Lark Stickney shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Lark, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Books! I always have a few going at once. Either on audio or physical copies. I was the biggest bookworm as a child. I always had my current read nearby. I lost that part of me when I moved out in my own. I guess art took the place of stories! I picked reading back up two years ago and it was like I was a person dying of thirst who just got handed a huge glass of water! Reading has always been my escape.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi there! My name is Lark. I am an artist and graphic designer from Colorado.
I make art with acrylic paint and a dream! When I’m not using a paintbrush I enjoy drawing away on procreate or a good old fashioned pencil and paper.
I pull my inspiration from fantasy stories, mythology, classic tales, and the wonders of the world we live in!
I’ve always had an artists heart, and if you ask my mother an artists eye. But I really started to seriously delve into my talents in 2013, when moved out on my own. I started off by selling my art in person to people waiting to get into Red Rocks concerts. Confidence was gained and I got some opportunities for live painting residencies at a few spots around Denver.
I quit my job day job, went back to school and graduated with my certificate in the spring of 2020. I was so fortunate to have some assistance in finding a freelance job pretty quickly! I did some work for some companies out of state for a while but decided that I wasn’t being true to myself.
While I still take on graphic design work, I have been more dedicated to painting over the years and I truly love it. Getting back into reading has helped me get out of the box I was keeping myself in. I have had some amazing opportunities over the last year that would have never come about without pursuing what I love. Most notably, a fantasy themed mural, and a book themed mural at a card shop, a Lord of the Rings boxed set with sprayed edges designed by me, and so many gorgeous paintings inspired by books!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My dad. He is the hardest working person I know. He would get up at 3 am to go plow snow when I was growing up, and usually wouldn’t be home until around 5 or 6 pm (if not later) during the winter months. And during the summer he would get up and feed the animals, go work on houses all day, and then come home to take care of the farm we lived on. He taught me the value in working for what you want and showed me that if you’re willing to learn, you can probably do anything!
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes! More often than you would expect! I always joke that to be a success as an artist you have to both hate yourself and think you’re the most amazing thing in this universe. You have to have the confidence to put yourself out there and be judged. And people will judge you, I had a friend ask once time “what are you planning on doing later. You can really plan on doing this forever.”
During the slow periods it is really easy to ask yourself “is this smart, is this worth it?” But at the end of it all I would rather spend my time making things that people treasure and that bring me joy as well.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That you have to spend thousands on art school to succeed. It certainly helps to have formal training and I encourage everyone to take an art class that they’re interested in! But for some people those resources aren’t always available. The “trick” is dedication and (I can’t stress this enough) so much practice.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop using my phone outside of phone calls and some texts. I’ve been actively working to cut out social media as much as I can while still having a platform for my art! I think people are meant to live more simply. I love doom scrolling and liking posts I agree with but overall I do notice I am happier with less screen time!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.larkanneart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larkanne.art?igsh=MTRxN3B6OG1lNjFncA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Fmi7v18Vk/?mibextid=wwXIfr
