by Jasmine Raskas
Freedom to Evolve
An undercover look at one of St. Louis' nationally recognized emerging artists
Zack Smithey
Visual Artist, Creator, Entrepreneur
Zack Smithey has shown his artwork in cities across the country including dozens of shows in St. Louis. He has over 3,000 pieces in public and private collections, has had over 80 solo and group shows, built the first two container homes in the St. Louis region ("Amazing Interiors" on Netflix - Episode 3, house #2) , has a patent, and enough innovations and ideas to fill several lifetimes. A solo exhibit of Zack's work, “Form + Flow,” was recently presented at Rubine Red Gallery in Palm Springs, California.
Future Plans
Currently, Zack is focused on reaching beyond St. Louis and tapping into new national art communities and galleries. Ultimately, Zack's end goal, as he states, is that there will never be an “end," just a series of achievements leading to continuous growth and evolution. Once the current goal of national outreach is achieved, Zack will expand his art outreach globally. And of course, there are other goals sprinkled into the mix, such as finding balance between work and leisure (currently the scales are tipped in favor of work), testing new efficient home designs that address the affordable housing crisis, testing new geothermal/solar designs to address climate change, testing new and
innovative airplane designs because "why not"?
Art & The World
“Artists are the beating hearts of our communities”
Zack believes that artists are the catalysts for community growth and development. "Artists are like creative locusts," they move into affordable communities and create an atmosphere rich in culture. Once the area becomes "cool," people and businesses move to the area fueling demand. With a finite supply, property values go up, pricing artists out of the very own communities they started. Artists go on to move to a new area and the process begins again. Zack believes that “investing in artists is a long term investment in the future of your community.”
The Practice
“My time here and everyday is a gift”
Zack lives by the idea that you are a culmination of your experiences, every experience that you've had up until this point makes you who you are today. "Think about who you want to be or what you want to achieve, and then prioritize your daily experiences to sculpt your future into the desired form."
Zack explains. "Having multiple goals overlapping, sometimes those goals are at odds with each other. Given that time is scarce and finite, it is our most valuable resource. It's the reason that I work so hard constantly, it's the reason that several of my goals create conflict, it's the reason that I overbook myself, it's the reason that I don't hangout with friends and family as much as I'd like, it's the reason for urgency and stress. Of the billions of years that the universe has existed, I only have a maximum of several more decades left. My limited is existence is the reason that I make the most of every moment, always."
The cornerstone of his practice is based on a stack of notes which he keeps with him at all times. This notebook, his "external hard drive" as he describes it, is anything but a simple stack of papers. The notebook is actually a meticulously and well thought out method for sorting, prioritizing, and connecting ideas. This notebook is what allows Zack's multiple series of work to simultaneously progress over time in an organized fashion (writer is still mystified). It's a living document that maps out continually Zack’s ongoing evolution.
“It’s about the journey, not the destination.”
Each of Zack’s paintings is born out of an attempt to visually explore and solve problems. Zack enjoys the process of mentally mapping out and coordinating plans for a painting. The process of creating is the journey, the most important part of a piece. "If I'm present and focused during the journey and end up in an unforeseen destination the piece still feels like a success."
Aside from a studio practice, Zack is committed to learning and growing in ways that He can apply to all areas of life. His normal nightly routine includes reading and studying the sciences, which are a constant area of fascination and a place where he explores new problems and perspectives.
Studio Tour
An undercover look at Zack’s world
The Mindset
“I never want to put my future in the hands of an institution”
In order to engage in true creative freedom, Zack values working independently. This often means working harder and learning to work smarter. “I don’t want to place the success of my future on someone else’s judgement ( referring to institutions and grant money ).”
Zack’s internal drive to create exactly what he wants make, propels this unstoppable creator towards the completion of a project amidst all obstacles. His largest project, the first St. Louis container home was denied on multiple levels of planning and redesigned 7 times. The key to Zack’s successful persistence seems to be not only within his will power, but within his planning process. Just like within his creative process, he’s able to remain fully open to changes in the process, while simultaneously holding onto to a singular end vision.
