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