Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Kristina Ingvarsson

Hey guys, so I've not shared much on the blog in terms of projects this week since the paper bead tutorial as I've been a busy little bee making videos, so should have one ready for you tomorrow yay! For now though we've a very refreshing and honest TAT post indeed, enjoy meeting Kristina =)

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what kind of artist you are.
They call me Xinna, since my niece couldn't say Kristina when she was little. I'm 22 years old and live in Sweden, at two places at the moment, because I'm studying. Not art though. I'm a self-taught artist. I do mixed media, art journaling, sketching, sewing, bookbinding and everything else I can think of.
Ever since I was little and saw my sisters sketches, I wanted to learn how to create art but my parents didn't want to spend a lot of money on art schools and supplies etc. So I taught myself. And till this day I'm still using anything I can find to incorporate into my art. Cupcake forms, napkins, different kind of seeds...
My parents have always been encouraging of me painting though as long as they don't have to pay for anything. Since I'm a student with not that much money, recycling stuff is the best thing, which is how I found Jennibellie on youtube.

What is the biggest challenge you personally face as an artist and how do you overcome it?

Self doubt! When I did a drawing as a little girl and gave it to my parents, they were thrilled and said: Oh how pretty. It's very nice. Thank you!
Then you grow up a bit and your classmates start telling you your drawings are nice. The two hour art lessons school provides for us becomes the best ever. BUT you still doubt yourself, because your parents are supposed to tell you it’s good when you are little and you think your friends are just being nice. Then you sell you first painting and you STILL doubt yourself and compare yourself to other artists. I do my best to ignore those thoughts. I drown them with paint or try to paint self-doubt it self…maybe even name self-doubt something silly, like Evert or Ragnar. Then he doesn't hold much power over me anymore (no I'm not crazy. I like to think of it as imagination, although not many people understand me...)

What inhibits you most from being the artist you want to be?
Life. And my goals. See I find it impossible to only want one thing in life. I have so many big goals that they get in the way of others. Besides being an artist, I would very much like to be able to sell my art, which as of today I have only sold 5 paintings; which I'm very happy about though. I would also like to be a writer. I want to live by my pen, like Jane Austen said (at least I think she said that). Then I have a need of helping people. I like changes and hope to one day see myself as a person with influences to change things for people, both small and big things. I wish to be the greatest aunt to my sister's children. I have a dream apartment that I'm constantly decorating in my head.
All this and more keeps me from reaching my goals. I will reach them someday (I'm a very determined person) but it will take a little longer then I sometimes would like it to do. I don't want to be a full time artist. I want to keep it a hobby. Like my piano teacher once said: When you take you hobby and turn it in to work, it's not that fun anymore. And I want it to be fun!

What is the best thing / worst thing that art has brought into your life?
The Best Thing: It makes me relax. Painting is a way for me to escape from reality and go into my own fantasy world. Sometimes art is therapy, sometimes its recovery and sometimes it's just for fun. It helps me deal with everything in life such as loss, anxiety, disappointments, happiness, joy and falling in love. Emotion for me is what makes art sometimes.
The Worst Thing: I'm not sure there is such a thing? Maybe the part where there are some things you can't recycle, but have to buy! And that costs money. And art supplies are most of the time expensive.

Tell us where can we find out more about you & your art?
By email: kristinasrosa@gmail.com and by blog xinnasstudio.tumblr.com (it's being rebuild). I do have a personal blog as well but it's in Swedish: ettannatliv.tumblr.com. I don't have an etsy shop yet. I might get it one day soon though.

Thank you so much for being totally honest and sharing with us Xinna. I agree that it can take a lot longer to get the things you want then you imagine, but really I think any "life guru", or intelligent person in general, will tell you that it is the journey to something, not the destination that is the best part (that's certainly true with art, for me at least). It's difficult to hear sometimes...I know because I'm not where I want to be yet, and I know it will take many, MANY years to get all I want. But I know it's also true that once you achieve the goal it's not always all it's cracked up to be because the grass is always greener on the other side, and there will always be another goal waiting to be achieved. I imagine myself at 60, having achieved everything I want, but deep down I know it never stops, because that's life ---- right the whole way through. And besides just because you don't have everything you want in life (yet, or even ,ever), it doesn't mean your life will be any less happy for it (...in fact having a purpose/focus/goals will probably make it quite the reverse!)

Do you want to be a featured TAT artist??

To be featured email me or find all the details here =)