We were lucky to catch up with Colleen Bringle recently and have shared our conversation below.
Colleen, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I’ve been hand-lettering and drawing ever since I can remember. It’s apart of my DNA. I went through years of on and off imposter syndrome and trying to find my way as an artist. How did I fit in this artistic world?
It’s hard. It’s hard not comparing yourself to other people even though they may not be in your same spot in their artist journey as you. It’s hard navigating creative blocks and balancing passion and time.
As the years have gone by I have realized that everyone brings something unique to the table. I was able to focus on what makes me special. What story would I like to tell? What is my style? What are my interests? Once I took a step back and started answering these questions I started to build my confidence and self esteem because I knew they were true to me.
Now I am comparing less and encouraging others more because I know who I am and what I bring to this world.
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?
Hi there! My name is Colleen Bringle and I am an artist in Minnesota. I have a degree in graphic design and throughout the years my passion for art and hand lettering have flourished. I love hand lettering, illustrating and painting.
One of my favorite things to do in my down time is create art on my IPad and post it on my Instagram. Not for the likes or fame but because it fills me up to create and it brings me joy to brighten up someone else’s day. My style is very playful, colorful and encouraging. So my mission is to create art that reflects me and spread that joy to others.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
A couple pieces of advice I would give you is continue to learn and grow upon your skills. Continue to push yourself and learn new techniques, new ways of working, new technology. This will only strengthen who you are as an artist.
Next is ask yourself what fills you up as an artist? What are you passionate about? What makes you unique? Asking yourself these questions will help build your confidence in who you are and who you were made to be. Once you build that foundation you can stand strong in your style and what you have to give to this world.
Lastly, take time to recharge. Being a creative you run into a lot of creative blocks. It’s just apart of the process and no one is immune. Creative blocks sometimes come at not so great times but use that as an opportunity to recharge, take a step back and get inspired. Instead of thinking of them as a bad thing use them to fill you back up.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents have been so encouraging throughout the years! They were the ones that suggested I go to art school to pursue my talents and passion. They believed in me and knew that I would succeed. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for them cheering me on and believing in me.
Contact Info:
- Website: Cargocollective.com/colleenbringle
- Instagram: Cmbringle
- Linkedin: Colleen Bringle