We were lucky to catch up with Jen Starbird recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I have always loved using my imagination to create new things and tell stories. In high school and college, it was theatre and voice that provided an outlet for my creativity. However, I was reluctant to pursue a career in the theatre, so I turned to my second love for grad school: archaeology. It wasn’t until I left grad school to raise my son that I picked up crochet. Initially, it was simply a means to keep busy, giving myself something to do while I focused on my toddler. I had always thought I would return to school for my PhD and a career in academia. I honestly never imagined crochet would become the center of my creative world, much less a viable career. Then I discovered amigurumi, and the ability to create three-dimensional objects from yarn, and I have not looked back since.
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.
I create art to highlight the fantastic diversity of life on our planet, both past and present. My art focuses on endangered creatures, unusual and less well-known fauna, and the recently and long extinct as a means of demonstrating to others the tremendous variety of creatures on the planet that is currently in our care. I hope that, by creating designs that showcase the beauty of the natural world, viewers will realize how important it is to take care of that life and ensure it endures. Art has the potential to not only be aesthetically pleasing and emotionally charged, but also to educate and illuminate, and this is my goal.
Starbird Creations came about when friends would ask me to make things for them. Initially I made purses and hats, especially animal hats for kiddos. My obsession with amigurumi developed later when I discovered the Dragon pattern by Crafty Intentions. I loved the complexity of it, and when Megan asked me to be a pattern tester, I jumped at the chance. I soon realized that I could not possibly keep all the amigurumi I made, so I began selling them at local pop ups. The first design I ever published as a pattern was the Rainbow Cuttlefish. I realized that there were so many unusual and beautiful animals that have not been recreated in crochet, and I made it my mission to create patterns so that everyone could make and celebrate these awesome creatures.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing others view and appreciate my work. Particularly when someone learns something new and expresses interest in an animal they may never have heard of or thought about before. It is my hope that they take this new knowledge home with them and recognize that the actions they take have an effect on the continuing diversity and overall health of the natural world. If my art can get people thinking about the world around them, I feel I have truly accomplished something.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Human society is, itself, and ecosystem that is healthier the more diversity it has. In this, I believe the creative community plays an important role in highlighting and celebrating heterogeneity. In turn, society should recognize the vital role artists play in maintaining a healthy social structure. The arts should be supported in all aspects, from funding arts programs in the education system, to providing grants to working artists, to maintaining spaces where artistic output can be exhibited and appreciated by the wider public.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StarbirdCreationsStL
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbird_creations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbirdcreationsstl
- Other: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/jennifer-starbird (pattern store)