Creativity & Resumé
A little about me and my journey.
I’m Sandy, and I live just south of Seattle with my rambunctious pups! I’ve been running my own art business full time for ten years, and I’m always learning and growing alongside my students.
My Story
I was creative as a little kid, always drawing and doodling something or other. I wanted to become an art teacher because my own had encouraged me so much. But just as I was in college, schools began slashing art budgets and I switched to a graphic design major since, well, I like to eat, and there were jobs to be had in that field!
After decades in advertising (agencies, corporate, and nonprofit), I went out on my own as a fulltime artist. I started teaching on YouTube first, then developed my own site because I wanted to have sequential lessons that build on knowledge, which random YT videos don’t help with.
I continue to grow every day, learning from my students and encouraging them to take new steps too!
What I believe
Everyone is creative.
Humans are built to make things, whether it’s buildings, businesses, clothing, art . . . and it’s up to each of us to find what we’re made for. I’d love to help with that!
Everyone can grow.
Old dogs CAN learn new tricks. I’m living proof! I didn’t begin watercolor til I was 53! If I can take that up past middle age, you can learn something too.
Everyone has creative gifts.
When you were born, the world became richer. Your gifts are yours alone; no one can create what you can. You are hereby obliged to share yourself with the rest of us!
resume
Work history
Owner, Creative Director, Instructor
Sandy Allnock LLC, Art-Classes.com, 2013-present
Founder, Executive Director
Operation Write Home charity, 2007-2017
Designer and Illustrator
World Vision, 2001-2013
Art Director, Illustrator, Technologist
Wild West Shirtworks, Bozeman MT, 1993-2000
Art Director and Illustrator
Winterland, San Francisc CA, 1990-1993
Art Director
New York City Mayoral Campaign, 1988 – 1989
Designer and Illustrator
Ander Communcations Agency, New York City, 1986-1988
Education
Frostburg State University
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Concentration in Graphic Design, 1986
Other factoids
Devout Christian
Dogmom
Social media addict
Wordpress and blogging proficient
Mad video production skills
Silliness expert
Below are a few “Sandyisms” that get me through dry spells, artist block, and imposter syndrome…perhaps a few of these will encourage you!
It’s just paper.
I used to get wrapped around the axle over a blank piece of paper! “What if I ruin it?”
I started to look at it this way: the paper is already paid for. It’s not costing anything to play on it right now. And the paper’s not doing the job it was made for by just sitting in a drawer!
The fear of failure is real, but fear and excitement are two sides of the same coin. Instead of voicing fear (internally or aloud!), I proclaim that I’m thrilled at the possibilities that are in front of me. Your brain will learn over time to listen to that excited voice and stop worrying about outcomes.
Art should be fun.
When I start to take myself too seriously, my work suffers. There’s a time for serious, yes, but there’s also a great need to laugh at ourselves and the world around us.
I regularly stop and find something that makes me laugh. I glue a googlie eye on a pair of scissors. Draw a silly alien. Or get up and have a dance party with the dogs!
It’s a hot mess until it’s not.
In a number of mediums, I work in layers. Lighter in the background, stronger color in the foreground. And those darker layers can “fix” what’s behind them, whether they were errors or just things I wasn’t worried about because I knew what the top layers would achieve.
It can be hard not to panic, though, when things look rough. But being patient and going through the process pays off in the end.
The story of the dooblie doo.
As a long time YouTuber, I’ve followed a lot of different accounts that appeal to much younger generations, so I can keep an eye on where trends are headed. I started hearing a number of very popular creators using the term “dooblie doo” to refer to the section under or next to the video (it’s moved over time!) where they link to websites.
I might be the only art account that uses the term, and I’m ok with that. It tickles me that people find it so amusing; I heard it so often that it’s very natural and I don’t even think about it anymore!
If you make art, you’re an artist.
Whether art is frameable, wearable, or mailable, the creator is an artist. Beginners are artists, just as experienced ones are.
One medium is not “less” of an art than another. Preferences can drive what we like best, but it doesn’t make one more of an art than another. Celebrating our medium without apologizing or comparing is necessary to understanding our work is art.
Deploy the “yet.”
Rather than telling myself I’m not good at something, I’ve been on a long journey to simply grasp that I’m not there “yet.” The power of that word is huge: it makes me feel hopeful that there’s a chance I’ll accomplish my goal at some point!
I worked five summers on painting ocean waves. Five. My beginning efforts weren’t fruitful, but recent attempts have really made me excited at the improvement in those intervening years!
The journey is the goal.
The process of getting to where you’re headed is a glorious one – the artworks created are only milestones along the way. When I thought of finished works as the aim, I found myself striving hard to finish better and harder….which led to more frustration.
Once I started looking at my process as my goal, sketchbooks became a favorite place to work. Less stress to create a “final” something, and I can experiment with meshing disparate ideas that might work well together.
Got questions?
I may not answer very personal questions, but feel free to drop me a note. 🙂