The Lost Journalist
Michelle LaFiura is a self-taught painter and founder of The Lost Journalist art shop. She is also a woman on a journey.
While LaFiura’s path has wandered quite a bit, she’s come to see her art as an inward journey and a journal she shares with others. She seeks to be a storyteller with her work and hopes to lead the viewer to new perspectives, ideas, and connections. But her work is also a journey for herself.
“At its core, The Lost Journalist is about finding yourself. I started making art as a way to deal with the stress of life,” she said. “I think I learned many years ago that I’m a very emotional person, and it takes me a long time to fully process my emotions. Art doesn’t speed up that healing journey. But it does help me make sense of it and find space within myself.”
Finding Herself Along the Way
LaFiura says when she first started to invest in her art process, it was an attempt to connect with herself.
“In my early 20s. I was a really social person, always running around and living a busy life. But around the time I was 22 and going through school and career transitions, I realized I didn’t know who I was anymore. That was when I went back to art. I would stay up late at night painting for hours. I started connecting with myself through yoga and meditation at this time too. And, of course, I was keeping a daily journal.”
‘The Lost Journalist’ name came to her in 2016, shortly after she graduated from college with a journalism degree. She started it as a travel blog, but six years later, it’s grown into an art project instead. The plan changed, but the name stuck.
“I think now, the name is a nod to where I’ve been and where I’m going. It is also a play on words. Traditionally, we see a “journalist” in a very specific light. It is supposed to be somebody who reports facts and distributes information to the public. But if you break down the word more, it’s also one who keeps a journal. It’s not just somebody who records dates and times of events, but somebody who records just about anything for the sake of future reference. I think that’s why I’ve held onto the name. I like the way it sounds, but I also like the idea of using art as a form of journaling, whether it’s for myself, for others or inspiring others to make art for themselves. And, of course, who is more lost than somebody attempting to untangle messy feelings through the messy process of making art? That’s what the name means at its core; it’s someone who’s lost, emotionally or otherwise, but uses the creative process to untangle that confusion.”
LaFiura
The Theme of The Lost Journalist
LaFiura finds inspiration in everything around her, especially nature.
“I’m most inspired by the mountains and sky. I’ve spent years studying mountainscapes and clouds, and I still can’t seem to capture them accurately. It’s a constant practice I’m always working on, and it’s nice to always be inspired to get better and get it right.”
LaFiura also loves using a vibrant and dramatic color scheme.
“I found I wasn’t using color to represent how things are, but rather to express how I feel about those things,” she said.
Using mostly acrylic paint, LaFiura’s art largely depicts natural surroundings, especially plants, mountains, and clouds. But she also likes to give it a twist, exploring deeper themes through the use of natural elements. Her passion recently has been working on mural projects. She loves bringing large projects to life, especially in public spaces.
Finding the Artist Within
LaFiura’s professional painting experience started while she was in college. While studying journalism at Hofstra University in New York, she picked up a side job working birthday parties on the weekends.
“One of the job responsibilities was learning how to face paint. I immediately discovered I was terrible at it. I would try to paint a pirate and the kid would ask if it was a puppy. It was really embarrassing at first.”
After six months of working this job, she came to appreciate the practice and saw a major improvement in her skills. She said that was the first time in her adult life that she could connect with how her brain learned new skills.
“I think we spend all this time in school trying to learn equations and type research papers that our brains forget the practice of physically learning a skill. When I started face painting in 2012, that was the first time in my adult life I got to push my brain into a new pattern of muscle memory. It sparked a lot of creativity in me and helped me realize that I’m only ever about six months to a year away from being decent at a new skill. Learning new skills is invaluable, and this face painting practice showed me how my brain worked outside a classroom. It made me realize the true limitlessness of my potential and was one of the most valuable job experiences I’ve ever had.”
This greater appreciation for learning helped her unlock other potentials, first by exploring more of the arts and then by branching out to explore other skills.
“I think this mindset led me to explore what else I might be good at if I give myself the time. I always considered myself to be brainy, but not very strong so I started to explore this part of my physical self and find out if I really was weak or just inexperienced.”
The journey was roundabout, but all roads lead back to art eventually.
“It started with practicing yoga, which eventually led me to rock climbing. Rock climbing led me to Las Vegas, and moving to Las Vegas brought me back to art and opened me up to the vibrant creative community that lives here. It was around 2021 that I finally left my taxing corporate job and started making art part-time. I took art classes and painted murals and learned about the vibrant art community that lives out here.”
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An Appreciation for Art
With a greater appreciation for art, LaFiura’s definition of it evolved over the years.
“I think in the broadest sense, art is anything that provokes feeling. Art is what makes a house feel like a home. Art is what makes us think. To me art is the intention of both the artist and the viewer,” she said. “But art isn’t just limited to intentional artworks. It’s not what it is, it’s what we put into it and how we perceive it.”
