Lelia Thomas is a woman who is in touch with her creative side. She expresses that creativity across a range of forms- photography, web design, art and writing. The US ex-pat’s website is a testament to the strengths that each medium can display when being created and shaped by someone with a passion for what they are doing.

Lelia has been interested in, and making art since she was a child. How has her perspective changed as she’s grown older?

‘I think as I grow older, I'm always more aware of the people I'm presenting my work to, be them readers or viewers. In the past, I only worked on things for my enjoyment and the beauty of them. I still do that, but I also put a focus on personal messages sometimes as well, which I didn't do when I was younger.’





While the end result may have changed over time, at least one of Lelia’s sources of inspiration has remained the same. That inspiration is often what fascinates viewers of art more than the end result. In Lelia’s case, music is a source of creative energy.

‘Music always has been, and likely always will be, what inspires me most. There's just something special that I can connect to when I listen to a good instrumental or vocal piece. It really moves me to create.’

The only problem with working in a number of disciplines is that when a good idea strikes, how do you decide how to express it? In writing, in photography, in art? It would be nice if the answers came pre-packaged with the idea, but that’s not always the case.





How does Lelia ultimately know how if a piece would be better expressed through writing or art?

‘I have to be honest in saying I don't always. It really ultimately depends on my mood. I find myself gravitating toward that which I want to do for the moment; sometimes that's writing, other times visual art.’

So does she ever simply eliminate the problem and combine art and writing?

‘I have a few times, like in my photo and poem Everything and Nothing. I typically refrain from doing this, though, because I feel my words should paint a mental picture in and of themselves. It's cheating somewhat to stick the two together!’

Some artists have the luxury of a tightly planned schedule which, above all, works for them. Others simply have to wait for lightning to strike and then they go to work at the expense of sleep, food, and any and all other distractions. From artist to artist, no two processes are the same.

How does the creative process work for Lelia?

‘To just sit down and do it. I've tried countless--truly, countless--times to be organized, to be a person with plans. But prewriting and setting things up has always killed the joy of creating for me. This usually means at the end I have to go back and edit thoroughly!’

Lelia has described the result of that sitting down and just doing it as ‘new art with an old style’. Given that the average person can’t be expected to know much about the varieties of ‘old art’, much less keep up with some of the dizzying number of new art styles that are constantly being created, exactly what elements of old and new does she combine to create new works?





‘I like to use traditional, universal emotions quite often in my works. There's a reason certain things have stood up to time, and that's quite often based in the fact that any generation can experience them and still relate to their content. So while my work is new, my style is definitely traditional in many, if not most, cases.’

Writing, art, photography and web design are all areas that have their own demands for specialist knowledge, and working in each produces markedly different results.

But are the ingredients that go into each piece similar? Basically, does Lelia find recurring themes in her work?

‘Yes, especially in my writing. Nature themes are always weaving their way into my work, and sometimes I don't even realize it until I've come back to something I've made at a later date.'

Working in web design has the advantage that when you come to put your own site together, you have a fair idea of what you’re doing. There is a growing acknowledgment that the Internet is a valid forum for artwork in any format, and Lelia has embraced that concept wholeheartedly.

How has the response been to putting her work up on the Internet?

‘I started out slow, but in the last year I've had a lot of progress, especially since coming into the 9rules network. I think through focused and consistent effort, I've gained quite a few dedicated readers and viewers. That's a great feeling!’

Speaking of changes, Lelia has undergone a massive shift in her life with her recent move to Australia in order to study at Swinburne. With so much of the outside shifting, it’s likely that the inside has shifted too.

Has the move from the US to Australia affected her creative side?

‘Definitely. I'm not sure if that has so much to do with the country change as it does my own change from a small group of towns (less than 100,000) to a city life. Sometimes I find myself presented with so many inspiring things that I don't know where to begin.’





In a recent interview, Lelia mentioned escapism as a drive for art. While for most people this would refer to their enjoyment of a piece, but when you’re talking to an artist themselves it’s hard to be sure.

What does Lelia find helps her escape more- the process of creating or the finished product itself?

‘Definitely the finished product. I have far too many things that I've started and never finished, for one reason or another. If I've finished a piece, it shows that, at least for a short time, I was completely satisfied with it--enough so, that I'd present it to others. Granted, 48-hours later, I'm rarely thrilled with that, but for a time it is great to see a "finished" product.’

For both Lelia and her works it is early days yet. She does have the big advantage of coming from a generation that is completely comfortable with using technology to display her works - something she is already using to great effect.

Where does she see the Internet taking digital works in years to come?

‘I see the Internet becoming more and more important to everyday lives, especially in the countries where it is already pretty well established. In the States in the last year, there have been so many new things created online to connect people, their work and interests, their feelings. Art has a place among all of that. As we learn more of how to connect reasonably, no matter our location, as well as how to properly archive and present things, art - mainstream and avant grade - will touch more lives than ever in the past, I believe.’