Interview with the Steemit Artist @laputis! It's a Must-read!
![Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Under An Apple Tree.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQoe1a3UyN6cHgKuMrXdjKurLnmGWQWeRDLWZjRQb46ks/Ausra%20Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene%20Under%20An%20Apple%20Tree.jpg)
Interview with @laputis
Vidas: Why is humor important to you?
Ausra: Well I think humor should be important to everybody. And since life is not easy itself and we have hard jobs and all other activities that are so serious so humor on Steemit is the way for me to relax and to enjoy myself and all my other friends.
Vidas: Do you look forward to those postings that you do about Pinky and Spiky in your day?
A: Yes actually this is the funniest part of my day. Time to relax and enjoy myself.
Vidas: Interesting. So, after a hard day’s work you feel that you want to relax your mind and body probably by drawing.
A: Yes, this is a way to express myself and to relax basically. And you know when I started to do it I didn’t think that people would like it but I think there are quite a few who enjoy it as well. So I’m very glad to know that I’ve found people that enjoy my drawing and my characters.
Vidas: Can you give some insight into how your love of music developed, please.
A: Well actually it developed very early because at the age of three probably I started to sing a lot. Basically what I heard on the radio I would repeat it over and over again. And since I have an older brother, he’s seven years older than me, I feel sorry for him, but he grew up listening to my singing because I would pick up a song from the radio and I would sing it for like a week, everyday for like, I don’t know, maybe one hundred times a day. My poor brother, he had to listen to all that stuff, but I could sing in tune, and I started to play piano at the age of five. And then I started to study at National M.K. Ciurlionis School Arts where I have studied for twelve years and where I teach now. And later on I entered the Academy of Music as an organ major and finished it with Bachelors and Masters degree and at the Academy of Music I met you, Vidas Pinkevicius and after graduation we both went to study to the United States where we both got Masters in organ performance and Doctoral degrees at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
Vidas: Interesting. How do you see your career developing next, please.
A: Well right now I am at such a point where my career is quite stable. It seems like I’m stuck at the National Ciurlionis Schools of Arts forever. Because as I told before I graduated myself that same school and now is my twelfth year of teaching there and it’s my full-time job so I spend many, many hours at the school but I love it because it is my Alma Mater.
Vidas: What would you like to do in ten years?
A: Well basically I would love to teach less and play the organ more because right now I am part-time organist at Vilnius University and we perform quite a lot with my husband as an organ duo so I would love to spend more time performing in the future.
Vidas: How did you become interested in drawing if you are a musician?
A: Well you know, these two things, music and art are very closely related together and art surrounded me all the time since my childhood. We had some drawing lessons at school, unfortunately I was not able to draw a lot because I had to practice piano so sometimes my Mom and my brother would draw for me as their homework. I don’t think that was a good thing but that’s what we did in order for me to be able to practice more on the piano. But I had quite a few years of studying art history in our school, it was on our curriculum for any musician and we had to attend exhibitions and describe them. So since I married you with both parents and your aunt being artists, somehow I am drawn into it. But I would never consider myself a serious artist. I do it for enjoying myself, and making myself and my friends laugh on Steemit.
Vidas: You mentioned that in your childhood your Mom and brother sometimes would draw for you as a homework. Have you shown any of your recent drawings to them and if you have what did they say?
A: Yes, actually I showed to them and they actually liked it. I was surprised because actually both of my parents liked it. And it came a big surprise to me because I thought they would just laugh at me and tell me that I am sort of going crazy. But they actually liked it. So it was nice.
Vidas: And after of course being a musician for so long did you feel that drawing was missing from your life or visual expression of your creativity. Is that the reason you started drawing?
A: Yes, I think so. Because you know I’ve felt attracted to the colors and as you can see from my drawings I always make them colorful. That’s what I really like. And plus all those dialogs about Pinky and Spiky and their inmates. I like that too.
Vidas: Talking about Pinky and Spiky do you remember the first time you came up with those characters and why?
A: Well, you know I think that Pinky was in my head all the time, all my life because I grew up in Lithuania during the Soviet time and we didn’t have much enjoyment at that time because everything was sort of gray in color, all the buildings, all the interior, everything was just gray. I missed those colors. But once a month we had monthly magazine for kids called “Genys”, it would be “Woodpecker.” At the end of it it would have drawing stuff of a pig. It was called Paršiukas Čiukas Basically a piglet Čiukas. It was sort of pinkish and plumpy and sort of very nice character. And then would be like a short story made of three drawings.
Vidas: Like a comic strip?
