INCLINED TO IMPROVISE

Artist Michelle Sweatt

Inclined to Improvise is immersed in whimsy, rooted in curiosity, and embedded in madness. Sole artist, Michelle Sweatt, dreams up creations that are a direct response to her passion for reanimating and reimagining the discarded. Continually incorporating castoffs into her work, she trusts that everything has the potential to be repurposed. Discards and castoffs forge infinite possibilities for the imagination. 

​Through many of her creations she celebrates life, loss, and restoration... Allowing the excruciatingly painful passage of time and the heartbreaking loss of childhoods to seep into her work, but always with a healthy dose of humor, frivolity, and twisted whimsy. Remembrance is powerful, and in everything Michelle creates, she acknowledges the human hope to never be forgotten.

I see beauty where others see waste. My creative practice is rooted in transformation—an alchemical process that breathes new life into fragments of discarded, broken, and overlooked objects. I choose these materials to challenge our perceptions of value. This practice is also ecological. By repurposing remnants of consumer culture, I engage in a sustainable art-making—one that honors the circular life of materials. Ultimately, my art invites reflection: What does it mean to discard? What remains when something is broken? And what hidden beauty waits to be revealed when we pause to remember?

-Brian Smith/Ctrl-Art-Dzn

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Brian Smith grew up surrounded by creativity, chaos, and a love for reinvention. His early years in Antioch, TN, were a mix of challenges and inspiration, with a lively household that shaped the artist he would become. Brian’s artistic roots run deep, sparked by his mother, a seamstress and designer, who taught him the value of detail and transformation. Even as a toddler, Brian was drawn to creating art from discarded materials— his first masterpieces crafted from spools, fabric scraps, and thread.

Although Brian didn’t formally study art, his creative journey was anything but conventional. While pursuing classes in Recording Industry Management at Middle Tennessee State University, he immersed himself in the world of music production, songwriting, and performance. The connection between his music and visual art is profound: inspired by the art of sampling in rap music, Brian’s artistic philosophy revolves around upcycling—taking the broken, the discarded, and the undervalued and transforming it into something extraordinary.

Brian’s greatest influence is his mother, who taught him that creativity is in the details. Her attention to detail shaped his approach to art, from the concept of making sure the finished product is beautiful from all sides to crafting pieces that feel meaningful and whole. This attention to detail and his passion for repurposing are at the heart of his unique work, which has been described as the perfect gift for “the person who has everything.”

Art remains a deeply personal outlet for Brian, helping him process grief and find peace. Through his work, he hopes to inspire others— especially children—to see beauty in what others discard and embrace a culture of reusing and recycling.

Whether it’s his unique ability to upcycle or his mission to encourage others to see the world differently, Brian Smith’s art is a celebration of transformation, detail, and finding beauty in the unexpected.