Dream Sight Visuals (Chelsi Bartlett)

Visual Art – Omaha

“I, myself, am strange and unusual,” a quote from Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice that has prominently influenced both my artistic style and my lifestyle. I am the type of person who has Halloween decorations up year-round, who has a cabinet of curiosities, and who watches Hocus Pocus in December. Most of my artwork is dark, creepy, and satirical. But, that wasn’t always the case. When I started making art as a means to open up my creativity to the world of social media, I really wanted to please my audience. I created artwork that was good, but not me. I drew flowers and optimistic quotes embroidered in genteel calligraphy—I catered to what people would buy (and people still didn’t buy into it). Creating art was quickly becoming fastidious and I began to be discouraged. One day while walking through the art décor section of a home goods store, I was looking at these mass produced painting selling for dozens of dollars and all I could think was I can do that—easily. Then, I was told--by someone who has not only been a creative bug in my ear, but also who has supported me throughout all of my self-induced discouragement—I can do artwork like that, but why not do what I want to do? He told me something along the lines of, “People will like your work because it is weird and unique.” Since then, I haven’t catered my artwork to what I think will sell, but to what I enjoy drawing. I love minimalistic lines and bold blacks, stripes and tiny pops of color, innuendos and little secrets. Stay creepy.