Today we’d like to introduce you to Britt Warner
Britt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in the Valley, grew up near Thousand Oaks on a wild piece of land inhabited by tadpoles and bobcats alike. My first job was at a local hardware store in Malibu when I was 15. Parents had just gone through a messy divorce and it felt empowering to have so many tools at my fingertips at a time when home felt broken.
I grew up a serious horse girl, missing tons of school while riding and competing in the equestrian world, so I was used to the mind-body connection of an athlete and having to focus uninterrupted for long periods of time while in motion. The oldest of six kids, I helped my mother out and had to be responsible from a young age. After the divorce we were living in a mobile home with no electricity surrounded by epic natural beauty, and carpentry was initially a skill I learned out of necessity. Building a dog-eared fence around the property line and such.
Music, writing, singing were things I’ve naturally gravitated towards since childhood, and as a teen, working with my hands allowed me to stay happily in my own head, daydreaming away. When I was 19, I worked at an all-girls’ summer camp in Vermont as their first female handyperson ever, and they’d been around since 1927. The campers would eat too much candy and kick their screens off the frames, so I attended to a lot of damage around the clock. I even rebuilt a cabin door from scratch. I was hooked. I craved it, this kind of physicality connected to my mind’s propensity for problem-solving. It’s not enough to direct others – my visions, in any area, mean little to me unless I can substantiate them with my own two hands and experience the fruits of my labor with all “six” senses.
Throughout my twenties, while pursuing a music career and navigating romantic ups and downs, I found that building a coffee table after a breakup was a more productive and ultimately empowering way to deal with heartache than drinking and drugging. Songwriting served a similar purpose, but felt more ethereal and abstract, especially in the digital era.
I managed to achieve some success in music from my songs placing in trailers, promos, and TV shows. Considering I hadn’t grown up in an artist household or had any formal education, this felt significant and exciting and it’s something I still put some of my focus into. Yet, around 2018, the lack of financial stability began to wear away at me and I became very depressed. I’d worked in the service industry off and on for nearly 20 years and hated waiting tables. It was energetically and spiritually exhausting, as an introvert, and I didn’t believe in the work. Don’t get me wrong, I love food, but not the way the majority of these businesses are run and the sacrifices people make to their humanity for a paycheck and pooled tips.
I’d just moved into an old duplex in Highland Park and ripped up the gross carpets to find beautiful original hardwood underneath. I restored the floors, patched and painted every room, and painted a sunburst mural on one of the walls. The experience was enlivening and satisfying and I felt inspired to offer similar services to the community as like a side hustle. I posted photos of my place on the NextDoor app, along with a message that I was a handywoman for hire, and the response was wild. Especially from women. I suddenly had more work than I knew what to do with and was able to quit working at Moby’s vegan spot (Little Pine) and take a solo trip to Spain.
Then the pandemic hit, less than a year later. Suddenly so many people were stuck at home, and began to notice all the flaws and things that hadn’t annoyed them as much when they were spending less time there. I was able to take on outdoor projects, such as refinishing decks, building fences, and housepainting. My brother Travis, a writer, lived nearby, and began to assist me with some of the larger scale projects. He’s since gone back to other work, but it was fun to be in the literal trenches with him.
Honestly, continuing to go to Home Depot etc for supplies was really stressful with all the unknowns about Covid, and aside from working alongside my brother, I was completely alone, so my mental health was not awesome…but whose was? Nonetheless, it gave me a sense of purpose at a time when everything was up in the air and arts and culture were at a standstill.
It’s been over five years of working as Ms. Fixit in addition to making music and writing. I’m self-taught and learn best by doing, so it’s enjoyable to see my skills and capabilities continue to grow and expand the more time goes on.
I limit the service area to Northeast LA, Pasadena, and sometimes trek to the Valley, but having grown up in Los Angeles, I’ve sat in enough traffic to last me a lifetime. It continues to be an awesome way to get to know my community beyond the artist circles.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is it ever a smooth road for anyone?
Hell no.
The Pandemic and working throughout that period was anxiety-inducing.
An ever-changing music industry and the inevitable instability that an artist faces, if the money and resources are not in place to begin with. This country doesn’t make it easy for people to get basic survival needs met, which I suppose is where the necessity for art becomes even more pronounced. There’s no blueprint for what I do. And yet, there’s a freedom in that. I want to be a singer, I sing, I want to be a carpenter, I build shit. It never occurred to me that I couldn’t do these things. If I’m curious, if I’m interested, that’s enough for me. No path is smooth, and I’ve always known this. I try to choose endeavors that I at least believe in, because then, when I hit the inevitable bumps, I can find comfort in riding out the turbulence, feeling like getting to the other side is worth overcoming fear and uncertainty.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Oof, I probably answered this to some extent in the first question.
As Ms. Fixit, I specialize in creative carpentry and painting. I’m known for being great with color and design. I’m most proud of converting a wall heater into a built-in bookcase, and a banister into a bookcase with a convertible top shelf for folding laundry. I’ve extended porches, painted decks in retro color pallets, made a mural in a baby nursery, stenciled a paver patio. Clients like that I am a clear communicator and a builder with an artist’s sensibilities. Nothing I make is cookie cutter. I work with Nature instead of against her, knowing California is trying to slide back into the ocean and every little earthquake, felt or not, tweaks the structure of our homes. I also like a simple paint job. It’s not always a creative revelation. It can be as simple as patching, priming, and turning lavender into swiss coffee. Being a woman in this field has set me apart, and there’s less and less outward misogyny in the air. I feel respected by all genders from all avenues of life. Men, women, trans of all ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, religions, professions, statuses, have hired me to come to their homes and bring in a fresh perspective. I’m proud to know that people live in and around positive changes I’ve made to their lives.
As a musician, I write, record, and produce songs. I’m known for writing and singing in an emotionally resonant style, and am regularly commissioned to come up with originals or do covers for trailers, promos, and so on. Throughout this, I make music for the sheer love of it and have an album that came out September 21st of this year, followed by a release show at Healing Force of the Universe the next day. I’m self-taught as a writer, singer, engineer, and producer, and don’t adhere to any trends or genres. I make the music that I want to listen to and it’s a beautiful feeling when my songs connect with listeners.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Oh my god. I have always been this. Haha. I was a character. I made books for my parents with drawings and stories. I bossed my siblings around and also never felt like I got enough affection or focused emotional attention. I know that’s not unique. If I felt sad or hurt, I’d “run away” with my Hello Kitty Diary, art supplies, portable cassette player with microphone, and blankie. Maybe a snack. Feel bad for myself. Make art out of those feelings. Then ultimately rejoin the party. I always felt older than my age and desperately wanted to belong and feel accepted, something I’ve had to provide for myself as an adult. I was a daydreamer. Preferred playing with toy cement trucks to dolls. I just thought they were fascinating. Reading whatever I could get my hands on. Drawing mermaids and unicorns. Making up songs. Fantasizing about my one true love. Not much has changed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msbrittwarner.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/msbrittwarner or https://instagram.com/ms.fixit
