We recently connected with Christina C. Baucom and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I do have a “regular” job as an attorney and I am grateful to work in a field of law that is fulfilling for me as are my creative endeavors. My work in intellectual property law is related to my creative endeavors in some ways so I am happy that I have that knowledge and can use that to my advantage in creation. I am happy as a creative but I am always pushing myself to learn and create more so I am never really settled in what I am doing as a creative. I like that I have the balance of both what would be considered a regular job and a creative outlet – my only hindrance is time which there is never enough of. Balancing both has definitely helped me develop skills that I can use in both spaces (like time management).

Christina, 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?

I’m a trademark attorney and digital content creator of sharpandsound.com and on all social media platforms @sharpandsoundstyle, which focuses on local lifestyle and style inspiration. Like many others during the height of the pandemic, I utilized the quarantine time to focus on building some of my passions, writing and creating, I focused on building my blog, Sharp And Sound Style. As a military “brat,” I moved around a lot growing up, and as a result, I developed a sense of exploration for every place we traveled to and lived. That sense of exploration was one of the catalysts to my creating my blog as I explored my new home in Alexandria. Practicing trademark law for the federal government brought me to the area, and building my digital community has given me opportunities to speak to small business owners and creatives about their intellectual property. I love being able to educate others about the importance of protecting their intellectual property. Being a digital content creator has allowed me to express myself and share with others how great this area of the country is.

I believe what sets me apart is that have an explorative nature and a knowledge of my local area and strong sense of style that I use to create content that is authentic, aesthetically appealing, and informative. I have a voice that my digital community trusts and relates to which results in strong engagement when I am introducing my community to new things or showing them a new perspective of something they may even be familiar with.

I am most proud of the community connections that I’ve built and fostered that have made my local are truly feel like home for me!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being able to share my creativity and building a community. It is so rewarding to see that your work has inspired someone in little and big ways or that you may have simply brought a little joy to their day. My creativity is an outlet for me to express myself and my gifts but the feeling of connection with others because of it is the biggest reward for me.

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.

One of things I’ve heard from non-creatives is that they don’t understand the “why”; why would someone want to expose themselves through social media or even be creative through such platform(s)? Doing something creative that may not immediately have a tangible benefit, i.e., financial benefit, etc., is something that non-creatives may not understand. Ultimately there are things all people do that provide them with intangible benefits like simply joy or an outlet from certain aspects of life and I think it benefits non-creatives and creatives alike to empathize with that aspect of one’s creative endeavors. If you view it from that perspective, it may be easier to understand one’s journey as a creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sharpandsound.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharpandsoundstyle/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharpandsoundstyle

Image Credits
Photos by self, Pablo Raya, Nikayla Scott, and Nick Woodall