We recently connected with Paige Collier and have shared our conversation below.

Paige, 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 am happy most days. I think the biggest pitfall to my happiness is that there’s never a point where I’m going to think, “I’ve done it! I’ve reached the level of talent I want!” I’m always going to have an idea in my head that’s grander than what I’m capable of creating, so I always fall short of my own imagination.

But I’ve definitely had regular jobs in the past and I was so unhappy. I remember I used to cry in my car from frustration, from the exhaustion that kept me from feeling creative. It was a miserable cycle of wanting to feel fulfilled but being too drained to make anything.

I think the happiest I feel is when I see someone looking at my art, and they have a genuine joyful reaction. They don’t know me, they just see a little duck I drew, or a ghost or whatever, and it makes their day a little better. I keep those moments in my pocket for a rainy day.

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’s Paige and I’m a digital illustrator. My main focus is on the vibrant and the whimsical, the spooky and the silly. I like to create things that create a sense of tactile longing. I want people to look at my work and wish they could engage with it somehow. Because of that, so much of my work ends up becoming little trinkets- stickers, keychains, pins. I want people to hold my art and feel connected to it.

I think the main thing I’m known for are my juice boxes. I have two juice box collections: Spooky Juice Boxes and LGBT+ Juice Boxes. I honestly think this is perfect because I view myself as a bisexual cryptid who delights in tiny beverages.

At the end of the day, I just want to create the weird little creatures that bop around in my head and I want the weird little people who seek them out to feel joy when they find them.

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.

A common thing I hear from people who don’t think they’re creative is that they feel like they are somehow not as valuable or interesting as those that are. I want to be someone who tells you that isn’t true. What is art without someone who is moved by it?

I am an enormous movie fan. I will think about a great film for days and days. But one of my absolute favorite things about a movie experience, is having a conversation with someone who absolutely loved the movie too. I think people are at their most beautiful when they talk about the things that delight them, that send them down a rabbit hole of inspiration and appreciation.

I fully believe those that appreciate creativity are just as vital as those who create.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Go to your local pop-ups and markets. Support small businesses. When you want to fill your home with art, don’t opt for the mass produced assembly line nonsense- buy directly from an artist. And spread the word! Share the posts from the artists you admire, give them feedback.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scribli_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scribli
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@scribli