Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Richardson.
Stephanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi there, my name is Stephanie Richardson and Arden Starling is my artist’s moniker. I was born and raised in rural Illinois in a little house in the country that my parents built, which was right up the road from my Grandparents’ apple orchard. My first job was an honorary “cider tester” when I was just a little kid.
My family didn’t have a lot of wealth, but they used their resources wisely and always encouraged me to use what was free: my imagination. I’ve been tapping into that creative source, creating art and illustrations for family and friends, since childhood.
After high school, I moved to the “big city” of St. Louis and attended Fontbonne University, where I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts and started down a professional track towards commercial design-work and product design. I all-but shelved my artistic aspirations for nearly 15 years as my career led me down many paths as both a graphic/product designer, a freelancer at times, and eventually into design and product management. I’ve worked for great companies and met unforgettable people from around the world. Some of the best times in my life, professionally, were spent at a German company, where my small-town perspective changed forever, and I ultimately met my husband, Jeff.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Burnout eventually caught up with me in December 2019 when I parted ways with a toxic employer—forcing me to consider where my path was leading me. Though painful, it was a much-needed motivator to examine the choices and patterns in my life. I slowed down. I looked back and realized that I had spent 15 years struggling to make something of myself—pouring all my creativity into design projects for other people’s companies. Sometimes they appreciated my point-of-view, sometimes not so much… In February 2020, I began working part-time at an art nonprofit to regain some stability. With the rest of my time, I started painting and illustrating again for the first time in almost ten years. Shortly after, COVID-19 came along and ensured I couldn’t run back to a design job even if I wanted to.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your art?
In a sense, my work reflects a sort of “unlearning” of the corporate world. Because there was a long creativity gap due to the demands of the client and product-based roles, many of the themes I deal with involve a search for authenticity and a rejection of fast trends. I try to strike a balance between what author Julia Cameron would call creative “source” and the knowledge I’ve gleaned from my past life in manufacturing industries. I work with tangible and messy materials like watercolor, gouache, and ink… but I refine my work utilizing all the skills and tools I’ve acquired over the course of my career.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
The perfect storm of a career “setback” alongside a global pandemic was the impetus for me to realize that I’d never be satisfied until I gave creativity a real shot. Once I made a choice to live and create for myself, doors started opening and people started coming into my life that encouraged me along my path. Sometimes luck and consistent effort over time look similar.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@ardenstarling.com
- Website: www.ardenstarling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arden.starling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArdenStarlingCo
Image Credits
Kelly Cook Photography
