Student artist Anna Moore shares what drives her to create inspiring art

Most students have more than enough to keep them busy just with their classes, homework and social lives. For student artist Anna Moore, though, the extra commitment of producing and selling art on campus is the thread that pulls it all together.  

Moore, a strategic communications major, has pursued art for most of her life, but not always with the same passion she has today. She grew up drawing with her brothers and sisters, and at age 11, Moore’s mother noticed a talent in her that was distinct from her siblings. She began having Moore practice drawing for at least an hour each day. Moore hated it at first. It wasn’t until a woman negatively criticized her work that she was fueled to dive deeper into art. 

“I was super disappointed, but I also took (it) and was like, ‘I’m going to be so much better than she thinks I am,’” Moore said. 

She practiced art for many years, often going longer than her mother’s required hour of practice. When she reached high school, her time spent on art slowed considerably until 2020. When COVID-19 hit, she returned to the pastime that had characterized her life in years prior, but this time her experience was more personal. 

Leading up to her resurgence with art, her family went through a challenging season of uncertainty. In that time, Moore stepped back from art entirely and dove into building her own relationship with God. 

“I thought that because art meant something to me, I would get really into it during that time … but I didn’t. I just stopped doing it and really pressed into figuring out who the Lord was and building a personal relationship with him rather than him just being the God of my parents,” Moore said. 

From that time on, art became a much more intentional practice for Moore, though still something she did for fun. During quarantine, she would spend hours alone in her workspace making art and talking with God. As times changed, her art practice had to adjust. 

“Sometimes I want to return to that place, but the Lord has shifted where he has me. I’m still working through that as he’s growing me in this new art phase,” Moore said. 

Throughout Moore’s journey, her family has encouraged and motivated her to pursue excellence. Their support is one of the driving influences of her art. 

“I think the most important thing about my relationship with my parents is that both my dad and my mom encouraged me to get better at self-discipline. Artists are great — we can make art and it be decent, but the thing that we often lack on our own is self-discipline,” Moore said. 

Coming from a family that has so loved and supported the pursuit of her passion, Moore wants to provide that for other people who see her art. 

“My art, when I’m making it, it comes out of a place of safety and comfort and love that you get from being at home. And if you don’t have that home life, that’s fine. I just want you to find it in the art,” Moore said. 

Beyond seeing and appreciating her art, Moore wants people to feel inspired to create something of their own when they look at her pieces. 

“I really want my art to feel like home. And I want it to feel so much like home, that you have this desire and safety to create in that space,” Moore said. 

Moore appreciates the opportunity to use her art to help other people express feelings they would not be able to otherwise. One of the most impactful pieces she has made so far was a commission for a family who had lost their grandmother. As she created the piece and tried to convey the story through her art, she found herself emotionally invested in the family’s story. 

“By the time I was done with it, I felt like I knew this woman. It meant so much to me because it was like this thing that they weren’t able to bring to life … and I was able to use the skill God gave me to bring it to life,” Moore said. 

Moore has used her art to process through similar experiences in her own life. When Moore was a young girl, her little sister passed away. After years of asking God for another little sister, her prayers were answered when she was 6 years old. She related to the story of the girls in “Little Women” and often felt like her family was missing its own “Beth.” Years later, she made a painting inspired by the two stories as an expression of love. 

“It means a whole lot to me … I made a lot of it with my little sister in our living room,” Moore said. “She is probably one of the biggest blessings in my life.” 

Moore has already had several opportunities to present her art to other people. In addition to the pieces she makes on her own time, she has done illustrations for book covers and in children’s books, commissions through social media and pop-up shops on campus. She hopes to continue to pursue art well into the future, still with the same goal in mind. 

“I think art is sometimes meant to be examined, but often times just to be felt and carried with you for a little bit,” Moore said. “I don’t know if I always want people to examine my work as much as I want them to feel it and then to take that feeling with them.” 

Campbell is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion