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

Faith, 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?

FeelinStabby started as a way to deal with my bipolar disorder diagnosis back in 2018. I tried many jobs after receiving my BFA in Graphic Design but because of my symptoms, I was unable to be a “reliable” employee. I am much happier being my own boss and working whatever hours work best for me, especially with a toddler running around all day! Sometimes I wish I could have a steady income and a “regular job” but I also know that simply isn’t where I’m meant to be. At first, I specialized in custom embroidery. Now FeelinStabby has expanded into stickers and printmaking as well. My art is mainly inspired by prompts from galleries I enter as well as pop culture. My future goals are to give back to the community by teaching workshops so others can learn to create too!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is Faith Sylor and I am the owner of FeelinStabby. I tried many jobs after receiving my BFA in Graphic Design but because of my bipolar disorder symptoms, I was unable to be a “reliable” employee. I found that working with my hands and creating was what made me the happiest. I started doing embroidery and over the years have expanded into stickers and printmaking. I also do custom orders! Nothing is too weird. I love when a customer comes to me with a crazy and wild idea and I can help them make it come to life. I truly hope to give each customer something they can’t get anywhere else. I am most proud of being open and honest about my mental illness and connecting with others who see that in my work and feel that they aren’t alone. Art can help people through dark times and I hope I can bring joy to others with my art.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I made a big shift in April of 2020 when I decided to make my artwork my main source of income. I quit my job and dove into creating. I had an amazing support system of both family and friends who fully supported my decision. It was a hard change going from a paycheck to a couple of sales here and there. I found that I wanted to do more than embroidery and was very interested in printmaking. I started following other printmakers on Instagram, joined the printmaking Reddit community, and started reading “The Printmaking Bible” as well as watching YouTube videos on how to get started. I haven’t looked back since and printmaking is actually my preferred medium now. As an artist I feel it is always important to be pushing yourself creatively, asking yourself what’s working and what isn’t, and shifting in whatever ways make sense from that point.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

This is the question I get asked most often from other aspiring artists. Instagram has been my biggest success when it comes to social media. Most people really hate to hear this but Reels is what helped my business take off. Once I started making Reels my audience doubled within a few months and I was at 10k followers. Your audience enjoys seeing relatable posts and seeing the face behind the art. I used to HATE this. I just wanted to make the art and ignore the business side of things but I soon realized it was worth it to swallow my fears and commit to making content that my audience enjoys. I’ve also found a lot of success with sharing my process. People love seeing the steps that got you to the finished product. Being consistent and posting daily is also important.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/FeelinStabby
• Instagram: feelinstabbybyfaith
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeelinStabbyByFaith
• Other: Online Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/faithsylor

Image Credits
Emily Cover