Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sydnee Spivey . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sydnee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?
I believe my “creative career” started at the exact time it was supposed to start. Of course everyone wishes their success came sooner at some point but I genuinely do believe that things in your life happen for a reason. My life path has quite literally led me to my creative career in more ways even one. So, no I don’t wish that it happened sooner because my past employment and experiences have made me into the person and overall creative professional that I am today. I do believe that I was made for the job that I have and I am the only person – if not one of the only people- that can do it successfully because of my past and the timing of everything around me.
Sydnee, 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 am a local artist and native of Columbus Ohio. At this moment in time I mainly do digital art and acrylic painting. But I have a passion for graphic design and painting on really anything.
My love and interest in design started in high school. I was able to take classes at DeVry University while also taking classes at school during my Junior and Senior years in high school andI graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Web Design. I just fell in love with the idea that I can create a whole website from scratch and make it whatever I or my client wanted. From there, I eventually found my college major, Visual Communication Technology.
This is when I truly started to become the creative I’d eventually be today.
Through my major, I was able to really dive into graphic design and realize that it’s what I wanted to.
So much so, that my brother and I had our own branding business in college as well. He would do the photography and I did the graphic design for our clients.
I think I started to branch off and started to take on my on clients as a freelance graphic designer in and after college.
Towards the end of college is when I started painting. Then during the pandemic I opened my online store and offered custom painted clothing, shoes and tote bags just to name a few.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, I got involved in doing murals for OSU ROTC, and Maroons Arts Group. My latest mural being located at 911 Parsons Avenue. It is currently a work in progress due to the weather but once it gets warm again, I will be finishing the mural. But it began as a community mural that I was able to facilitate and curate. This mural was in collaboration with Community Development Church for All People (CD4AP)- Freedom Schools. Which is a summer program for the youth on the south side of Columbus. I was essentially camp counselor for this program and the director, knew that I was into art and was trying to build my portfolio. She provided a space for me and allowed me the opportunity to curate an entire mural from start to finish with the kids at the camp. I will forever be grateful for that opportunity and trust that she saw in me. I say that because that solidified my ambition and I believe it is the catalyst to my career now.
At the time of my Parsons Mural, I was also volunteering at All People Arts Gallery, where I met my mentor, Shelbi Toone. It is because of Shelbi that I was granted the role of becoming the Director of All People Arts. She saw that I would be a great fit because of my connections with Community Development Church for All People and already being a volunteer at the gallery. For that I am forever grateful and optimistic about my role at All People Arts.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Realizing that your art is subjective and whoever likes it, will like it. And that you can have a piece done for so long that won’t sale but when the right person comes along and is blown away by it —that’s what matters. Not how fast you can make a sell.
Also definitely seeing your idea come to fruition right in front of your eyes.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I started in Marketing. My first “big girl” job was at a software company as the Marketing Specialist.
While, yes, I was in charge of their social media and graphic design, I was also in charge of a lot of the behind the scenes and technical things.
This is when I realized that I just wanted to be involved in creative work and not so much the logistics of things. (Which I believe every artist/creative) is like that.
But I just knew that if I stayed it would be disservice to both me and the company. So, that’s when I quit my job (the first time around) and started doing freelance graphic design.
And even though I’d do this a couple more times, it’s really one of my favorite memories because I just listened to my gut and did what makes me happy. Which ultimately got me where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bysydneerae.com/
- Instagram: @by_sydneerae
- Facebook: Sydnee Spivey
- Linkedin: Sydnee Spivey
Image Credits
Brian Caiazza Photographer and Creative Director TRUE Studios