artists online this way, becoming friends with quite a few.  The connection with other artists, particularly while I was in Italy, is what has fed me creatively in these challenges. Now that I am back in the US (where I speak the language fluently), I’m meeting artists in person through the local art guilds. It is another way to make the connections that I find a valuable part of the creative process.