Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciara Ford.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Art has always been a way for me to communicate with others. My parents are artists and musicians, so I was always surrounded by art. I was encouraged to pursue art in a DIY (do-it-yourself) experimental culture. As a child, I was interested in traditional illustration, video-making and fashion. My art expanded into photography, editing, and mixed media 2D design as I got into my adolescence.
I do not feel like I belong to one medium. Bringing several disciplines together to create multi-layered experimental projects has always felt true to me. Artistic media can communicate messages differently, so I intentionally select disciplines based on my message.
I created sparklystar2009 as a way to deal with my emotions and life experiences. As a kid, I would upload videos on YouTube under that name. I wanted to re-open the childhood that still lives inside of me and help myself process life. I’m most proud of myself for always coming back to my art. Even when life got tough and time wasn’t a resource, I came back to art. Realizing that art is what heals me helps me to keep pursuing it as a career instead of a hobby.
Recently I have been learning how to tattoo, screenprint and produce music. As an experimental artist, I’ve been combining these disciplines to create a cohesive universe that I want to share with the world. I hope to continue my art in these directions to meet other creative people and support my career as a traveling Artist.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Coming from a background with less money and resources will make anything more difficult. I feel that I have to try harder with my art because I do not have a financial safety net. Realizing I cannot afford art school or expensive materials was heartbreaking. Gatekeepers in art fields I wanted so badly to learn about kept turning their noses up at me. I truly felt like I was being told I wasn’t good enough because of having less.
After taking time off from college and working way too much, I woke up to my own potential. Supportive friends and trusting my intuition helped me realize I can do it myself. I re-enrolled in school and I am currently teaching myself how to tattoo on the side. As my dreams evolve, I am always looking for alternative ways to manifest my vision.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an experimental artist who works with a large range of media. It is hard to box myself into a specialization, but I think that may be what sets me apart from other artists. Most people do not know how to describe or explain my art, they just know it when they see it.
I want to focus on tattooing and fashion design as I get older. I’ll always incorporate videography, photography, 2D design and music with these disciplines to make sure I’m always staying true to my mixed-media experimental background.
I am most proud of the big projects that help me let go of emotions, intrusive thoughts or my past. It is like therapy to get that feeling out of my mind and into the physical world. I feel lighter and free after I finish a project because most of them hold a lot of my experience in them.
What matters most to you? Why?
People and their experiences. I think we can learn a lot from others and what they’ve been through, how they handled situations in their past. There is so much wisdom to absorb by the people around us because they are humans experiencing life and all its ups and downs just like me and you. It matters to me as an empath. I feel the feelings of others and I can understand the complexity of just being. I hope that everyone has their own full-circle moment in life where they realize their potential and purpose. It’s an amazing feeling to trust and know you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
Pricing:
- Sliding-scale/budget-friendly tattoos ($60 minimum)
- 1/1 clothing typically starts at $100+
- videography/photography sessions can range from $200-500
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparklystar2009/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTqnZlJP6ZVBQrrN9JaAhg
Image Credits
I took most of these photos (@sparklystar2009) and edited all of them.
