I’ve lived in Brooklyn for five years. I moved here after graduating from college. Living in a big city isn’t necessary to find creative opportunities but it’s definitely helpful, and was always a dream of mine to try.

It was something I came up with years ago just as my Instagram handle, and then it made sense to use as my branding because it’s cute and playful. It’s not really a pseudonym, but just something that is easier to remember (and pronounce) for most people than my actual name.

I think that when we grow up, we forget what it’s like to have a true sense of wonder or create freely without worry of judgement. Using the materials that I do helps me to remember those things. It’s not so much about nostalgia or innocence, but more about opening up a gateway to the past when I wasn't so critical.

The cereal boxes were a reference to how you start your day – with a bowl of cereal, and often (at least for me) a barrage of existential questions. As I’ve done more work about myself and learnt about my habits, I do also think the use of cereal and snacks in my work has to do with my relationship to food. How many of us turn to it for comfort from such overwhelming thoughts.

I don’t really eat cereal anymore, but when I was a teenager, there was a limited edition Cinnamon Frosted Flakes that I loved.

I feel like it came natural to me. I really hope that by being vulnerable with my struggles it can encourage others to do the same, or at least start asking themselves questions about how they are really doing on the inside. Social media has really encouraged so many of us to project our ideal lives and identities online, but that is never the full story – and ignoring that can be so detrimental.

I’ve definitely learned a lot over the years about when it’s important to say your opinion or to instead lift up other more marginalized voices. As a white woman, I exist in a very privileged place, and whilst I want to encourage my followers to be involved and aware of the world they exist in, I never want to speak over more valid voices and opinions. I believe that now it’s perhaps better for me to simply donate to causes already doing the work than offer my personal opinions.

Instagram has been so important and helpful to me over the last few years while I’ve been establishing myself. It has connected me with friends, peers and clients that I probably never would have been able to meet otherwise. But I do worry that many of us place too much importance on it, and worry about the performance of our posts instead of what the actual content means to us. It can be a complicated relationship for me, but I’m working on my boundaries with it. I don’t want to ever take for granted how many people it lets me communicate with, but I also have a lot of trouble logging off sometimes.

What worked for me was developing (over many years) and creating work that really meant something to me. Because of its honesty, people connected with it. I think that many people just want instant success and vitality, and I’m not saying that’s bad. But I think that if you go into it just with the goal of getting more followers, it can be hard to sustain yourself and naturally evolve.

I’m lucky to say that the other artists I work with are my close friends, so it’s always really fun. Of course, I’m so inspired by their work and creative vision, but also just who they are as people.

I started that project right after graduating because I wanted to find a way to support other emerging, digitally-based artists and I didn’t have the resources to open a physical gallery.

I definitely think that attitude exists in the fine art world, but I don’t really see myself as being a part of that. I know my work is accessible to lots of people, which many conceptual artworks are not, and that is what really matters to me. I’m not making work for the art world elite.

I really hope to do more large-scale installations and travel internationally, perhaps collaborating with more brands. It has also been my dream for years to work on character design and art direction for a long-form animation cartoon.

I hope so! For me, creating across mediums has been a really informative process. Everything I do informs everything else, and I hope other artists feel encouraged to do the same.