William T. Carson
Q:Tell us about your morning routine.
A:I love mornings at home because we face east into the mountains and the morning light in New Mexico is magical. Waking up slowly is always nice if I can swing it, so on those days my first move out of bed is to light a piece of piñon incense and wake my body up with some morning stretches or a walk with my big sweet pup Mara down to the end of the road. Our house has this unusual dome on top where I go to meditate and read. After I’ve had this quiet time, I make myself a tasty cup of coffee using a silly-elaborate pour-over routine and sit down with my paper planner to map out my day. The smell of the piñon incense and coffee are the two things I look forward to when I climb into bed each night.
Q: And your wind down routine?
A: Reading a good novel before bed is my favorite way to slow my thoughts down and settle in for the night. Right when I hop into bed I’ll write my entry for the day in my five-year journal. I’m currently on my second five-year journal, which is this great format for journaling with a single page for each day of the year and five sections on each page for five consecutive years. It’s this beautiful way to see time unfold and I love remembering small moments from a day three years ago and little reflections on the seasons.
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Q: Where do you draw inspiration from when making art?
A: Geology is always on my mind—trips out into the landscape to see new formations and making quick sketches in nature often inform my compositions. Camping trips with my partner and my dog out to the Chama River or in the ponderosa forest here in New Mexico is one of my favorite ways to fill up the well. Architecture has been a fascination of mine for years and I’m recently rediscovering my love of buildings and architectural plans and technical drawings. I’ve also been feeling inspired by historic images of mining and logging, specifically historic images I’ve found in online library digital image archives and imagery in old postcards that I’ve found. I’m not sure where it’s headed, but I know I can spend hours pouring over these images so I’m sure something will emerge.
Q: What keeps you connected to the work?
A: I always try to leave myself at least one experiment when I leave the studio. My work requires drying time for each layer, so when I’m wrapping up time in the studio I will experiment with a new combination of materials and leave it to dry overnight. I’ve been doing this the last few years and it has helped me keep up the enthusiasm to return to the studio, it’s like a little mystery present that I’m curious to go open. More often than not, these layers are covered up with consequent experiments, becoming strata of forgotten experiments embedded in the pieces.
Q:What does resilience mean to you and how do you nurture inner fortitude?
A: I see creative resilience as the strength to keep creating even when the path is hazy and uncertain. Many folks say the hardest part about being an artist is just showing up and continuing to keep going and keep creating and I’ve found that to be true. I’m a big believer in creative momentum and I try to keep things moving, but it can be a challenge. Building up inner fortitude is an everyday process for me that is built on gratitude and connection with all the people I love in my life.
Q: How has living in New Mexico changed your life and how you see things?
A: The landscape is what drew me to New Mexico six years ago and I continue to fall deeper in love with the landscape and the light every day. Each year I’m slowly getting to know the seasons and the changing light—I think getting to know this place is a slow process that will take a lifetime and I’m still right at the beginning. Life in New Mexico has been a return to a slower pace of life that is my natural operating speed from growing up in rural places.
Q: What role does place/location play in your creative projects?
A: When I was growing up we moved around the country frequently and lived in several rural areas around the west, which shaped my thinking and understanding of places. Moving around so much created a strong desire to understand places and to shore up my sense of home. My connection to coal that comes from the area around my family’s cattle ranch in Montana stems from an interest to connect to the deep time at play in that material and the intersection between those materials with my own personal timeline. In this work I’m trying to build a connection to one of my home places that I left when I was young, but my family has a longer history there that I want to be in tune with.
Q: What scent reminds you most of NM or the desert after the rain?
A: This summer we’ve been fortunate to have frequent monsoons and these rains bring out the most incredible smells in the high desert. Taking a walk after a heavy rain and getting to soak in the petrichor is wonderful. Ponderosa bark has this lovely vanilla scent that really shines when the bark has been warmed by the sun. They’re my favorite trees and it’s a nice way to get to know a pondy too—to walk up close and really get a good sniff. In the winter the smell of burning piñon has become one of my favorite scents of NM.
Q: How does the Metamorph fragrance make you feel, what visuals come up for you?
A: Metamorph has this sweet warmth that feels like it evolved out of the high desert. At times the smoky scent reminds me of winter in New Mexico, staying cozy by the woodstove during a snowstorm. At other times the scent reminds me of the moment when the sun breaks through after a summer rainstorm, lighting up purple clouds with golden light and the smell of the rain baking into the rocks and plants. The beautiful warm ochre color of Metamorph reminds of grasses at sunset in the late summer and early fall.
Q: How can scent inspire your art, or How do you use Metamorph EDP to nurture your space before creating?
A: When I’m creating with coal in the studio the process leaves me filthy—I’m wearing a respirator and gloves at all times and doing my best to limit my exposure to this toxic dust. Cleansing and resetting after this kind of work is essential to feel balanced. My partner has taught me so much about skincare and seeing her take the time each night to take care of herself in that way has inspired me to do the same. I enjoy using the Ayond scents and products to cleanse my mind and hydrate my skin in the evenings to settle in at home.
