We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cheri Barbo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cheri below.

Cheri, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I’ve been an artist for as long as I could hold a pencil in my hand, but I never completely jumped into it as anything more than a hobby until 2 and a half years ago. I come from a long line of artists, rather they were writers, painters, or musicians. My family was also very poor, because 30+ years ago art wasn’t what it is today, growth wasn’t something that was common as an artist, but it made a nice side hobby! The lucky ones were able to make it into something far more.

At 17 years old I got my first “Normie” job, but it still couldn’t help put enough money towards things I needed for school, and food for my lunches. My Mom worked herself to the bone and my Dad was disabled, they both passed away a year later when I was 18 in fact. However I was approached in one of my high school art classes after I had won an award at a local art show to actually do an oil painting of my Principal’s cat and dog. Looking back, I hate that painting, it was awful. But when I handed it to him he cried and absolutely adored it. He handed me $300, and in 2009 that was a lot of money. It truly struck a cord in my heart though that maybe, just maybe, I could turn this into a job! A year later, another teacher from that school commissioned me to draw a tattoo for her. I only charged her $15 if I remember right. I was just excited that she would have MY art on HER body forever! Wow! She even wanted me put my signature into it. I was graduating in a few months and life was looking great, until I made the mistake of getting married to an abusive individual a week after graduating and I stopped doing art. Topping it off with the death of my parents, I was crippled mentally, and it became physical results due to the trauma I was facing.

I stayed in this state of trauma and abuse for years, and I managed a local pet store with an amazing boss. I would do window paintings for her or little drawings of the animals at the shop. I come from a big family and most had moved away and I was pretty alone in my little world, I occasionally would voice my complaints and feelings on face book and then get shamed for wanting attention. They unfortunately didn’t know what was really going on behind those doors though. Finally in 2015, I was approached by a local tattoo shop owner who had seen my art and was interested in taking me under his wing. I won’t go into those details, but I can tell you I learned more than I ever have in my entire life during this time. About life, about art, about survival. I also mustered the courage to take the biggest risk in my entire life. I left my ex husband, and I drove 5 states away to be closer to some of my family who was happy to get me back on my feet. There’s certainly so many more details I could include, but let’s just say I could write a book about everything that happened in the next two years and still not be done with my story. When I left, I think I had intentions of coming back. I wasn’t really in the right state of mind though. When I said my goodbyes to my boss at the pet store, I know I told her i’d be back. But I also told her I was going to “Go to California and do art on the beach and sell it! Live the dream in SoCal!” She cried, and I cried. I was also already in a world of trouble and drama I created for myself upon leaving, because it couldn’t just be simple. We both knew I needed to leave.

When I arrived in California I wasn’t of sound enough mind to pursue a career just yet in art. But that first couple years of being here were already very healing. I started therapy on and off, I was able to get medical and dental help, and I found myself becoming sober of anything mind altering. I loved to party, it helped calm my mind from everything i’d been through over the years, but every party has to end eventually. In that time I met my husband, and I started working at his parent’s restaurant, eventually managing it. I learned even more during my time there than I probably have at any job. I also loved working for them, they were amazing bosses and they definitely took care of their employees, not just me. But I got pregnant in 2020, right as the pandemic was beginning. The next few months of working with the very rude and awful public taught me that maybe this wasn’t a life I wanted, working in customer service. I had a high risk pregnancy and at 7 months along I was put on bed rest. I started doing art when I could again. It felt amazing, like I was painting how my heart and soul felt! After I had my daughter I took a short break from painting and at that time, I had given a date to come back to the restaurant to work. In my mind I was 100% going to be going back! I guess that’s the second time i’ve done that to a job. Everyone talks about breaking up with a bad boss but no one talks about how hard it is to break up with a good one! I guess i’m not good at it.

What came next may have trumped my previous big risk, but they definitely intertwine. I started posting my paintings on facebook, and suddenly I had people filling my inbox offering to buy the art I was posting! Not only that, others wanted to commission me for art! I was awestruck. I couldn’t keep anything on hand! I had one last talk with my boss and I said, I don’t know if i’ll be back. And what he said was “You know what, don’t come back, I like what you’re doing now. You’re happy, and it’s cool! And if it makes money, do it!” That was everything I needed. I suddenly once again, quit everything I knew as “security”. I had quit yet another job but this time I jumped in head first. I got my business license through the great state of California, and I started investing in supplies I needed as often as I could. I now run a successful Etsy, I go to Farmer’s Markets and sell my art, and I have my art in various shops off and on through the year. The outpouring of support from friends, family, and strangers absolutely rewrote every bad customer service experience I ever had.

The risk you’re considering taking to go all in on following your dream is worth it. It’s scary to be in a situation that you have no idea how it will turn out, but what’s even scarier is staying right where you are now. I promise, no matter the situation you’re coming from, it is worth taking a risk and following your dreams.

Cheri, 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?

Once upon a time ago I was simply a pencil artist & painter. I loved oil paint, with acrylics coming second. Pencil art was my jam, making something come alive on a piece of paper with just some lines and shading felt like I was on top of the world! But in the last few years I started branching out more into a far more colorful world of Copic Markers and Prisma Colored Pencils. That eventually lead to picking up Digital Art, and from there I thought “Let’s make some cool stuff!” and I now specialize in making stickers! But I also make pinback buttons, magnets, and so much more. I absolutely love selling stickers the most. It’s wild to see my art be spread all over the United States, and even Canada now too! I love cartoons and surrealism the most, but i’m known to jam out on some actual realism when my heart feels like it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The absolute most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the raw reactions I get from clients. I rarely hand deliver someone a physical piece since most of my clients are spread far and wide, but the most rewarding thing i’ll ever experience in my life is someone who cries when they see what I hand them. I don’t mean this in any nefarious way, like I want them to be upset! It’s almost like i’m watching their sadness, their happiness, their trauma, their grief, pour out of their soul through their eyes and light comes back to repair those cracks through my art. And I think I could relate, if someone ever did art of my parents, or lost pets, i’d have the same reaction. Sometimes you need that physical reminder that someone is still there with you, just in a new way.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Right now my goal is to teach my daughter, and other young creatives, that following a dream of art is possible. I think growing up it’s extremely important to drive art of any kind towards children. Even if you don’t follow art as a career, it can be extremely therapeutic to release your emotions through your art. Or just draw for a hobby, maybe it takes the stress of your day job away. Or maybe you get into a jam later in life and you’ve got a great hobby that can get you some money for a little while! You don’t need to be the perfect hyper-realism artist, you just need to create, and create anything at all. If you look back at some of the greats like Van Gogh or Picasso, they definitely just did what felt right to them with their art and you should too!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cheribarboart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheribarboart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CheriBarboArt
• Other: Tiktok: @CheriBarboArt https://linktr.ee/CheriBarboArt