Indigo Soul Kelly Barton has been inspiring me for a long time now, and I am the proud owner of the above creation.  I get to look at it in my studio everyday, and have also sent out dozens of her beautiful greeting cards.  See her work over at Camp Indigo Soul, enjoy her creative musings here and buy her vibrant work here!  Without further adieu...

[January 18, 2008] 

Hello my dear...I'm so happy to be interviewing you for Sparkletopia!
….hello to you miss swirly, i am blessed by your kindess

Tell me about your moniker - "Indigo Soul" - what does that mean to you?
…..indigosoul is a lifeline.  it allows me to fly free.  it means happyiness,
it means some days I have to really push myself  and that is good.  i need to do that more.
i am a bit of a hippy, and apparently there is a society of “indigo soul’s, but i just love those two words.

Lately you have been working on a series of work around the theme of Home (I have one hanging in my studio). What is this series about?
…..h.o.m.e. is so many things.  i guess most would think of their physical home.  it truly
is where you soul allows you to be, it is where you are meant to be,when you find comfort and peace. it is when i am happy within myself.

You have also had an ongoing Girl Series - are these two related in any way or are they two very different creative explorations for you? 
….hmmmm – the answer is yes!  just a different spin.  each comes from deep in my
warped and silly psychie.  the girl reflects moments in my life.  she has allowed me
to go through therapy at a really cheap rate.  she is the girl in each one of us.

For me, moving from commercial illustration and design to collage and painting was a difficult process because one is so technical and precise and the other is so wide open, but you seem to move between them effortlessly. How do you balance these two types of work as an artist?
…..oh my gosh, the word “effortlessly” made me laugh out loud! does dr. jeckyll – mr. hyde mean anything!  i rarely feel like am balancing either and i never see myself in that way. so if it appears that way, i am happy.  my design tends to be extremely crisp and clean and balanced.  but my artwork is just plain crazy.  its messy and sometimes until i take the very last swipe of the brush – not at all balanced.  people tend to ask me where my ideas come from.  they come from a warped dark, colorful mind.  things that scared me as a young girl, things that meant the world to me as well.  i love to tell people….”you don’t even want to know what goes on in my head!”

When did you know you wanted to be an artist? 
…..well i would love to have you all sitting on the edge of your seat anticipating the big bang answer, but really not until late in my life.  i remember sitting in the back seat of our car, as a young girl,  doodling in the back window.  [ that’s right!  no seatbelt, facing backwards drawing in the window ] and i loved to color and draw, but honestly i never had the courage to take any art classes in high school.  once i decided to go back to college to my degree in graphic design, my love for art and design just really grew from there.  and i cherish my creativity, it is a blessing.

What does success as an artist mean to you? 
…..it means sitting down, picking up my brush

At what moments in the art-making cycle do you have the biggest bouts of doubt and fear? How do you move through them?
….i hate to even admit this, but it is when i see others success.  believe me – i am cheering you all on.  just like so many do for me.  but i do let the doubt creep back in.

when i see that others are being published and making lots of sales, in my head and sometimes outloud i am saying, “holy crap!  how do they do it!” and since i am being honest i would have to say that my biggest fear is that i won’t be able to continue my freelance career.  it is a financial roller coaster. i am so lucky that i have bryce. he is supportive and does an outstanding job of keeping me off the ledge, so to speak.  i move through the doubts and fears [some days slower than others ] because i have to.  i know i am on the right path.  i have to i tell myself to suck it up.  my dad used to always say….”are you bleeding?  no? then quit crying”. stern – but it works!  i have to remind myself daily….that this path that i am on is simply mine.  it is mapped out just for me.  we are all at different walks and the bends, curves and forks. it is just where we are.

When, as an artist, do you feel the most courageous?
….when someone stands back, looks at my artwork, smiles and gets it.  i also get sick
pleasure from those who stand back, wrinkle their noses and say what is going on in that
chicks head.  i don’t know which one is sweeter.  the last few months have really
helped me grow as an artist.  i had all these paintings sitting in my studio and then i
got to have a little show, which gave me a huge shove forward.

Thank you so much for sharing a little bit about your creative process. I am so excited to see what comes out of you in 2008!!
…..2008???? are you serious?  it is 2008!  holy crap, i better get busy. 

thanks christine….you always know how to sprinkle your sparkles my way.

peace!