We recently connected with Sadee Bee and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sadee, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

For art, I started off making collages, both physical and digital. One, because they were fun, and two, because I did not believe I could actually draw anything. To this day, I still go back to making them when I’m stuck on what to create next. Those collages really helped me understand shape, color, and the expanses my creativity could go if I put some effort into it.

So, I went to YouTube, Tiktok, Domestika, and other sites to sit down and learn the basics. I painted a lot of really bad things, drew some terrible ones, but ultimately worked on my skills throughout all the mistakes I made. I have learned a lot and continue to learn a lot. I don’t believe I would have liked to speed up my learning process, and the mistakes were important and crucial to learning what my art could truly be. If I could have afforded it, I may have taken a full workshop or a college course because there is only so much technique you can learn alone, but I am proud of where I am now in just a couple of years’ time.

For poetry, my love of that started in elementary school. Truthfully, my love of all writing started pretty young as I was a voracious reader and really wanted to build worlds of my own. Poetry called more to me because of an after-school program and a teacher who was a very large supporter of my abilities. She taught me more than just how to write but how to feel and let my feelings be heard. Again, I didn’t start out writing great poetry. I have droves of things, and I wonder how I ever wrote, but it is always a part of the learning process. I took a poetry course in college, which reignited my passion for it after years of dormancy. Now, I write, have things published, and learn a great deal from other poets, friends, and community members daily.

Sadee, 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?

The “who are you” questions are always rather difficult for me, often because I am still answering that question for myself.

I constantly evolve and change in ways I never expected, but I enjoy it all the same. As I believe most do, I got into art and writing as an escape. In my early twenties, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 Disorder and CPTSD. I found myself needing a way to make some sense of what was going on in my head while going through some of the worst breakdowns I have had in my life. Art therapy was my start; college helped a bit, and therapy as well.

Art and poetry, in particular, helped me understand myself, and I often try to use my work to help others understand those living with mental illnesses and other chronic illnesses that affect the core of our very being. I cannot separate myself from my diagnoses, but I can learn to live with them.

I discovered my craft through my need to feel useful in some sense. If everything around me felt dark, at least my art could be bright. Poetry has a proclivity for darkness that needs to be set free, and I used that to my advantage to survive by writing what I often could not bring myself to say out loud.

Yes, I am an artist and a poet, but ultimately, I am a person with deep feelings, trauma, and a need to feel seen and heard like anyone else. I create simply because I must.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Knowing that I created something that I am proud of. I think often that non-creatives believe we do the things we do for recognition only. While that may be the case for some, the most important part for me is to create something I enjoy that speaks to me and helps me heal a part of myself.

The bigger joy comes when others connect with it also; it is simply the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae. I am not into art and poetry for prestige but for healing and community. If I can brighten my world just a little bit, perhaps I can do the same for others.

The reward is the work, the result, and the permanence in which what I created exists.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Supporting artists comes in many shapes and forms. Many creatives work with their own resources, little to no money, and often little to no community support.

A thriving creative ecosystem needs community. In my eyes, individualism would be the death of art and writing. Sharing resources, ideas, and so many other things people need allows them to continue creating.

Sure, I could say money, but it isn’t just money that could help. Did you see something you liked? Share it and credit the artist. Does someone you know or love self-publish or get published? Share it, support it, read it. Did you purchase something from an artist or writer? Post about it and share it; word of mouth means a lot more than people realize.

Ultimately, holding each other up is the most important, and there are so many ways to do that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oopsallcaps.wixsite.com/sadeebee
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadee__bee/
• Twitter: https://x.com/SadeeBee
• Other: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/artbysadeebee/

  https://artbysadeebee.bigcartel.com/

  https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtbySadeeBee

Image Credits

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