We were lucky to catch up with Mia Barnett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mia, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I feel like the thought of success is somewhat harsh and can make you scared of being anything else or going outside that box. Growing up I thought success meant leaving your mark on the world, being a name people recognize. I was a very competitive, goal-oriented, and a bit too self-aware for my age only-child who not only wanted to be the next Picasso (minus the misogyny) but also a superstar. I have learned to lower my expectations since then. I realized that crippling anxiety with a heavy dose of “too much pressure” is a bit much to deal with year after year at the age of 12. I’ve found solace in that success should only be measured by you, and only you. To be “successful,” it simply takes knowing what you want and being confident enough in yourself to go further. It’s always something to strive for but not to focus on.
Mia, 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 had always dreamed of being a painter. I thought that art was the best way to share perspectives and views that aren’t talked about or considered. After my freshman year I came to the realization that I already knew how to paint, and might as well learn other skills while paying tuition. So now I am a student focusing on production design for sets and art direction. I figured it was a vague enough major that I could find a niche that I enjoyed no matter what. Looking back at my childhood I now know that the universe was foreshadowing this turn of events for a while – building lego cities, beds for my monster high, sewing outfits for barbies, making milk dud homes off of architectural floor plans, but worst of all, making acorn cities for grubs.
I have never thought I could be this passionate about something. I’ve been the production designer for about 15 student films. I love creating characters you don’t often see that tell stories, and explaining them in ways that aren’t always noticed. A person’s environment is everything about them outside of their-self. Storytelling has always been a part of my life and exploring that in my drawings as well as set design is what drives me.
I don’t like to press any expectations on myself for the future. But I’ve been trying my best to manifest drawing characters I love and believe, designing and making sets that make an impact, and being relatively happy.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
This isn’t much of a strategy but in my opinion, the best way to grow clientele or friends isn’t by meeting and greeting everyone in the room, and around the corner. But accepting that you will meet who you are supposed to meet, simply putting yourself out there and being confident enough for them to assume you know what you’re doing. If you don’t understand what to do or even what film language someone is speaking the best way I’ve learned is by looking it up on YouTube or just putting yourself on a set every other weekend, until you know what you’re doing. Making a few genuine close connections will take you further in the long run than a building full of forced ones.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
When I was 17 I had my first art gallery, and made more money than I was ever expecting to. I left in awe of what was possible. People make it sound like some imaginable feat to make money doing what you love. I was simply amazed that I was able to make that much money painting and drawing what I wanted, not what was in at the time, and people still chose to buy it with their hard-earned money. Being a creative is hard, not always rewarding work, but if you put your energy in it, even if it seems like a waste of time, that effort will always circle back and reward you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://abarne3712a6.myportfolio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/variety_of_life_/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-barnett-81018630a/
