Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Valerie Skinner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Valerie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I think I am happy as an artist. I can’t imagine doing anything else for my career which I’m really thankful for. But of course it’s scary when I think about my future. I’d like to be able to provide and give back to my family. There’s no straight and narrow career path in this field it feels like so I’m just trying to figure it out as I go. It just gets overwhelming sometimes. I’ve learned to just be comfortable with the unknown especially being a senior in undergrad. I have no idea what could happen in the next year (hopefully grad school) but I’m okay with that. I feel like I just have to be okay with that so I don’t lose my mind. I don’t think that just revolves around being an artist though. I’m in a weird stage of my life where I’m an adult but not really. Just making it up as I go.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m valerie skinner, a senior studying Illustration at Rhode Island School of Design planning on attending grad school to become a professor (or whatever that happens in the next two years). I always loved drawing and that’s kind of all I did growing up but even more so in High School. My dad got me an Ipad and I just loved making realistic drawings on it. I haven’t touched my Ipad to draw like I used to in quite awhile now but I feel like I gained a lot of technical skill just trying to figure out how to draw on it. It felt like it transferred easily into drawing on paper and painting. Now, I love to oil paint. My own personal experiences, identity, opinions, things I am curious about, really drive my work. It makes me process things and think about things in a deeper way. I love painting people, faces, textures, anything human and natural. But I also want to make stupid paintings. Things that are weird or just nice to look at. I’m interested in a lot of different mediums that I want to continue to explore so I don’t know where in the industry I’ll be in during and after grad school.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Honestly just reaching out to my community around me. I wish that I talked to more people around me and wasn’t so socially anxious growing up. I had the mindset that I don’t need anyone and can do everything on my own but it turns out that I actually need social connection and community. I’ve learned so much from the people around me and It would be so lame to continue life with the only opinion and thoughts being your own. I actually like to be around people which would’ve blown my mind as a middle schooler/ early highschooler.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’ve read a lot of books made my queer people and I feel like that’s where I learned the most when it came to my own interpretation of gender, sexuality, politics—honestly everything. It helps me better understand myself and start questioning my surroundings and how the world works.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @valerieromeart

Image Credits

Valerie Skinner