A: Yes, like a comic strip. So I would be waiting for this Paršiukas Čiukas comic strip for an entire month so I guess it stuck somewhere in my mind and later on it became “Pinky the Piglet.” And of course Spiky is a prototype of you, my husband and because I nicknamed you as a hedgehog a very long time ago and we have been married for twenty-one years already so that’s how it all started. And when you started to draw these comics I sort of felt jealous. And not because I didn’t like them, I liked them a lot but I’m sort of felt that I want to tell the Pinky side of the story. Because those comics you can see that not all of them are real you know things that happened to us, of course you know we were not drifting on the iceberg for three days as you drew recently. But some of those situations are real, some are a little bit exaggerated, some just come from our making fun to each other, some come from our work.
Vidas: Is it safe to say that making comics like this is a form of diary?
A: Well in some sense it is, yes, as a diary.
Vidas: Interesting. Other people who like visual arts and expression of their creativity sometimes get bored with writing diaries but they still would like to document their day. And making comics this way about your day is an interesting way to do this in a visual way.
A: True. And in terms of sort of making comics makes me feel like a child again and I like that feeling you know after being responsible for my students all the time I think it’s nice to relax and enjoy myself. My biggest inspiration is probably Tove Jansson and her drawings and recently, maybe half a year ago we bought a big book which she has her complete works of comics strips which she published in a British magazine during her lifetime. I believe this thick volume is published for her centennial of her birth and people could find it on Amazon or other online places. This is a fine collection. So, I really enjoy her works. It’s a big inspiration for me.
Vidas: So Ausra do you consider yourself to be a visual artist as well as a musician and how do the two art platforms interact for you?
A: Well, of course you know as a musician I am a professional and I always keep expectations for myself very high on that ground, musical ground, and a visual artist I consider myself as an amatuer.
Vidas: Yes.
A: Of course you know I wish to develop my skills in the future.
Vidas: But tell us Ausra how many years have you been practicing music?
A: Well, since the age of five so now I’m forty-one, so that’s thirty-six years.
Vidas: Do you imagine yourself practicing visual art or drawing for thirty-six years? Is it possible?
A: Well, if I will live for so long, so maybe I will draw.
Vidas: You have no objections, right now?
A: Yes, right now I’m really enjoying it.
Vidas: Is it safe to say that if you drew for so long you would become professional at this too?
A: Well, yes I think there is such a possibility.
Vidas: It’s a life-long practice I think.
A: True. But really I would like to keep it for my spare time, for my free time as something that I really enjoy. Because you know I remember when I was studying at Eastern Michigan University we were performing harpsichord recital and for two harpsichords basically. We did some solo works and some duets. It was a hard program but we recorded it and now it’s one of my most favorite CD’s to listen to because I consider myself as a professional organist not a professional harpsichordist although I played harpsichord for many, many years. But I listen to that CD more often than I listen to my organ CD’s and I enjoy it much more because I think not being professional in a certain area gives you some sort of freedom and not makes your expectations too high.
Vidas: Exactly. When you draw for example Pinky and Spiky do you think about avoiding mistakes in drawing or just letting your mind wander free.
A: Yes, I’m sort of just letting my mind wander free. And I was really surprised how easily it comes out of me, how easily I think what the composition will be and what each character will tell. So in some sense it’s sort of only not like a visual art but also it’s a theatre too.
Vidas: Isn’t it like storytelling? Visual storytelling?
A: Yes, very much.
Vidas: Do you like stories Ausra?
A: Yes, I like them a lot.
Vidas: In what form?
A: Actually I watch lots of movies as I think already my friends in Steemit could notice because I did quite a few drawings with Pinky and Spiky going to movies. So I like to read books and I like children’s movies and animations a lot. I think probably I have watched all Simpson’s and we enjoy it too. It sometimes has some sort of nasty humor and I don’t like some parts of it, for example Itchy and Scratchy, or Homer strangling Bart all the time. I don’t like those parts but besides of those I really like that humor.
Vidas: I see. Can you please explain the enjoyment you gain and hope to give in making these comical posts.
A: Well since not everything in life is so easy and so fun I think through Pinky and Spiky I live many moments of my life and it makes my life much easier in that way. Because through those characters I can laugh out of myself, I can laugh out of my husband, I can laugh out of hard situations so I think Pinky and Spiky are those who help me to survive. And I hope that they will help other people as well.
Vidas: Do think that people should laugh more?
A: Yes, definitely.
Vidas: What would happen if they laughed more?
A: They would live longer.
Vidas: Do you have an interest in digital art?
A: I would like to try it in the future but for now I prefer non-digital art.
Vidas: What is so attractive about holding a piece of paper or a notebook in your hands?
