Meet Olivia Stober | Printmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Stober and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
Without a doubt the most difficult decision I’ve made as a creative is the one to consciously forgo a traditional in-person job. The idea of working a 40+ hour a week job was just ingrained in me, I’d never seen any other way of living. All of the adults in my life that I grew up around got up five mornings a week and went to work for 8 hours, so having a creative career as a self-employed individual was never even something that occurred to me. Being an artist seemed like something reserved for rich kids. I’m still fresh when it comes to figuring out this way of life, but actually having the courage to admit to myself that I would never be cut out for the corporate world is something that I am so proud of. It isn’t easy and I supplement my income with freelance work and gigs, but it’s worth it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art really comes from a place of creating joy for myself. I’ve always looked elsewhere for my joy: if only I made more money, or moved to a different place, or looked different – then I would be happy. I have a somewhat melancholy demeanor and joy isn’t something that has always come naturally to me in my adulthood. Once I stopped putting pressure on myself to create groundbreaking and serious work I really found that creating lighthearted things was hugely helpful to creating my own joy. I love filling my home and my wardrobe with bright colors and whimsical images, and every piece of art that I create is something that I would love to have in my home. Allowing myself to create unserious art has been such a liberating experience – not everything has to be deep and profound, and I love that people feel connected to my silly artwork.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oooh, this is such a fun question.

I’ve been living in San Diego for just under 3 years and I still feel like a tourist here all the time! So this definitely isn’t a local’s perspective, but I like to think I have good taste.

My favorite thing to do when someone visits is explore the neighborhood by foot! Walking around gives so much opportunity to find restaurants and shops that you wouldn’t always find while driving. I’d start by taking them to Cafe Madeleine or Rudford’s for breakfast in North Park, then pop over to Normal Heights for a little shopping at La Loupe or Kiko + Sven. We’d definitely hit Ponce’s in Kensington for margaritas and burritos too!

Of course we’d have to get in some beach time as well – my favorite beaches to hang for a day are Windansea in La Jolla or Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach.

And it certainly wouldn’t be a trip to San Diego without a day in Balboa Park. The San Diego Museum of Art and the Japanese Friendship garden are places I could never get sick of, but I also love enjoying a budget-friendly day in the park by packing a picnic, laying in the grass, and people watching.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have felt so held and supported as an artist so far, especially from the sweet artist community. I would be nowhere without people taking a chance on me early on in my journey- so my first shoutout has to go to Katie (@katieartworkssss) from Little Dame (@littledameshop). The very first market I was a vendor at was one that she organized, and later on she was the first person to place a wholesale order from me!

Sevahna (@wolfeandjuniper) has also been an incredible source of support and opportunity to me. From giving me a platform to sell my work at her monthly Voltaire Art & Maker’s Walk to being the one that recommended me for my first SD Voyager interview, she is someone that I simply cannot have enough gratitude for.

And I would be remiss to not give a huge shoutout to my therapist, Shannon. She heard me cry week after week about how I felt so lost and sad, and I wouldn’t have gotten to the point where I felt brave enough to pursue a creative path full-time without her presence in my life.

Website: oliviastoberstudios.com

Instagram: instagram.com/oliviadstober

Image Credits
Carlo Fiorillo