This openness to evolve and change runs throughout the multiple series of Zack’s work. His series are like the tree of evolution itself, one series is born out of the next. Each line of work continues onward to create its own distinct lineage and sometimes even merges with a neighboring branch. Zack does not place all bets on a single idea and allows for the cultivation of several different versions of a single thought to emerge at once.
There’s always a constant forward motion in the life of this creator, with “more ideas in my notes than there is time in several lifetimes,” Zack is always on a mission to create, build, and share. His approach to marketing, not only allows him to remain independent, but also gives him purpose through a creative approach to sharing and showcasing what he does. At the end of the day, all aspects of business inevitably come down to simply being able to have the resources available to make more art.
Motivation
“My favorite piece is either the one I’m working on now, or the one I’m doing next"
Zack’s motivation stems from an intense love for problem solving and engaging in creative flow. In all areas of life he enjoys taking on a new problem and turning it into a solution.
For some people art is simply a process that must occur. There’s an idea inside and a need that will not be satisfied until the idea can be manifested into reality. For as long as Zack can remember he’s been pretty heavily addicted to the creative process.
As soon as it came time to find a career his only focus turned to ways in which he could keep making art, which included interim work as scenic painting at the Muny and teaching art at Francis Howell North High. His path to becoming a full time artist was not easy and involved immense amounts of dedication and often little sleep. “If you want to be a full time artist, then you have to be full time.” And full time is what Zack has always practiced, even when he was in the midst of teaching, taking graduate courses and renovating an entire house, he still spent every other spare minute in the studio making art. With an end goal in terms of evolution, the openness to change over time is endless and the journey will continue towards expansion for all of the foreseeable future. As Zack says "The only constant in the universe is change."
Follow Zack’s Journey
____________________________
Jasmine Raskas is a St. Louis-based artist whose artworks have been featured in exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region. She is also the owner of Chaos 2 Order Coaching.
Freedom to Evolve
An undercover look at one of St. Louis' nationally recognized emerging artists
 |
| Zack Smithey at work. Photo by Tristan Cook. |
Zack Smithey
Visual Artist, Creator, Entrepreneur
 |
| Zack Smithey. "Form + Flow" recently presented at Rubine Red Gallery, Palm Springs, CA. |
 |
| Zack Smithey. Artwork from "Form + Flow" series. |
Zack Smithey has shown his artwork in cities across the country including dozens of shows in St. Louis. He has over 3,000 pieces in public and private collections, has had over 80 solo and group shows, built the first two container homes in the St. Louis region ("Amazing Interiors" on Netflix - Episode 3, house #2) , has a patent, and enough innovations and ideas to fill several lifetimes. A solo exhibit of Zack's work, “Form + Flow,” was recently presented at Rubine Red Gallery in Palm Springs, California.
 |
| Smithey container home. Photo by Gussie Barnidge. |
Future Plans
Currently, Zack is focused on reaching beyond St. Louis and tapping into new national art communities and galleries. Ultimately, Zack's end goal, as he states, is that there will never be an “end," just a series of achievements leading to continuous growth and evolution. Once the current goal of national outreach is achieved, Zack will expand his art outreach globally. And of course, there are other goals sprinkled into the mix, such as finding balance between work and leisure (currently the scales are tipped in favor of work), testing new efficient home designs that address the affordable housing crisis, testing new geothermal/solar designs to address climate change, testing new and
innovative airplane designs because "why not"?
Art & The World
“Artists are the beating hearts of our communities”
Zack believes that artists are the catalysts for community growth and development. "Artists are like creative locusts," they move into affordable communities and create an atmosphere rich in culture. Once the area becomes "cool," people and businesses move to the area fueling demand. With a finite supply, property values go up, pricing artists out of the very own communities they started. Artists go on to move to a new area and the process begins again. Zack believes that “investing in artists is a long term investment in the future of your community.”
The Practice
“My time here and everyday is a gift”
 |
| Photo by Zack Smithey. |
Zack lives by the idea that you are a culmination of your experiences, every experience that you've had up until this point makes you who you are today. "Think about who you want to be or what you want to achieve, and then prioritize your daily experiences to sculpt your future into the desired form."
