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

Erika, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Before taking a year off from teaching, I realized how much I wanted to take my art beyond just a hobby. I wanted to create work with meaning and share it with others—not just my creations, but the stories of the incredible people I’ve met along the way. When I first started the project, I thought it was about their experiences, but as I moved forward, I found it was just as much about my own journey. It has been therapeutic to embrace vulnerability in each piece while reconnecting with others and capturing their little slices of life.

In a bittersweet and healing way, these two aspects of my art—focusing on others and on myself—came together this past year of 2024. In April, my grandmother passed away. She was like a second mother to me, caring for me while my parents worked and always being there for conversations about friends, faith, and of course, sports. In the wake of her loss, I decided to channel my emotions into my printmaking. The result has been some of my most meaningful and impactful work. Three prints created during this time—What is Experienced at a Laundromat, Where the Bunny Hops, and Who is Kay—represent the depth of my grief and healing.

Erika, 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?

Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, I spent years in Nebraska teaching middle school math before moving to Colorado to start a new career and pursue my passion for art. Throughout my life, mental health has been a central focus—both as a personal challenge and a way to connect with others who might feel alone in their struggles. My faith has also evolved over time, shifting to a more inclusive understanding that continues to guide my creative path. As I began my art journey, I realized that everyone has a story, and more importantly, each story matters. My goal is to capture and share these stories through my work, making the world feel a little less lonely for others, just as it has been healing for me.

My art process focuses on linocut carving, a technique that requires patience, precision, and deep thought. Each piece represents a story—either my own or someone else’s—sometimes including quotes from those who inspire the work. Creating these prints has been a deeply therapeutic journey, one that started with a love for art as a child, and evolved through struggles with self-doubt, college exploration, and eventually a deep love for printmaking. The time and effort involved in creating each piece reminds me that meaningful work—whether in art or life—requires patience and dedication. Through my art, I hope to continue meeting incredible people and telling stories that celebrate the power of connection.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

From a young age, I developed the belief that everyone was somehow better than me. This mindset followed me throughout my art journey. In high school, I was just starting to discover my artistic abilities and created one of my favorite pieces. When I received my grade, I was devastated. My work didn’t meet enough of the requirements for a realistic piece, and it barely earned a C+.

In college, I clung to the belief that my art was worth pursuing. I enrolled in a Drawing 101 class, where my professor taught me a great deal and even expressed disappointment that I wasn’t pursuing art as my major. This encouragement led me to declare a minor in art, alongside my education degree. During that time, I took an oil painting class and created another piece I was incredibly proud of. But once again, I received a grade lower than expected because my recreation didn’t match the style and texture of the original work. Another setback.

Although I understand that these grades were based on rubrics, each one reinforced the idea that I wasn’t the best at art. For a long time, I believed that if I couldn’t be the best, I shouldn’t invest more time in it. That is, until I met people who believed in me and continued to offer their support. Slowly, I began to shift my mindset: “I may not be the best, but I can still create something meaningful.” That shift changed everything for me.

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

I’ve valued mental health since college, and even before that, I’ve always valued people. To go even further, I’ve always loved a good story. Unfortunately (and I guess fortunately), I inherited my mother’s trait of being open and talkative with everyone I meet. This all came together in my art business, Prints and Stories. I want people’s stories to be heard, and I want those who read them to feel less alone in whatever emotions they’re experiencing. I’ve often heard that the most important words a person can hear are “me too,” and that sentiment truly drives my mission in art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://prints-and-stories.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prints_and_stories/
• Other: TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@prints_and_stories?_t=8jMLIQAnbVz&_r=1