LaFiura also shared her favorite thing about art: the process of creating it.
“It gives me something to invest my time into in a fulfilling way. Time passes by, and I really enjoy that part of my day and the mindful flow state it brings,” she said. “When it’s done, I have a physical object. It contains a chapter, a memory, or a feeling. It’s weird how in the project phase, it’s something that’s living and breathing in my studio space. And then, when it’s completed, it turns into something entirely new. It’s transformed into a memory or a feeling. It turns from a verb into a noun.”
Around 2016, LaFiura started to invest her time into larger-scale painting. While living on Long Island, she had the opportunity to practice creating murals.
“A few years ago, I was renting this room on Long Island, and the landlord let me paint murals in the house. It was a really fun time. I was working as a copywriter by day and making art at night,” she said. “I often wonder if the murals are still there or if they ever got painted over. It was a really fun intro to mural painting and showed me how much potential comes with large wall space. I would love to visit that house again if I ever got the chance.”
Setting Up Her Art Business
Those first murals sparked a light that is still growing to this day. She began showing work at local venues and created a few stickers. A small following took an interest in her work, and it grew more.
In 2020, LaFiura moved to Las Vegas and found herself immersed in a city that had countless opportunities for the arts.
“The cool thing about Vegas is that it’s a city that revolves around tourism, nightlife, performance, and art. There is a huge community with the same interests as me and countless opportunities every day of the week. It’s easy to get eyes on my work. I love hearing feedback from people and see what connects with them. It’s also cool to see what doesn’t connect. It doesn’t affect my process too much, but it’s nice to see how people respond.”
The Balance of Business and Life
LaFiura says working as an artist is about finding balance and focus. She still works a local job part-time, but the rest of her time is spent making art and sharing it with others. Her focus at the moment is on painting murals and building ongoing wholesale partnerships with local business owners.
“I’m trying to balance staying true to my voice and paying my bills. I know I’m good at handling the business side of things, and I also have a passion for making art. If I only make art, I don’t pay my bills. And if I only work on the business, I lose my creativity and inspiration for making art.”
But the balance is what keeps her focused. She says she likes the feeling of tackling a new challenge every day and especially enjoys being her own boss. LaFiura shared that she spent many years answering to other people, and now that she runs her own business, she feels immense freedom getting to run her day. According to her, the best way to build a successful business is to take it one day at a time.
“If you try to grow your art business overnight, it will feel overwhelming. You have to take it in baby steps. You have to recognize that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and there will be many highs and lows along the way. The best place to start is the most basic. Invest time every week into making art. When something resonates, do something small like making stickers or prints. If you set one small weekly goal, you will have accomplished 52 goals in a year. And those wins add up.”
Remembering What’s Important
LaFiura says most of all, don’t lose touch with why you are doing it.
“I spent about years sitting alone in my room making art for nobody but myself. At that time, I wasn’t even doing it with the hopes of turning it into a career. I was still using it as a healthy coping mechanism to manage the stress in my life. I spent a long time making art only for myself and not wanting to share it with anybody else. It felt too personal. But somewhere along the way, friends and family noticed and encouraged me to share my work.”
LaFiura found that while making art was healing, sharing it with other people can be just as healing.
“When I sell a piece, I often get to connect with the buyer. I find people are often willing and eager to share their stories and hear the inspiration from my end. I’ve had a handful of experiences where I feel deeply connected to people who have bought my art. I remember the ones with whom I share stories, and I think about them on occasion. I wonder where they hung my art and how it makes them feel today.”
At the end of the day, the goal of making her art is to connect more fully with herself and others.
“I like that quote from Ram Dass that says, ‘we’re all just walking each other home.’ I feel like I’ve experienced a lot of hardship in my life. I’ve experienced many blessings in my life too, but the hardships are often the things that can shape our personalities. I think making art is how I walk myself home, so to speak. And sharing that art with other people, connecting, and finding inspiration together can be healing too.
I hope when somebody looks at my art hanging on their wall, they feel that connection; with themselves, with their community, and with their emotions. If I can make somebody feel more connected to the universe, I think I’ve done a good job as an artist. After that, everything else is just aesthetic.”
#GetinMotion with The Lost Journalist
The best way to support The Lost Journalist is to follow her on Instagram and purchase her art on Etsy. Those seeking mural work or commissions can contact her through Instagram or email her at michellelafiura@gmail.com.
The Lost Journalist also sells her artwork locally at Desert Rock Sporting Goods, Local Oasis, The Downtown Container Park, and pop-up booths around the city. She hopes to continue exploring her style and expanding her catalog of work.
She is also vending at the October First Friday festival this week!