A: I would compare the situation of playing mechanical organ and playing digital organ. Since you are a musician too, you can understand me perfectly because when you are playing an instrument with real pipes, real wind-blowing, it’s completely different feeling when playing a digital organ. Of course you maybe have more stops on the digital organ, you can amplify your sound until your ears explode or you create a little earthquake and you can do all kinds of tricks but you will never get that real feeling, real enjoyment, because when playing a real mechanical pipe organ you feel that it’s a living creature and you’re not just playing but you’re having sort of a dialog with it. So that’s what it is with non-digital drawings. It’s the same feeling a playing a real instrument.
Vidas: What’s your favorite medium then with non-digital art? Like technique, what kind of materials do you use?
A: Oil pastels. I like those for now. Of course sometimes I use pencils. Colored pencils or even non-colored pencils. Of course in the future I would like to start to do some water-color work.
Vidas: Those simple materials are available to everyone and they’re so democratic. Any person can pick up a crayon or a pastel or a colored pencil and start drawing on a piece of paper.
A: Yes, this is the difference between making music and drawing that actually when we have to perform a recital we have such a pressure for that entire concert and if it lasts for an hour or even more can you imagine how much stress you get through. You cannot lose your concentration for even a single moment because music is an art in time. But the drawing is so much different because you do your work and you can enjoy it. And I like that moment of enjoyment that you are done with your work.
Vidas: You create a drawing, you take a picture, and you share it with the world.
A: Yes and you can sort of relax and enjoy. With music it is much different.
Vidas: Would you like to please choose some of your Steemit posts to share with us?
A: Here are some organ videos I’d like to share:
Even more videos and podcasts are available on our Secrets of Organ Playing blog at www.organduo.lt
Vidas: Is there anything else you would like to add in the interview.
A: I would really like to thank Dee, for hosting that daily Artstorm contest. Because what I like about it is that it give us so many ideas. What to draw, I like it a lot, and I like that it has to take only fifteen minutes because it’s about as much time as I can spend on a daily basis to do my drawings.
Vidas: So it seems like anybody can create something in fifteen minutes, anybody can find at least fifteen minutes a day to be creative.
A: Yes, and that’s why I use oil pastel for it because it helps me to color things very fast. I could not do it probably with some other techniques.
Vidas: Thank you so much Ausra for agreeing to give this interview. I really hope that people will become inspired by you. People who have perhaps never drawn before. Perhaps they will start expressing their creativity in a visual way or in a musical way like you do and I hope you will continue to create for a long time.
A: Well I hope so too because I would like to encourage everybody to create because it’s never too late to start something new. You might discover things that you never thought about yourself that you have or you could do. It goes both ways in any artistic way. In visual arts, or in musical arts, performing arts and thank you for interviewing me. I had a great time.
Vidas: One last question Ausra. What will happen if every person in the world in an ideal situation would create something every day.
A: I believe that the world would be a better place.
Here are some comical and colourful drawings by @laputis:
Thank you Dee for all your work:)
You are welcome :)
@laputis, I love all of what you do, and how wonderful it is to get to know you a little bit more. I’m so blessed you created Pinky, that lead you to Artstorm so that I could meet you there, it has been fun to become friends with you and Vidas. Ausra your artwork and music fill me with joy, I pray you’ll be able to create music 🎶 and 🎨 artwork for a very long time to come, may God bless you my friend and your family❣️
Thank you friend. Your support of me and Vidas is very important. I'm glad you liked my interview. God bless you!
Thanks Dee. It was nice talking to Ausra about the things we both love and enjoy...
I am glad you enjoyed it.
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This was an amazing post @deemarshall I’m so blessed that @laputis Ausra, was interviewed by @organduo Vidas, what a lovely couple! How interesting they are, and what wonderful talents they both have. @laputis took my breath away with the beautiful organ music that she could play. It truly blew my mind... wow! When Ausra & Vidas did a organ duo, it was so beautiful and fascinating to watch there hands move so gracefully across the keyboards in perfect timing, so awsome. Your all a joy to know and love, bless you❣️
There are only two kinds of people - those who wherever they go, choose make the flowers blossom and those who wherever they go choose make milk go sour. It's a choice, of course and I'm glad you chose to be in the first category.
Thank you @organduo, I’ve never heard that saying before... did you just make that up because that was so sweet and funny at the same time, and I believe quite true. There’s some people that wherever they go, choose to make milk go sour. They stay away from me because I’ll give them a hug, and they usually don’t like that. I’m a hugger, I have know fear! I hug everybody, I’m a hugging machine. Thank you for your kind words Vidas, my life’s goal is to make the world a better place by growing more love like flowers, planting seeds in peoples minds to take care and love one another like we’re supposed to. You can’t learn how to love by just being told, you have to be shown, you have to have a good role model, and that role model has to put in the time and effort to teach, and be very aware of it. God bless you friend, your a beautiful thinker, friend and person❣️
A hugging machine... I like that!
I am glad you enjoyed it.