Copyright maltatoday
Shawn Carl is a passionate, self-taught artist known for his unique eye for colour and fearless self-expression through his work. Despite struggling with anxiety over the years, he found relief and motivation in creating art. By channelling his overthinking into his artistic process, he turned a personal challenge into a powerful creative force. Shawn Carl is a very versatile artist but he is most fond of this abstract work especially the work from his series Endless Expressions. 1. What’s been the most defining moment in your career so far? One of the most defining moments was participating in my very first art exhibition, titled Through Our Eyes, which took place in 2016. This collaborative show was held alongside the talented Portuguese artist Ana Nogueira and marked the beginning of my public career as an artist. Until that point, very few people even among my family and friends knew about my passion for creating art. This exhibition was not only a debut of my work, but also a moment of personal revelation, as I exposed a deeply personal side of myself that I had kept private for years. The event gave me the chance to socialise and engage in meaningful conversations about my work, something I had always found difficult. Sharing my creative vision and hearing others’ perspectives was both rewarding and empowering. The experience opened new doors and, combined with the power of social media, helped me move forward and got to learn new experiences. 2. As an artist, how do you navigate the world and speed of social media? I believe social media is an incredibly powerful tool, and I can say that from personal experience. It has allowed me to share my work with people all over the world, something that would have been much more difficult without it. These days, having a presence on social media is almost essential for artists and creatives. However, maintaining that presence isn't easy, especially when you're doing everything on your own. It can be a real challenge just to stay relevant, even within your own country. I've also noticed that with social media people's attention spans have become shorter. Everyone seems to want things quickly, without taking the time to truly absorb or appreciate something deeply. While social media has made it possible for anyone to share and express themselves, I still believe that real, in-person connections are far more meaningful and impactful. At the end of the day, I think we all need some form of awakening, something that brings us back to ourselves. It's important to value who we are and not forget what drives us. Passion is at the heart of everything great we do. Without it, our work loses its soul, and our purpose becomes just work. 3. Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your career, or an opportunity In my opinion it all depends on the person and how they use it. If you continuously keep depending on AI to create or just do work you will get lazy and will be more difficult for you to be creative and that will eventually show in your work. The brain needs that some kind of exercise to keep it sharp and motivated. As for career threatening, I’m not really sure but can say this, a real passionate will value your work more the just a person that wants a painting to match their curtains. I won’t lie I do use AI to help out in social media content and to keep me organised and relevant in the digital world. 4. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially during tough times or when the work feels hard? As a creative person I can’t say I lack of inspiration, I always have the crave to create, irrelevant of what it is. It helps me get inspired very easy and from the smallest of things. Now when talking about moods that is something different and that is why I love abstract work because in hard times I can still create good artwork and help myself find that relief I’m looking for. The emotions will definitely show in my work but through the years I’ve learned that good art doesn’t have to be beautiful, it all looks better when the emotions shows. My favourite quote is: “Art is my passion, inspiration is my motivation.” It’s a reminder of what drives me every day as an artist. 5. How do you balance your creative instincts with the expectations of your audience or collaborators? Everything comes down to experience and the ability to stay grounded. I believe it’s important to welcome constructive criticism and to learn from other people’s opinions, even if you don’t always agree with them. At the same time, I remind myself that everyone is different and just because someone shares an opinion doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right. Still, it’s essential to remain respectful and open-minded. Growth as an artist is a continuous journey. Over the years, our work evolves, our techniques improve, and our perspective deepens. This natural progression reflects both personal and creative development. As your work changes, so can your audience, people connect with different things at different stages of your journey. That’s why it’s important to stay true to yourself. Create what you love, what inspires you, not just what others expect or want. Authenticity is what makes your work meaningful and lasting, both for yourself and for those who experience it. 6. How do you approach a new project? Do you have a specific process or routine you follow? I don’t normally follow a specific process when starting a new project, I usually let inspiration guide me. Sometimes that inspiration strikes at the most inconvenient times, like just before I fall asleep, which can be frustrating, especially if it cuts into my much-needed eight hours of sleep. While I do enjoy having a routine, the creative process often depends on the nature of the work itself. I tend to take down notes whenever inspiration hits and try to plan ahead as much as possible. That said, I’ll admit that not all of those plans get completed. Each new idea gets me hyped, which can lead me to jump into new projects before finishing others. When that happens, I try to make some free time to return to unfinished work. I also love doing research, particularly when preparing for an exhibition. It helps me better understand the story I want to tell through my art. 7. Can you let us in on some of the future projects, works? I’ve recently launched my second solo exhibition, and right now, I feel creatively fulfilled. My focus is on returning to the studio to continue developing pieces from the same series, with no rush, allowing me to dedicate the proper time and effort to each new work. I’m also passionate about philanthropy, so I plan to explore that in one of my future projects. Collaborating with local brands is another path I’m open to, as it could help expand my creative opportunities. I consider myself someone who thinks outside the box, so I’m excited to see where the future takes me. While I can’t predict exactly what lies ahead, I know that I’ll give my best, enjoy the process, and aim to feel truly satisfied with the results of my journey. Bonus round Who are your artistic inspirations? I love to learn from different artists. Some will teach you and I try to give my utmost respect to these people and hope I will do the same at a later stage of my career. Colours play a big part in my work so I am inspired by the colourful work of Belgian artist Peter Terrin and Greek artist Milly Martionou’s abstract work. I am also inspired by the talent and professionalism of local artist Alfie Gatt; he is an amazing talent and has great work ethic. I love learning from others and through that process, I’m able to shape my work in a way that transforms emotions into meaningful art. My goal is to create pieces that others can connect with; art that communicates what I feel, see, and want to express, in a way that resonates with people and invites them to understand my message.
