LAPORTE — Sharon Nordrum has been interested in art almost her whole life. During the summers when she was a young girl, there would be art events at the local park that featured all sorts of different art styles. Nordrum loved it.
“I hated going to school. Hated getting up in the morning, but in the summertime, I was up early, and I was at the park by like 8:00 in the morning, waiting to get my hands into any kind of art project that we were going to do,” Nordrum said.
Those summer days at the park inspired Nordrum to go all in on art. She would spend her allowance at the local hobby store on different art projects, and her parents were also into creative things.
Despite her interest in art at such a young age, Nordrum has struggled to label herself as an artist. It wasn’t until two years ago that she started calling herself one.
“I was put down for my art all through school. I had art teachers tell me that I was no good, that I would never make it doing art... So being an artist and being able to say that I'm an artist is almost like boasting. I just have a hard time with that,” she said.
For a long time, Nordrum hid her art. She would only share it with her mom and sister. It wasn’t until she lost her job that she decided art was what she really wanted to do.
“And the reception that I got from my native relatives on the reservations for my art just really built me up and made me feel good about myself and what I can do," she said. "And so I am very thankful for those communities that saw that and said, ‘Hey, you are an artist.’”
Heritage influence and dream ideas
Nordrum’s Anishinaabe and Saami heritage has been a major influence on her art. It’s something she wanted to showcase in her work.
“I look for the animal shapes and try and incorporate them into my artwork in such a way that it shows that connectedness to life around us,” she said.
This was a big part of Nordrum’s life growing up. Her family loved spending time in the woods, and her parents would talk about people’s relationship with plants and animals.
“We would take that back with us, and we would hold those stories and those traditions and everything, keep them really close to our hearts," she said. "So being able to draw on that for my artwork is really quite easy because it was built in from the time I was just a small child.”
As for what inspires her artwork, Nordrum says most of her work comes from dreams. She said she believes this was inspired by a game she used to play with her mom. They would look at something like a brick wall, and her mom would ask her what she saw in the colorations or shapes. That sparked creativity in Nordrum’s imagination.
Even when Nordrum would wake up early in the morning, she kept playing over and over in her head what she saw in the dream.
“What did that look like? What was I feeling? ‘Cause I paint a lot on my feelings," she said. "So, what was I feeling when I saw that in my dream until I have a chance to put it on canvas.”
Ricky Tics Arts is the name of Nordrum's artwork. It’s a military term that means doing something quickly. Nordrum’s father was in the military, and she has a great respect for veterans. The name is a way to pay homage to that military background.
If there’s one thing Nordrum would like to pass on to aspiring artists, it’s the idea of not giving up on your dreams.
“Everybody has a special gift and I think that we put so much self-doubt in ourselves that we don't aspire to our true potential because of that self-doubt," she said. "So, don't doubt yourself. Go for it.”
People can find Nordrum’s artwork on the Ricky Tics Arts Facebook, and you will see her work at different art events like the Anishinaabe Arts Festival in late July.
Would you consider yourself an artist? Why or why not? Let us know at comments@kaxe.org.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.