For the love of art! Our weekly creative curation from TheTechMargin: A sneak peek into "Topographies," the new series by Christopher O'Connor, artist and co-founder of AICharmLab.
Exploring "Topographies"- A sneak peek into the new series by Christopher O'Connor, co-founder of AICharmLab
This week, we are providing you with the first peek into the new body of work I have prepared for the upcoming show. The series is named "Topographies," a title that lends itself to questions and conversations.
Topography No.9, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inch
The terrain explored is not of the coastal, rugged sort that collectors are acquainted with, but the landscape of the internal spaces, the mysterious and uncertain contained within.
This year of uncertainty and disruption, this year that is 2025, has challenged us to be braver, clearer, and trusting, not of the established powers and patterns that have held societies together but of the inner and collective wisdom, the wisdom of ages, the wisdom that sustained humans before the artifice of control became our north star.
Topography No.11, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inch
The topographies emerged as I began to explore what it means to release control over my process, learning to trust the wisdom of my hand and muscle memory as an artist. This "release" required working within, on my internal "topographies," unfolding decades of control and measured execution to return to the joyful spring of creative emergence, which is the gift of our birthright and also quickly forgotten by most, even artists, as we face the requirements and pressures of life. The joyful, childlike curiosity is often buried beneath the burden of our expectations.
In uncertain times, the old wisdom is most wise.
Topography No.12, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inch
In building a creative app for artists, we have learned to face the questions that hold us back. These questions, posed by ourselves and our community of artist beta testers, are the ones all humans grapple with as we attempt, often in midlife, to liberate ourselves from the constraints of life that become strangleholds once they expire beyond utility. What I mean by this is that our unassessed beliefs, fears, and certainties may have paved the way for our current situation. Still, they are unlikely to be the tools we need to grow beyond the experiences and understanding we currently possess.
If we wish to grow, to understand, and to become our fully realized selves, we must consider the landscape of our mind and curate our consciousness to orient toward the future we wish to inhabit.
Topography No.5. acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 inch
In "Topographies," the exploration of the mind is on offer, the invitation to wander is extended, and the opportunity to find and articulate your inner landscape is encouraged.
If we become cartographers of the landscape within, we are more capable when navigating all the manifold uncertainties life has on offer. The emergence of a future we look forward to inhabiting begins with understanding ourselves and releasing control over systems and beliefs that have only provided a false and fleeting sense of knowing, while hiding the true knowing behind our anxieties and fears.
—Sonia & Christopher, co-founders AICharmLab
My new work will be on view in September at the Portland Art Gallery in Portland, Maine. Come by for the opening reception on September 4th from 5-7.
It's a creative laboratory—a rebel's playground. The tools are evolving, and the world is changing. And fear? Fear's just friction before transformation. Ask any caterpillar!
1. What initially attracted you to writing as a form of creative expression?
I’m not sure. I loved reading and writing as a child - finding my way into new worlds. This grew out of sometimes needing to inhabit a different world than the one I found myself in. I was also drawn to creating them and expressing myself in poems (I loved Shel Silverstein) and stories. This continued throughout my life. Writing was a salve, a way of understanding myself and the world, transmuting pain, and capturing and inviting people into dreams and worlds.
2. If you could give your younger self one piece of learned wisdom from your future self, what would it be?
I struggle with this question because the past version of myself needed to go through what she went through for me to become who I am today. More than anything, I’d thank her for her courage, tell her it’s going to get easier and better, that I love her, and to keep going, she’s got this.
3. What is your preferred strategy for overcoming creative blocks?
Action. If energy is stuck, moving my body shifts the energy. If I feel blocked, then I show up to the page, and tell myself it can be shit, it doesn’t have to be good, even if I only write one sentence it’s fine. Journaling also moves the block. It shows me how I’m getting in my way, brings me closer to understanding what’s going on, activates compassion, and meanwhile, I’m writing (the cure is in the medicine).
4. Has the process of writing your book, Welcome to The Creative Club, shifted your creative process and, in what way(s)?
Writing Welcome to The Creative Club revealed the power and importance of routine for creativity. I used to push back against a schedule. It felt limiting and tight, but creating a project, especially a big one like writing a book, requires commitment and routine. It created evidence that having a creative rhythm and routine is needed - quieting my inner rebel and helping me design new schedules for myself that support my creative practices and art.
Conversations on Creativity with Pia Mailhot-Leichter
Join us for this powerful conversation about making life your biggest art project and becoming the creative director of your own life.
