Life & Work with Kimberly Sheridan Owen of Wellington, New Zealand

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Sheridan Owen.

Kimberly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City and earned a degree in illustration. I worked various jobs in an effort to find a creative fit. I worked in fashion illustration and production, in the sculpture department for artist Jeff Koons, painted walls, created social media content, and worked the front desk of a tattoo shop (also held quite a few jobs unrelated to art).

I knew I loved art and writing, but a direction seemed murky. The pressure I put on art turned into paralysis, and I wasn’t finding joy in artmaking. I returned to school to get a master’s in creative writing after 15 years in the workforce.

Eventually, after slowing down and rediscovering play, I found obsessive joy in creating again. It started with crafts and kits: I made a miniature model and got meditatively lost for hours. I tried punch needle for the first time, then embroidery. Now I make handbound journals, sketchbooks, and embroidery and fiber art. One of my favorite things about creativity is that it builds on itself, and the more you make, the more ideas flow through – there’s an organic unraveling (once you get out of your own way!).

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?
Not at all.

It feels like it took 20 years to get back to the creative state of my teenage self … but I did return to it with years of experience, skill, and tools to execute at a higher level.

I’ve redefined success as well. It’s less about external forces.

Obstacles along the way have included time, finances, overwork, burnout, and moving and starting over too often.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My experiences inform each other. I write about art often (Double Game on Substack). I make handbound journals with the details and practicality I always desired as a book lover and notebook user. My time in the tattoo world influences some of my embroidery imagery. There are layers to the work.

I’ve also turned to slow-made as a driving force. There’s no AI; everything is handmade, hand-stitched, and one of a kind.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Fiber art is making a huge resurgence, and I’d like to think there’s a return to some value and appreciation for the hand made. And blurred lines between “fine art” and “crafts.”

Contact Info:

• Website: ksheridanart.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ksheridanart
• Other: https://kimberlysheridan.substack.com