We recently connected with Carrie Anne Hudson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Carrie Anne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Thank you so much for having me. I want to say it went something like “Mom and Dad, I’m going to be an artist”, but as most know, the path to the career you dream of is hardly linear.

The creative itch hit me early in life. As a child of the 90’s, I had a wild imagination – creating my own characters and worlds through anything I could get my hands on. While other kids hated them, I loved school art and craft assignments. And with only Microsoft Word and MS Paint on our home computer, I would spend hours typing up short stories and doodling across the screen. I became obsessed with animation and Saturday morning cartoons, telling classmates I wanted to draw and voice my own characters when I grew up. However it wasn’t until high school that I actually started taking the artistic side of my hobbies more seriously and asking myself – is there a place for me?

The dawn of social media hit while I was in high school and I suddenly found myself in the throes of MySpace. This was the first time in my adolescent life where I could not only see other artists’ work in real time, but interact with the artists themselves. Soon I found myself following artists like Chet Zar, Camille Rose Garcia, and Shepard Fairey. I was swallowed whole by graffiti culture and fandom art. And while the internet was starting to pave new ways for artists to show their work, I was honing in on my craft of illustration, trying to figure out where I fit in this giant puzzle.

My senior year of high school is when I ultimately decided I wanted to pursue an art degree. My parents weren’t entirely… thrilled. There were a lot of lingering questions like how could I make money from it, what kind of jobs would I fall into, and how competitive it would be. Eventually I settled into a graphic design career path in college, learning the tricks and trades of the accompanying creative programs. I figured this was the only way to make a living from artwork, right? But I soon found myself losing creative freedom and getting bored with the assigned projects. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I decided to shake things up and enroll in some painting classes. I had never truly painted before – this was something completely new to me (I was the cartoon girl, remember?). But something crazy happened – I was hooked. I was no longer in a space where my creativity was anchored down, but in a space where it was encouraged. I felt free. In a twist of fate, I decided graphic design was OUT and painting and illustration were IN. So, I switched my major and started a new professional path. This was the missing piece of my puzzle.

Carrie Anne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Absolutely! Let’s start with some early background. I was born and raised in San Diego, California, am the youngest of two, and am a triple Taurus. I like long walks on the beach.. oh wait, where were we? Oh yes, ART! I immersed myself in the local art scene in my early 20’s, starting out slow, going to art events, and connecting with artists and curators. I was networking without even realizing it. With a natural fascination for the ‘strange and unusual’, something that runs in the family no doubt, I nourished my love of pop culture, Halloween/horror, and whimsical dark art. Inspired by local events and peers, I started applying my paintings and illustrations for open-call art shows at pop-up boutiques, breweries and trendy bars. In fact in 2013, I met my now husband after he bought a painting of mine hanging up in a local bar – a fun story to share with new friends.

After college and getting acclimated into the art community, I wanted to branch out and really push myself. I balanced waiting tables while pursuing a creative career. I started taking on commission projects, made my own website, and introduced the world of social media to my artwork. Then with a lot of hard work, uphill, both ways, I started showing my work in galleries like La Bodega in San Diego, Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles, and Spoke Art in New York/San Francisco. In the summer of 2014, I was accepted into a month-long artist residency in Transylvania, Romania, living out my wildest Bram Stoker inspired dreams. And then in 2017, I was nominated by friend and author Jim Ruland for the Visual Arts Network San Diego Art Prize.

Present day, now in my early 30s, you’ll find me engaged in a different kind of art community – expos and conventions (think: Comic Con!). I’ve spent the last few years building my brand online, opening my Etsy shop, and trademarking my side brand Hallowtiki (a combo style of Halloween meets tiki). So, I did what any young artist would do – I took my craft on the road! In 2019, I vended my work at my first large convention: the Oddities and Curiosities Expo. Since then, you can find me at events like Monsterpalooza, Midsummer Scream, Tiki Oasis and more.

My art style can be best be described as spooky meets pop culture. In both my online shop and my in-person events, I offer hand-signed fine art prints, original paintings and illustrations, enamel pins, keychains and even a couple necklaces. Every year I strive to push myself a little more into something I haven’t done before (I’m eyeing you, sculpture!). And as an artist by nature, there’s a constant need to feed that little creative ghoul that lives inside.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I believe that one of the bigger mistakes that non-creatives make with artists is thinking of us almost as a ‘print-on-demand’ platforms. With the recent rise of AI artwork (not a fan, personally), I think there’s been a rise in expectation of how quickly and efficiently real, human artists can create. As much as I would love to wake up every morning, pour a vat of paint onto a canvas and make a masterpiece, it just doesn’t work that way. There’s no ‘on’ and ‘off’ switch for our creativity. We struggle, a lot. And I don’t think that’s talked about enough in our profession. Artists can be emotional and complex, and often times that emotion is put into our work, but sometimes it’s not. Sometimes you don’t want to get out of bed, or look at your social media, or text that friend back. Sometimes the pressure of media algorithms, day jobs, and balancing a social life with your craft can be too much. I think the biggest insight and advice I can provide is to have patience. As a non-creative, have patience with the artist. Support real artists. Support small businesses. And as an artist, have patience with yourself. It’s tough out there lately, and we’re all trying to take each day as it comes.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

“Smash that subscribe button!” Joking, but honestly things like sharing our artwork, liking social media posts, or even sharing events we’re a part of have huge positive impacts for us. Ultimately, buying your artwork directly from an artist or small business versus giant corporations like Amazon, Home Goods, Michaels etc. is the most supportive thing you can do. Like most small business owners, I act as my own social media manager, my own printer, my own post office. And every piece you order online or buy in person is handled directly by me. Every way you support, in any way you can is appreciated. As artists, we love connecting with our customers, peers and communities. So please don’t be afraid to say hello if you catch me at an event!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carrieannehudson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriehudson
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieAnneArt
• Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/carrieannehudsonart

Image Credits
All images property of Carrie Anne Hudson Art.