We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ms. Sparker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with her below.
Ms. Sparker, it’s so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I have, like countless other creative thinkers, struggled with imposter syndrome at certain points in my career. I think that can start as early as elementary school, when kids begin to question their abilities and sense of belonging within a certain group or community. I was fortunate to have adults who validated me as an artist and supported me along the way, so that helped keep imposter syndrome at bay for a long time. Soon after entering a competitive graduate school program though–one in which every decision behind an artwork was meticulously criticized–I was thrust into an ocean of self-doubt. At the time, I was in my early twenties and newly married with a baby on the way, factors that only added to the idea that I no longer belonged within that group of cool kids. How was I going to balance being an artist and mother? Will I always feel like an imposter among artists, among mothers? I did two distinct things that helped me overcome that feeling, at least as an artist. The first, I had to loosen up my creative practice. I no longer identified with being called a printmaker, a sculptor, or any other specific label because I felt more of a kinship with people and things that could not be defined. I began making artwork that used multilayered processes to come to fruition and it could no longer be defined by any one medium. From painted wood and fabric to found objects, lights, cut PVC, rope and more, everything was welcomed into my work as an organized chaos. It still feels like a form of rebellion against systems to work in such a way, busting out of neatly-labeled boxes. The more time I have spent expanding my practice and exploring ways of making that genuinely interest me, the less time I have to think about being an imposter.
The second important thing that helped me overcome those feelings of insecurity was to consistently share my studio process and other content in my social media stories. Since the stories disappear after one day, it felt liberating to be able to express something that was only temporary and gave me the courage to take more risks with my posts. When posting every day, you have to be more consistently thinking of your creative practice in order to generate new and interesting content, which I think naturally leads a person to explore their true passions.
By following the path that is most exciting, honest, and raw a person cannot be an imposter because they are simply being themselves. So these days I don’t sweat that topic so much, knowing that I am unapologetically sharing with the world who I genuinely am as an artist through the work I create, the content I share, and my general presence in 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?
Ms. Sparker is currently located in Chicago, Illinois. She creates large-scale linear abstract installations and sculptures from an array of materials that are often donated by the public and then recycled into art. She has been included in permanent collections at venues such as the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, Woodbourne-Centerville Public Library, Seismique Museum Houston, and Texas Tech University. Select exhibitions include the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Memorial-Sloan Kettering Hospital, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Till Richter Museum, Hunterdon Art Museum, Arthaus Projects, Art + Lit Lab Madison, and various academic institutions including Xavier University, Binghamton University, The Ohio State University, California Lutheran University, University of Southern Mississippi, and others. Her outdoor sculptures have been shown in sculpture gardens and as public street art. Recent awards include a 2020 Andra Tutto Bene grant sponsored by NinedotArts, an honorable mention for her work in the show RePurposed, 2019, at ArtHaus Projects, a 2019 Ringholz Foundation Award, 2017 ArtPrize Nine Seed Grant, 2017 Greater Columbus Arts Council AITC Grant, 2017 Columbus Arts Festival Emerging Artist Grant, a 2016 Art Kudos Merit Award, and a 2014-15 John Fergus Post-MFA Fellowship at the Ohio State University.
Sparker Studio merch is available for purchase at http://www.sparkerstudio.threadless.com
Jewelry shop is coming 4/20/23 – stay updated through IG at @ms.sparker
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
For me, there are three things I wish I had learned sooner as an artist: 1. The importance of time management skills — use a format that feels comfortable to you to remember dates, open call deadlines, project deadlines, etc. Create your own project deadlines and stick to them without getting stuck on ideas of perfection.
2. The willingness to expand my creative practice and ways of earning income through art — the wider the net, the more fish can be caught. Stick to what you know you already do well and love to create while also experimenting beyond your comfort zone to push the work in new directions.
3. Turning all experiences into growth opportunities — whether positive or negative, we can learn something from every person and situation. It is important not to lose momentum regardless of rejection or the fears that hold us back.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes! I am looking to collaborate with anyone involved in the performing arts, particularly dance and theater. I would like to see my installations become more interactive by having the human form moving through it. I am also interested in working with art museums, experience museums, pop-ups, galleries, and other institutions so I would encourage anyone who is interested to please reach me at contact@sparkerstud.io and let’s make magic happen!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sparkerstud.io
- Instagram: ms.sparker
- Facebook: SparkerStudioUSA
- Other: http://www.sparkerstudio.threadless.com
Image Credits
All images courtesy of the artist Ms. Sparker
