ESTEVAN — Big murals alternating on the Sussex Arms apartment building resulted in a lot of talk in the community.
The portrait of Keisha Zieger came up mid-summer, and was replaced by a black and white image of a waitress, for which Stacia Goudy of the Beefeater became a prototype.
The story of the murals is a basis for the upcoming film Ambition is a Drug, currently in the works.
B.J. Zieger, the artist behind beautiful pieces, will be holding a free and open-to-the-public motivational seminar at the Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 17, starting at 3 p.m. The seminar will shine a light on how to turn passion into dreams coming true, and the murals' story will become an example, illustrating how ambitions turn into reality. The seminar will be filmed and will also become a part of Ambition is a Drug by Zieger.
"[The murals] are the main part of the film. It centers around me always wanting to find a really big wall. So a huge part of the film and the seminar is me saying, it doesn't matter what it takes for me to do it, I'll find a way to do it," Zieger explained.
"I had to convince the owners [of Sussex Arms] to let me paint it for free twice, just because I wanted to paint it. So as tough as it was to paint over it, I found a way to get to paint my dream wall twice. It was actually weird in that regard, and it relates to the seminar [in sense of] what I do for a living and following my passion, and how it has just made me happier and more fulfilled."
For the seminar, Zieger will make a presentation based on his two books – Ambition is a Drug parts one and two. Part one is published and available for sale, the second one Zieger can provide upon request. Then he will take some questions. He hopes that sharing his personal examples and experiences will motivate others to follow their passions, and there is a lot that people can learn and take away from it.
"It's a lot of personal experience and powerful words of encouragement, and quotes that I think help motivate and maybe get you out of a funk and get you to realize what you're capable of," Zieger outlined.
"It's [also] a little bit about myself, what I've gone through and how I've come to this point. Basically, by believing in myself, I realized that anything is possible. Anything I put my mind to I can accomplish."
The seminar is open to anyone willing to attend, no registration is needed, and Zieger hopes people will use the opportunity to get some inspiration to enhance their own lives.
"The more the merrier."
The more intense work on the Ambition is a Drug film will continue after the presentation.
"We have a lot of ideas floating around of how things are going to go, if it's going to move geographically and with the weather. There are so many different variables at this point, and we're not 100 per cent sure in which direction we're going, but we have a lot of great ideas on how it's going to be presented," Zieger shared.
The second mural on Sussex Arms, named Order's Up, was completed last week. Zieger said a lot of people approached him after the original portrait was completed, saying they wanted it to stay. It was emotionally difficult for him to cover up his wife's image, but that was the original deal.
"It was never meant to stay, so I'm glad I painted again," Zieger said, adding that his wife was also over talking about it by the time it was being covered up.
While Zieger was personally and professionally attached to the first mural on Sussex, he said working on his dream wall gives him so much satisfaction that he wants to paint it over and over again. The wall itself is perfect, consisting of a smooth brick and is almost like it's got a grid on it.
"It looks so good because it's got that smooth surface," Zieger said.
Besides, it's a perfect art display for anyone driving by to see it. The current mural will be staying, at least for now, hinted Zieger.
"I'm hoping I can convince the owner to let me paint the wall every year," Zieger said. "He liked the first mural and he said we could keep the other one. But I told him I would do this, I'm a man of my word, so I'll do it. I wanted to do it again. And I'm glad I did because actually, I like this one better."
He noted that while the original colours matched the building and the first mural held a lot of personal meaning for him, he did a better job, painting the dream wall for the second time.
"For me as an artist, it's tough, it's a love-hate relationship with your work. Some things you're super proud of, and other things, you're like, 'Oh, I could have been better.' And I was really proud of [the original one], but it wasn't 100 per cent, it wasn't like that was the best thing I ever did. Where with this one I'm more on that side where I think this is the best," Zieger shared.
From the get-go, he assumed that it was probably going to happen. And the improvement that happens along the way when one is following their passion also resonates with the message of the seminar and the film.
