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

Chintzy Goth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

To this day, my late father remains the biggest influence over my life. He raised me with whimsy, creativity, and a sense of wonder for the world. We spent our evenings in our small town riding our bikes, finding every secret the countryside had to offer. He taught me that kindness goes much farther than malice, and that being patient is the best way to experience life. He took his time with everything he did- he savored his food, he strolled into grocery stores instead of being in a rush; he truly knew that the world has unlimited beauty to offer in the little things.

Because of these lessons he taught me, I strive to balance giving art away to those who love it, and entrepreneurship. My dad would give you the shirt off his back if you were in need, and I live my life the same way.

As I believe with most melancholic events in life, they have much good to offer, if you’re able to find it. Though losing my father in 2014 was the hardest thing I had endured in my 19 short years, it gave me strength that I never thought I could muster. It taught me gratitude beyond my wildest dreams, and more than ever, all his lessons of living mindfully sunk in after he was gone- because we truly only have this moment right here, right now. I carry his soul with me now, and I create alongside his energy, asking him for guidance when making choices in my career. He never steered me wrong in life, and now even in death, he guides me with compassion, patience, and whimsy.

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?

My name is Jess Ann, however I go by Chintzy Goth. I create using a variety of mediums, but I am particularly fond of jewelry crafting, fashion, collages, filmmaking, and the truly incredible, breathtaking art form of the jukebox musical.

I’ve been drawn to the arts for as long as I can remember, but I think like a lot of us, I gave up on my dreams for quite some time. I had decided that since I didn’t attend higher education for the arts that I wasn’t ‘certified’. That no one would take me seriously. That I didn’t deserve it.

What a load of bullshit.

We all deserve to be creative and to pursue a creative life. There are no qualifications other than your determination to keep on creating. And you will. Because it will never stop calling to you. Which is why I decided in 2021, after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, that I would have no regrets.

So now, I’m on a journey to rediscover and connect with my inner child. The little girl who was fully convinced that she could create entire Hollywood budget films in her living room at 7 years old. That’s where I’m heading. Back to her.

Truly, my entrepreneurial endeavors have just begun. I’ve worked to overcome so many subconscious blocks since my decision in 2021, it’s been a slow but steady climb back to myself and my long lost confidence in what I am capable of. Going forward, I want to provide people and customers with works that inspire them to find the whimsy in their life. Jewelry that quite literally brightens people up. Films that make people call their bestie and tell her that they love her. Stickers that make people laugh as they pass by it on a car’s bumper. I strive to make art that elicits bright, happy feelings within people. That makes others also want to give away art just for the sake of it. That makes life feel magical. Because it is, even when it’s sad; and when I make art that brings out that sadness or grief, it still makes people smile because they know they’re not alone in their feelings.

Along with this, I will balance my entrepreneurial creative career alongside my life’s mission to give away as much art as I can. These are two energies we must learn to balance. I feel that the future of art depends on it.

If any of this intrigues you, I would be thrilled to have you along on my journey. Truly the sky’s the limit from here. As Bowie once said: I don’t know where I’m going, but I promise it won’t be boring- and it will definitely involve me writing and directing the jukebox musical of my dreams.

Well, maybe he didn’t say that last part.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had known about the power of affirmations sooner. I think they get a lot of flack for being cheesy and silly, but they’ve truly changed my life. It’s crazy how our self-talk can either power us up to ascend literal and metaphorical mountains, or pull us down into depths that feel impossible to climb out of.

Aside from improving my mental and physical health (which helps to support a creative lifestyle), listening to and practicing affirmations has changed my mindset in my creative endeavors. I no longer consider IF I can do a project- now I ask myself HOW I will achieve said project. Affirmations felt like finding a key missing piece of the puzzle, because recently something just clicked, and now nothing feels out of reach anymore.

I recommend, whole heartedly, to anyone reading to give affirmations a true and honest chance. One month at least of non-stop listening to different affirmation tracks (hundreds can be found on YouTube for free) while working, driving, sleeping, and first thing when waking. How you talk to yourself and how your subconscious sees the world determines your reality, and affirmations are an essential tool in shaping your life, creative or otherwise.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have always been the ‘work mom’ in my career circles- providing snacks, trinkets, good vibes, uplifting talks, and most importantly: my yearly Halloween treat bags. Then, in 2022, when I started my journey at Meow Wolf, it was my first time working in such a large building and with so many people. This provided me with an opportunity to give even more and on a much larger scale to humans that I care deeply about.

This sparked a whole new level of giving: I went from making sure my coworkers had snacks on weekends, to designing entire collections of Valentine and Halloween themed jewelry, mini prints, and stickers to give away. If someone wasn’t feeling good, I’d go home and make them some jewelry or a sticker pack to give to them the next day. I designed and printed a birthday sticker for Travelers (customers) who were celebrating their birthday at Meow Wolf, so they could have something special for the occasion. I would spend hours and hours after work making things to give away.

This changed how I view art all together: I started to view art as an energy- because it is. It’s an extremely powerful, beautiful energy that can uplift people, brighten their day and then that person passes that energy on to someone else and so on and so on.

All this being said, this journey turned me onto one of the main cores of my creative practice: to give away as much art as possible in my lifetime; It even coined my tagline ‘give art, make happiness’. Sure, there is a time and place to be paid money for your art and work, but consider that the energy of giving provides way more than money ever could. I will never stop making art to give away to people, this is a lifelong commitment to myself and the humans around me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/Chintzygoth
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chintzygoth/
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@ChintzyGoth
• Other: https://chintzygoth.gumroad.com/