We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sophia Barnes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sophia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
I think the kindest thing that anyone has ever done for me are the things I won’t even know about until I’m dead. The secret admirers who have your back behind your back, the people who fight for you without you even knowing it. Those are the kindest people on Earth. I think it’s the people who do things for you without expecting anything in return that mean the most to me, and most often for me that has been through strangers. It’s the little things!
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?
I have always been a super creative person, and I loved making comics and art since I was a kid. Along my journey I have found inspiration through otherworldly things like astrology, space, and other dimensions. I love to learn new things, so starting up the business side of things was a welcomed challenge, and many of the problems I have faced along the way have helped me grow into a more prudent business woman. I think what sets me apart is coming from extremely humble beginnings and having a story that can help others who may be struggling to balance what they love with what they need to do to survive. I think I’m most proud of overcoming obstacles in my life and learning how to balance myself through chaos (seemingly my entire life).
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist, and it’s been hard for me to start or finish projects sometimes because of that. I also hate working with people who are stubborn and tell me what to do with my own art, so I think I can be a bit hard to work with sometimes. I also think growing up evangelical I had to unlearn and relearn my own boundaries when it came to nudity and sexuality in my work and what it means to me personally.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I think growing up I was always considered white trash and poor, so a big piece of overcoming fear for me was unpacking a lot of the trauma associated with being around people with a lot of wealth while not having much. I think it makes you have to work a lot harder, and especially as a woman who wanted to buy things that my parents weren’t willing to buy for me like makeup and clothes, I think it can kind of put a spotlight on your insecurities sometimes. And having to spend a lot of time working after school instead of having fun can definitely make you feel like an adult at a young age. Instead of letting it get me down I decided to just be a trendsetter and wear whatever I want and call it good instead of buying the right “brands.” I think going from being made fun of for not having the right clothes or house or gifts for Christmas as a young kid to designing my own clothes is the ultimate come up, and I am proud of myself even when I’m going through hard times with money that I am trying my best to create my own path.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.backtolumeria.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiarae444/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soph444/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiaraebarnes/
- Other: https://medium.com/@sophiaraebarnes
Image Credits
Me (Sophia Rae Barnes)