We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda Vanderbur a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
It took me a long time to feel I deserved the title of “artist”, as I always thought of the term to be more of a trait or talent that I had. In my mind an artist was Michelangelo. It was Leonardo da Vinci, or Donatello. What do I have in common with these world-renowned renaissance painters? The answer, is that my last name is also very fun to say (just kidding!) – the real answer is passion. It didn’t matter what line of work I explored, the creativity followed me in every role and position I held. If I had to file away papers, you know I was going to put them in folders sorted by color with the matching paperclip. I am an artist at heart and fortunately I get to do it professionally, but I’ve certainly had my fair share of “regular” jobs. I’m not always in a creative headspace, so it was nice to break up that time with something that didn’t require the same type of brain power. I never complained about having to write a report or clean the restaurant after a long serving shift, because while it was technically still work, it was a much-needed reset for me before going home to create something beautiful. Regardless of the job type, there’s always an opportunity to express yourself creatively, and that’s something I wouldn’t have known if I never worked those “regular jobs”.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Just as I assume most artists did as kids, I was always drawing on my homework or doodling in my notepad during class. I thought maybe if I drew something pretty on my exams it would cancel out my poor attempt at solving math equations, but sadly my sketches of palm trees and dolphins were no match to my final grades [insert my parents having to hire a tutor here].
What began as a mindless hobby would later blossom into a full-blown career ranging from making large canvas pieces to small waterproof stickers. I never drew anything for other people, most of my work was contained to a sketchbook I kept with me. I can remember a few times sitting in a coffee shop when someone would catch what I was drawing and ask if I did custom work. That was the first time I ever considered posting my drawings online, and naturally, I was met with requests, commissions, people asking if I could draw their tattoo designs, and so on. It still feels like just a hobby to me, so it’s a humbling feeling knowing people out there have so much trust in my work that they’d have it tattooed on them or having one of my stickers showcased on their coveted Stanley water bottle! It never gets old witnessing something I drew on the floor in my bedroom ending up being something a stranger purchases to hang on their wall.
My design style is something I discovered is called ‘zentangle’, which is a method using shapes, lines, patterns, shading, dots, and so on to fill an object. I work mainly in black and white, so I had to perfect my craft well enough to make sure what I create is recognizable enough for just two colors. With how far technology has gotten, many artists who specialize in this method have moved to iPads and digital art programs, but I am still going strong with just my micron pens and Prismacolor pencils. My work is very symmetrical and detailed so often times I am asked if my work was created digitally, which I proudly take as a compliment 😊 There is lots of room for me to grow and when I look at my work from even one year ago, it’s exciting to see where I have improved and where I might be five years from now.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Supporting local artists by going to craft fairs in your area means the world to vendors and creatives. It’s a fun outing and every booth is so different from each other – you never know what you’ll find! I also encourage people to do their holiday or birthday shopping on sites such as Etsy or other handmade, small business sites. Social media is a big marketing tool for artists, so sharing pages that inspire you or dropping a kind comment on a post are small ways to help us gain more exposure. Lastly, and arguably the most crucial, speak up about the importance of keeping art classes in schools. Having that outlet in school made a world of difference for me and I want the future generation to be able to have that same opportunity I did to express themselves in ways they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
A couple years ago I did an Instagram cleanse where I unfollowed a bunch of people and pages who either didn’t inspire me or I didn’t know personally. I began following fellow creatives and that led me to find people who had techniques I could learn and grow from. I use my Instagram as a digital portfolio of sorts, so it only made sense for me to try to grow my creative audience in the process. Instead of succumbing to the toxicity that is social media, I found a way to use it as a community; a social circle that allowed me to feel inspired to make good art. Knowing I have great people backing and supporting me is enough of a mission to keep going!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/AmandaVanderbur
- Instagram: @amandavanderbur