Peer Review: Eli Sudbrack interviews Delia Gonzalez

Read: Delia Gonzalez interviews Eli Sudbrack

How did you start?

Creativity starts at birth. I’m pretty sure it starts way before that—but the first thing we all do and that we all have in common is that we create.

What is something you wish someone told you when you began to make art?

I didn’t know I was making art when I started to make art. I moved to New York City after graduating from film school and landed a job at a shop in SoHo with a bunch of artists. It was the mid ’90s. I knew nothing about Contemporary Art. I didn’t want to go to art school because I thought artists were pretentious. But yeah, then I was working with these really prolific artists and meeting all these amazing people and they were putting on these really great shows—it was so inspiring. They were the best art teachers. I never thought to label myself as an artist at that time. I always thought I was just having fun, and that’s exactly what I was doing.

How do you start a project?

All projects are floating around in the collective unconscious. You just got to reach out and grab one.

How do you know when a project is done?

I believe the ending of an old project is the beginning of a new one. There are no real ends just endless new beginnings.

For the kind of work that you do, what are the most valuable resources?

Watching an inspiring film, with flawless aesthetics and an amazing soundtrack.

What do you do when you’re creatively stuck?

I don’t really have much time to be creatively stuck. I just keep going whether or not an idea is good or bad. Every idea leads to something new. During these phases I like to imagine that I’m pregnant… you just sit there and wait, wait, wait, and wait…A couple of days or months or even years later a new idea is born.

Is it ever okay to abandon a project?

I don’t believe we ever really abandon projects. Sometimes projects need to sit, wait, and resurface. This can take years, but everything we do, think, or create, informs all future ideas and outcomes. So whether or not it’s visible, or you’re aware of it, every project—abandoned or non abandoned—is a part of you and has the potential to mutate into a new one.

How do you avoid burnout?

I think everyone is burnt-out nowadays. We’re oversaturated with virtual noise. You just need to work with it. The new evolution.

As far as your creative work is concerned, how do you define success? How do you define failure?

Both failure and success are part of the same cycle. But I think if you can at least truly inspire one person that’s success.

Can you talk me through your process?

I try to follow my intuition…

How do you nourish your creative side when you aren’t working?

Turn everything off!