Creativity is a paradoxical pursuit: The craft of making requires vulnerability and a certain kind of tenderness or openness to the world around us. At the same time, putting our work out in the world today can take a shit ton of courage and tenacity. This is a space to shine a light on the folks who are straddling these tensions and making us all a little better with their art. —Brené

When the BBEARG creative team was working on the release of the 10th-anniversary edition of The Gifts of Imperfection in 2020, we searched across the web and social media to find the right artist to create an illustration of the 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living, the foundation of the book for which each chapter is named. As we reviewed portfolios together, you could almost immediately feel (in the Zoom room) that we had found the one when the vibrant, playful, and emotion-evoking work of Stockholm-based illustrator and author Andrea Pippins came on the screen. We fell in love with her art and her books like Becoming Me, an interactive journal for young women to color, doodle, and brainstorm their way to a creative life (grateful that Andrea shares a peek into her creative life with us below). 

Did you find this work or did it find you?

Ah, I love this question. I believe this work has been courting me throughout my whole life, but I wasn’t paying attention. Finally, after overcoming many years of insecurity and fear, I decided to take a dive into the world of illustration and see where it would take me. My career started in graphic design, which I did for several years before moving on to teach graphic design on a college level. During my years in academia, I continued to do freelance work on the side, most of which became illustration commissions. 

During a time of uncertainty on my professional path, I was offered a dream graphic design opportunity. When I declined the offer, I realized that another form of creative expression was pulling at me. That’s when I began my journey to figure out what it was and to finally pursue that direction. That thing was and is illustration and storytelling. It had been there all along. So I found it after it had already found me.

What do you enjoy the most about creating?

My absolute favorite part of the creative process is ideation, the part where I’m doing the research, collecting inspiration, and generating as many ideas as possible. At this stage, I can let my imagination run wild, experiment, and be messy until settling on a direction that feels right.

While creating is a significant part of my livelihood, it is also vital to my wellness and everyday life. Outside of work, nurturing my curiosity and building my spiritual muscle (to me, two giant pillars of creative expression) are practices that allow me to feel whole and grounded. That said, I really enjoy the peace and freedom that creating gives me.

That is the beauty and the beast of putting your art out there: It is open for all interpretations.

Is there a part of the creative process that’s tougher for you than other parts?

For my work, it’s the part toward the end of the process, the finalizing of the files or cleaning up the final illustration to prepare for printing or to go live online. At this stage, it’s less about creativity and more about the practical stuff, which isn’t that fun.

In creating my life, I can be a control freak and struggle with heavy-handed striving to control the outcomes. I have gotten way better with this over the years. These days, I am putting in the effort but leaving more space for surrendering and possibility. 

Born and raised in Bowie, Maryland, Andrea taught college level design courses for many years while finding time to create her own art until she went full-time into freelance design work in 2015.

Andrea’s beautiful illustration of the 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living in honor of the 10-year anniversary of The Gifts of Imperfection.

What are three words you would use to describe your creative process?

I would say intentional, messy, and inspirational.

Putting your work out in the world can be hard. Do you ever wrestle with perfectionism and/or get sidelined by criticism?

I do wrestle with perfectionism, more in the realm of connecting with my community. Like, speaking, promoting my work, writing newsletters, or doing videos. I’m very sporadic with those things because I’m wanting for them to be perfect, which can paralyze my efforts. I’m learning to let it go and just have fun with that side of my work. 

I don’t necessarily get sidelined by criticism because it comes with the territory, but sometimes if my intention behind my work is misinterpreted, it can make me feel uneasy. I am also learning to let go of that, because that is the beauty and the beast of putting your art out there: It is open for all interpretations. People will connect with it (or not) from where they are in thought and experience — and that’s perfectly OK.

Favorite bumper sticker? It can exist or you can make it up!

“Happiness is an inside job.”

Illustration and storytelling . . . had been there all along . . . I found it after it had already found me.