We recently connected with Braxtin Angelo and have shared our conversation below.

Braxtin, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

As a disabled person, daily life can absolutely feel like a risk. Ironically, even with all of that, believing in my self and my own abilities has always felt like the biggest risk. I remember the first time I created an online group and truly believed in myself. Watching my art being sold and shipped sparked something in me I always knew was there, but always felt so out of reach.
Every single time I put any of my thoughts, my art or a piece of myself out into the world, it’s an absolute risk.
People can interpret art and a personality so differently. Being autistic, it’s always a risk when I interact with others, because not being seen as my heart truly is can be very defeating for me.
I struggle with agoraphobia, which people find ironic, due to how outgoing I can be, but interacting with others through energy, art or in person can feel like a giant risk for me.
I’m so thankful that being an artist has been as much of a reward as a risk.

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?

When I first became a mother, ten years ago, at age 30, I had given up my career in hair and stayed home with my twins. At this time, my disorder (Ehlers Danlos) had not been diagnosed yet and my pain made it difficult to do much. Being a new mom if twins, took everything I had.
We had lived in the NICU for a month & when we moved up to Washington I didn’t have anything to call my own.
I decided one day to pick up some jewelry pliers and wire. That was the day my first jewelry business was born.
After a few years of small sales and shows, I started to feel that owning my own business was something I really wanted to accomplish. Through this time, my pain became worse, symptoms ramped up and things got more difficult for me. Including having a stroke & having to keep pushing through as a mother.
After a very difficult time, with divorce and my life being flipped upside down, my one constant was wanting to create art.
After I met my forever partner, who came into my life, right when I most needed them, they reintroduced me to myself, spiritually & my goals.
They also helped me to find my proper diagnosis and it changed the way I approached everything. The realization that my joints don’t stay in properly and how a connective tissue disorder affects every single part of the body, changed how I had to approach my business.
My first business had to be closed due to my pain levels and not understanding why. Now I had a way to move forward and to really represent who I was, not only as an artist, but as a person.
This diagnosis helped open the doors for others, such as being autistic and I decided to advocate and make a community with those who have walked the same roads.
Chronic pain and learning who you are, especially later in life, shapes the rest of your life completely.
“Spoons” are a way for those who are chronically ill to describe their energy levels. So if you’ve changed your clothes, made food and walked up the stairs, that can count as 2 “spoons” used, but you only have around 10 spoons a day. It’s like an energy meter in a video game. When you run out of spoons, what is left? Well I say Sporks are what is left.
Spork energy is the energy that embodies exhaustion and I actually wrote The Spork Theory, which is also on my website, in blogs.
So one day The Spork Witch name was born and it was the first time I have had a business name that I knew embodied everything I was proud of.
I mainly work with reflective surfaces because I love to infuse the best back to others. So if someone is struggling with their identity or the way they look, I like to have my art embody empowerment to reflect back. So they see the best of themselves in their shadows.
I’ve also started creating my own organic, vegan, skin care and pain salve line, that works with those with intense allergies and sensitivities. There are so many people who can’t use products on the market due to their rare conditions, so I wanted to make a line that helped others and made a difference!
My life has never been easy with my disorder, but I’ve always wanted to create art and energy that was about kindness, empathy & healing. We never know where others are at! Kindness is key.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, to become well known so I can be a broader voice for those in the disability community. I want to bring more awareness to Ehlers Danlos, late diagnosis, medical gaslighting and how difficult it is to navigate the world as a disabled human.
Getting on disability or having the financial support to have the basic needs of a human, isn’t like society makes it.
I’ve heard people think disabled people are lazy, faking or using the system and it’s important to help others see that that is absolutely not the case. Disabled humans are valuable and deserve to have happiness in their lives.
I also, always want to help others realize their beauty and coping strategies. It’s not easy when you’re sick constantly, because your mind and body don’t match. It’s time for society to change how they view those who are disabled.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

It’s been incredibly important to me, to just be myself. It’s been part of my healing journey and I find my most shared posts or videos come from the fact of me just deciding to run with a funny idea. Or infuse my own personality into everything. Imposter syndrome has constantly made me question myself, but creating a community of those like me, has given me a place to call home.
My advice to anyone is, stay as consistent as possible, be yourself and keep going. It took me years to get to the point where I found that niche, but I found that sticking with it has begun to pay off.
Instagram is kind of my forgotten child though and I definitely need to do work there! Lol

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesporkwitch.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesporkwitch?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesporkwitch
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/braxtin-angelo-b9b560261
• Twitter: Www.twitter.com/thesporkwitch
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/thesporkwitch
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesporkwitch?_t=8bgrA7QAb8s&_r=1

Image Credits
The Spork Witch