Jillian Lukiwski - Art and Adventure in the American West

Jillian Lukiwski is a writer, photographer, and silversmith who lives near the banks of the Snake River in south central Idaho. Her quiet confidence and deliberate approach to living have allowed Jillian to blaze her own trail, creating a rewarding career and an authentic life centered around Idaho's unique landscape. When not working, Jillian and her husband enjoy the western lifestyle from every imaginable angle—bird hunting with their german shorthair pointers, big game hunting, fishing, running, horseback riding, mountain biking, caring for their farm animals, and cultivating their land, to name a few. Big western landscapes have always been an important part of Jillian’s life—her father worked for Canada’s National Park Service, so she was raised with a deep appreciation for the outdoors and adventure. From an early age, she was riding—and falling off of—horses, shadowing her father in the backcountry, and building a personal foundation of self-sufficiency and toughness. As a young woman, she applied that ingrained tenacity to writing, photography, and creating jewelry, and has since built a loyal following of admirers and customers around the world through her website, The Noisy Plume. We had a fun conversation and managed to cover a wide range of interesting topic. We discussed her life path that eventually landed her in southeastern Idaho, and we chatted about the unique nature of that region. We talked about her creative process, how she’s been mostly self-taught in all of her art forms, and how she is able to manage the distractions of social media and the online world. We chatted about the importance of being uncomfortable, and how self-imposed physical and mental challenges can help to inoculate yourself against the inevitable difficulties of life. Jillian is a voracious reader, so we had a great discussion about books, as well as how reading has contributed to her success as a writer. Be sure to check the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed. This was a fun and inspiring interview, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. http://mountainandprairie.com/jillian-lukiwski/ Topics discussed: 2:50 - How Jillian describes her work 3:20 - Jillian’s home in Idaho 4:40 - How she ended up in southeastern Idaho 7:00 - Description of Pocatello and the surrounding landscape 9:10 - Growing up in Canada’s National Parks 10:50 - Childhood in the outdoors 13:00 - Lessons in toughness learned from her father 16:40 - Jillian’s university experience 18:50 - Jillian’s drive to be her own boss 19:45 - Her early attraction to jewelry 21:00 - First silversmithing class 22:50 - Being a self-taught artist 24:25 - Her quest for original ideas 26:20 - Avoiding social media distraction 28:20 - Daily routines and must-do activities 31:10 - Running 35:20 - Hunting and her relationship with her bird dogs 40:00 - The reality of posting hunting images on social media 44:10 - Why Jillian seeks out discomfort 48:35 - Stories of suffering and benefits of those experiences 50:30 - Advice for those seeking a life similar to Jillian’s 52:15 - Favorite books 56:20 - How reading has affected her writing 59:45 - More books 1:01:00 - Favorite movies 1:03:15 - Unexpected talents 1:04:30 - Most powerful experience in the outdoors 1:06:45 - Favorite location in the West 1:09:20 - Biggest challenge facing the West 1:12:00 - Jillian’s request of the listeners 1:12:59 - Connect with Jillian online