Zack explains. "Having multiple goals overlapping, sometimes those goals are at odds with each other. Given that time is scarce and finite, it is our most valuable resource. It's the reason that I work so hard constantly, it's the reason that several of my goals create conflict, it's the reason that I overbook myself, it's the reason that I don't hangout with friends and family as much as I'd like, it's the reason for urgency and stress. Of the billions of years that the universe has existed, I only have a maximum of several more decades left. My limited is existence is the reason that I make the most of every moment, always."
The cornerstone of his practice is based on a stack of notes which he keeps with him at all times. This notebook, his "external hard drive" as he describes it, is anything but a simple stack of papers. The notebook is actually a meticulously and well thought out method for sorting, prioritizing, and connecting ideas. This notebook is what allows Zack's multiple series of work to simultaneously progress over time in an organized fashion (writer is still mystified). It's a living document that maps out continually Zack’s ongoing evolution.
“It’s about the journey, not the destination.”
Each of Zack’s paintings is born out of an attempt to visually explore and solve problems. Zack enjoys the process of mentally mapping out and coordinating plans for a painting. The process of creating is the journey, the most important part of a piece. "If I'm present and focused during the journey and end up in an unforeseen destination the piece still feels like a success."
Aside from a studio practice, Zack is committed to learning and growing in ways that He can apply to all areas of life. His normal nightly routine includes reading and studying the sciences, which are a constant area of fascination and a place where he explores new problems and perspectives.
Studio Tour
An undercover look at Zack’s world
 |
| Studio view, Zack Smithey studio. Photo by Jasmine Raskas. |
 |
| Studio view, Zack Smithey studio. Photo by Jasmine Raskas. |
 |
| Studio view, Zack Smithey studio. Photo by Jasmine Raskas. |
 |
| Studio view, Zack Smithey studio. Photo by Jasmine Raskas. |
The Mindset
“I never want to put my future in the hands of an institution”
In order to engage in true creative freedom, Zack values working independently. This often means working harder and learning to work smarter. “I don’t want to place the success of my future on someone else’s judgement ( referring to institutions and grant money ).”
Zack’s internal drive to create exactly what he wants make, propels this unstoppable creator towards the completion of a project amidst all obstacles. His largest project, the first St. Louis container home was denied on multiple levels of planning and redesigned 7 times. The key to Zack’s successful persistence seems to be not only within his will power, but within his planning process. Just like within his creative process, he’s able to remain fully open to changes in the process, while simultaneously holding onto to a singular end vision.
This openness to evolve and change runs throughout the multiple series of Zack’s work. His series are like the tree of evolution itself, one series is born out of the next. Each line of work continues onward to create its own distinct lineage and sometimes even merges with a neighboring branch. Zack does not place all bets on a single idea and allows for the cultivation of several different versions of a single thought to emerge at once.
There’s always a constant forward motion in the life of this creator, with “more ideas in my notes than there is time in several lifetimes,” Zack is always on a mission to create, build, and share. His approach to marketing, not only allows him to remain independent, but also gives him purpose through a creative approach to sharing and showcasing what he does. At the end of the day, all aspects of business inevitably come down to simply being able to have the resources available to make more art.
Motivation
“My favorite piece is either the one I’m working on now, or the one I’m doing next"
Zack’s motivation stems from an intense love for problem solving and engaging in creative flow. In all areas of life he enjoys taking on a new problem and turning it into a solution.
For some people art is simply a process that must occur. There’s an idea inside and a need that will not be satisfied until the idea can be manifested into reality. For as long as Zack can remember he’s been pretty heavily addicted to the creative process.
As soon as it came time to find a career his only focus turned to ways in which he could keep making art, which included interim work as scenic painting at the Muny and teaching art at Francis Howell North High. His path to becoming a full time artist was not easy and involved immense amounts of dedication and often little sleep. “If you want to be a full time artist, then you have to be full time.” And full time is what Zack has always practiced, even when he was in the midst of teaching, taking graduate courses and renovating an entire house, he still spent every other spare minute in the studio making art. With an end goal in terms of evolution, the openness to change over time is endless and the journey will continue towards expansion for all of the foreseeable future. As Zack says "The only constant in the universe is change."
Follow Zack’s Journey
____________________________
Jasmine Raskas is a St. Louis-based artist whose artworks have been featured in exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region. She is also the owner of Chaos 2 Order Coaching.
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