Meet Lisa Crawford

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lisa Crawford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I notice my confidence growing stronger every time I step outside my comfort zone. Things like attending social events alone or sharing my work with others used to scare me. However, I realized that letting fear hold me back was preventing me from pursuing my passions. When I started sharing my work and participating in art markets, I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t know anyone in my local creative community. Now, just over a year later, I’ve made many dear friends and connected with numerous like-minded creatives. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t overcome my fears and taken small steps towards the life I wanted.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m Lisa Crawford, and I’m a Filipino-American illustrator in Austin Texas. I create vibrant, cheerful art, stickers, and paper goods inspired by my heritage and childhood experiences. I’ve also created a flash card deck for learning Bisaya, one of many languages spoken in the Philippines. This began as a pandemic project to learn my family’s native tongue. When I couldn’t find artful learning resources for Bisaya, I decided to create my own! It’s been so fulfilling to connect with other Fil-Ams who share a desire to stay connected to this language.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

A community mindset has been invaluable to me—I believe creativity thrives in collaboration. Finding my people and building real-life relationships with them has been essential for mutual support—not just financial support but also accountability, advice, and celebration of each other’s achievements. It’s also an essential piece of my mental well-being.

Curiosity drives my passion for new experiences and learning (yes, I am a Gemini rising, hah!). It has been vital for my growth as an artist and as a person; I find inspiration everywhere, and exploration keeps my creativity flowing.

Adaptability is key! I’ve learned that things don’t often go how I expect, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It may be cheesy but Bruce Lee’s ‘Be like water’ philosophy resonates with me, reminding me to stay flexible and navigate obstacles creatively.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

In addition to my illustration practice, I’m a mom to an 11-year-old, a full-time visual designer at a large travel company, and a dabbler in many hobbies. It’s a lot, but it’s much easier to navigate with a supportive partner. My husband Craig is my biggest hype man, and can always be counted on to remember the snacks and weather-appropriate gear that I often forget when prepping for markets! I’m grateful to have him in my corner, and together, we prioritize quality time for both family moments and pursuing our individual passions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lisalisa.co/
• Instagram: @lisalisa.co

Image Credits

Mariana Fernandez; Joi Conti