We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Allison Thompson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Allison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have always loved to express myself in creative ways! From a young age I was encouraged by my parents and amazing teachers to ‘think outside of the box’ and that led to some really fun creative projects. Even when I was in grade school I can remember sitting in art history class and being enthralled by the fact that art could be a career. When I eventually got to college and chose my focus, I chose painting because creating a design, putting paint onto a canvas and collaborating with peers were aspects I knew I needed in my professional life. And it just sort of came together once I learned the tools and skills I needed to create an online business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been making artwork ever since I can remember. I struggled with my ‘style’ throughout, but each endeavor led me to where I am now. I began painting expressive abstract artwork in school and took what I learned from that and started painting pet portraits as a side gig. Capturing pet’s personalities and bringing a client’s fur-kids to life on canvas. Then came 2020… at the beginning of the pandemic I took a break from painting – everyone was going through a tough time… And I knew I needed a new project that, honestly, just made people smile. I got myself an iPad and just started experimenting with digital art. NFT’s were really popular at the time and my friends/family all wanted me to design one. So I said, ‘Ok. But only if it can be ridiculous… like fruit with butts.’ And so it began! I made a couple cheeky drawings and the love for them just sort of exploded. I didn’t actually have it in me at the time to start an entire NFT company, but I turned that project into Cheeky Art Studio and now I’ve created a whole grocery store’s worth of cheeky characters that are available as stickers and various merch. Making people laugh is so important to me, especially during tough times. If I can help someone struggling with anxiety or depression with my work, then I’ll have done my job.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn is: that your style is a ‘visually consistent body of work’. This is something that they teach you in college while most artists are still finding their artistic vision. What I have found is that your style is prevalent throughout your work – in each item you make, whether they look different or not. You don’t need to be confined by one specific genre. Your artistry, color choices, mark-making, etc. can be seen in each piece if you look close enough. I have always struggled with the idea that my creative projects all look very different at first glance. I have created abstract work, dabbled in portraiture, and now my cheeky creations… But when you take a closer look and examine the movement and colors within a piece, I believe you can see my artistic ‘style’.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

There are times when I have shown my work to ‘non-creative’ people and they say ‘I wish I could be creative’ or something along those lines. And my advice to them is that if you think you’re not a creative person or talented enough to try making artwork – you’re wrong. If there is an idea that you want to bring to life – try it! You never know, you might just inspire someone else to give it a go, too. The more you embrace your ideas and bring them to light, the more others will see what is possible! It seems like when you’re growing up and learning about artists, you’re taught that they’re just ‘naturally’ that talented – but art is just a practice. If you do it over and over again, you’ll eventually see the outcome that you want. Sure there are some people who have a natural disposition toward creativity, but skill is developed over time. You got this!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.CheekyArtStudio.com
• Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/cheekyartstudio
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Cheekyartstudio
• Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/cheekyartstudio Email: [email protected]