Multidisciplinary artist LeylisMR’s 11 good things

In this series, ArtsATL asks a member of the Atlanta arts community to share 11 things on their mind. We hope you enjoy getting to know these people better.

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LeylisMR is an Atlanta-based multidisciplinary visual artist working across painting, ink, relief sculpture and printmaking. Her work explores themes of introspection, symbolism and psychological landscapes through layered compositions and intuitive line work. She is the founder and director of Art Lingo Speak!, a community-centered arts education program that fosters creativity and collaborative artistic experiences.

Here, in no particular order, are LeylisMR’s 11 Good Things. 

1. India Ink. This is one of the most honest materials I work with. Once the line touches the paper, there is no turning back — every gesture becomes part of the final image. I love the tension between intention and accident, where control and spontaneity meet. Ink asks for trust, and every line becomes a small act of commitment.
2. Labyrinths. Labyrinths appear often in my work as metaphors for introspection. Unlike mazes, they are not meant to confuse but instead to guide you inward and then back out again. I’m drawn to that symbolism of movement, reflection and discovery. They remind me that the inner journey rarely follows a straight path.
3. Silence in the studio. I enjoy working in silence. In that quiet space, the smallest sounds become part of the process — the brush touching canvas, the movement of paper, the slow rhythm of thought. Silence allows ideas to surface naturally without forcing them. It becomes almost like another material in the studio.
4. The first line of a drawing. The first line always carries a sense of risk and discovery. It is the moment when an empty surface begins to become a world. That first gesture often sets the emotional direction of the work, even if the piece later evolves in unexpected ways. I still feel the same excitement every time I begin.
5. Teaching art to children. Children approach art with curiosity and courage. They experiment freely and rarely worry about making mistakes. Teaching them constantly reminds me that creativity is something we are all born with — it only needs encouragement and space to grow. Their openness is both refreshing and inspiring.
6. The Atlanta Botanical Garden. Walking through the Atlanta Botanical Garden sometimes feels like entering a living surreal landscape. The shapes of plants, flowers and natural patterns feel almost sculptural and dreamlike. Nature constantly reminds me that imagination already exists all around us if we slow down enough to notice it.
7. Coffee, sketchbooks and unfinished ideas. Some ideas arrive slowly, with coffee, a sketchbook and a quiet moment to draw without expectations. Those loose sketches often become the beginning of larger works. I enjoy the freedom of drawing simply to explore, allowing the mind to wander and discover unexpected forms.
8. The High Museum of Art. The museum is a place where time seems to slow down. Walking through the galleries allows me to reconnect with artists across generations and perspectives. Standing in front of a powerful artwork reminds me that art still has the ability to pause us — to make us look longer and think deeper.
9. Surrealism. Embracing the surreal allows us to explore the psychological and poetic dimensions of experience. Dreams, memory and emotion can take shape in ways that logic alone cannot explain. I’m fascinated by how unexpected images and symbols can reveal deeper layers of meaning beneath the surface of everyday life.
10. The moment a viewer pauses. When someone stands a little longer in front of a painting, something invisible is happening. It’s a quiet moment of recognition between the viewer and the artwork. That silent connection — when someone discovers their own meaning inside the image — is one of the most rewarding parts of being an artist.
11. The moment a work stops asking for more. Every painting eventually reaches a point when it no longer asks for another line, another color, another change. After hours of looking, adjusting and reconsidering, the image suddenly becomes quiet. That subtle moment — when the work feels complete — is one of the most mysterious and satisfying experiences in the studio.