I have made the decision to change my art name from Art by NormaSue to Norma Slack Art.
I have become increasingly uncomfortable with Art by NormaSue over recent months. It feels like the right time to move on from a name that was chosen at the start of my art journey for very particular reasons. I am now in a different place in both my art and my life and the name felt like it was binding me to the past.
Anyone who has read the free extract from my book Thunder in my Soul will know that I came to art as a way of coping with grief and the loss of my eldest brother.
Sue was a pet name my father gave me as a child. I have no idea where it came from, but its use was adopted and continued beyond childhood by that same brother. So when it came to finding a name for this art practice, which had become a light in the midst of darkness, it felt important to acknowledge the link to his memory. Art by NormaSue was born.
Initially the name didn’t matter. I was creating for myself and my own wellbeing and I only shared my art to groups I was a part of online.
As my art developed and my desire to share it grew, I added instagram and facebook to my repertoire and the name began to spread out across social media. Then came the website and an online shop selling digital prints and products. Next the book and the decision to sell my prints and products locally. That led to business cards and local newspaper articles becoming part of the story.
Somehow I had become an artist, Art by NormaSue had become more than I had ever thought it would be.
As I got out and about and met more people I found myself either explaining that my name wasn’t NormaSue it was just Norma, or letting people call me NormaSue which felt very uncomfortable. I didn’t always want to explain the reason for the name, it wasn’t always appropriate in every given situation.
This past year has been a catalyst for change. I have taken part in three group exhibitions and one solo exhibition as Norma Slack. In these venues there was no need or requirement to share or explain my online art name. It felt good.
So today I have taken the first steps back to me.
I have changed my name on all my social media channels and the name at the head of my website now reads Norma Slack Art. I am finally claiming the role of artist for myself.
The website remains normasue.com and I don’t know when or if it will change. I can live with that. It is a little nod to the past, an act of remembrance and a recognition of all that has led me to this place.