Blessing Hancock: Transforming Abstract Ideas Into Monumental Public Art

How do you transform abstract ideas into striking monumental art? In today’s podcast episode, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Blessing Hancock to discuss the artist’s visionary public art projects, which span the globe.

As the founder of Skyrim Studio, Blessing specializes in creating site-specific sculptures that transform public spaces. With a BFA in sculpture and an MLA in landscape architecture, her unique ability to blend natural forms with technology and community engagement has earned her international recognition. In this episode, Blessing delves into her unconventional creative process, sharing how she translates nebulous concepts into tangible artworks. Tuning in, you’ll learn about her unique interpretation of the divine and the methods she uses to tap into her inner muse. We also explore the practical challenges that accompany large-scale art projects and the crucial role that trust and communication play in successful collaborations.

Listen to our conversation with Blessing Hancock on the player below to learn more about building effective teams and channeling your creative energy into artworks that are larger than life.

Key Points From This Episode:

How Blessing’s unconventional upbringing shaped her professional art career
How she marries nature, culture, and technology in her large-scale artworks
Discovering harmony, peace, love, and coexistence within fundamentally opposing ideas
The critical role that community engagement plays in her projects
Why Blessing chooses to avoid labeling her work as feminine or masculine
A distinct interpretation of the divine and its influence on her practice
How she carves out time each day to connect with her inner world
The tools, techniques, and practices that help Blessing quiet her mind
Insight into the process of turning formless creative power into something tangible
The “simple life” Blessing has built that allows her to unplug and unwind
The immense value of assembling effective, communicative teams

Quotes:

“My main inspirations are nature and culture, but I can only realize something through the use of technology.” — Blessing Hancock [0:10:55]

“My definition of divine [is that I] am and have the capability to be greater than what the knowledge or the concrete reality is telling me to agree to. That's my personal search, and it comes out through [my art] in a lot of different ways.” — Blessing Hancock [0:23:26]

“You often can't please everybody, but there's a tactic of ‘we're in this till the end.’ We can't stop now in the process, so what's everyone willing to compromise on? If your personality is not able to compromise, this is probably not a good profession for you.” — Blessing Hancock [0:44:26]

Longer Quotes:

“I [got] my degree in sculpture as an undergrad student. Then I got my master's degree in landscape architecture, which [has] been a great blend for public spaces. At 31, the economy crashed. I was working as a landscape architect, and I got laid off. I had just read a book about public art, and I was like, ‘Oh, I get this. I could do this.’ I could see the path forward so clearly, and it was an easy understanding. [Before, when] getting an art degree and learning about the private art sector, which is the galleries and the collectors, it didn't register to me how to fit into that world. As soon as I learned about public art, it was immediately clear.” — Blessing Hancock [0:08:49]

“In a place of calm and an expanded point of reality where the mind's quiet, you can now fill that undifferentiated space with whatever you want. Now, this is your moment to say, ‘I have the power to create. I can manifest the un-manifested. I can dream about myself as big as the universe.’ This is formless creative power; It hasn't been attached to anything. You’ve created this void that it can now exist within. Then, you just play around. Because without the mind attacking you and trying to pull you out into all your duties and your realities, you're able to make it whatever you want.” — Blessing Hancock [0:28:59]