Abbie Sears
What makes Abbie Wildly Capable?
Abbie has been in the trenches of the art and design scene for years as a talented creative, but she often steps back and lets others have the spotlight. She has been my best friend since we were eight years old, and finding someone to stand by you through thick and thin and all of life’s wild transitions is a rare and precious thing. It’s also a testament to the type of person Abbie is: thoughtful, empathetic, and nonjudgmental.”
What makes you feel proud?
I feel proud of how intentionally I’ve nurtured my mental health over the past five years. As a result, I’ve emerged from my shell and become more extroverted. I’m putting myself out for more growth opportunities, personally and professionally. I think the world deserves the best creative output I can muster, so I’ll do my best work whether I get paid 50 cents or 5,000 dollars. Also, I think I am exceptional...ly weird. Which is something that we should all embrace about ourselves. Weird is all we get.
Who is the biggest influence in your life? Why?
My grandmother Dot was my biggest influence. One of my earliest memories is of sitting with her at the dining room table and making art together. She’d say, “Make your pencil do what you want it to do!” And I’d concentrate so hard. I still think of that at times when I’m drawing today. She was consistently supportive of me and my art. I wouldn’t be who I am without her love and care.
What’s been the biggest obstacle in your life so far?
Myself, actually. I’ve been incredibly privileged to be able to pursue the opportunities that landed me where I am today, but previously I held on to so much fear and anxiety. Putting myself out in to the world to be judged felt terrifying. There was this moment of clarity within the past few years when I thought, “I’ll never be the best and I know that, but that’s also something that makes me great.” It means that I’ll always have room to learn and room to try new things. Room to experiment and attempt things without fear. Room to celebrate my own successes and the successes of everyone around me.
One year from today, how do you hope you’re different?
I hope that I’ll be even more assertive with voicing my ideas and opinions. I’ve had a lifelong struggle navigating the delicate balance of when to listen and when to speak up. The phrase, “You don’t learn anything when your mouth is open,” rings in my head. Historically, I’ve struggled with sharing thoughts and opinions because of what I mentioned before, the idea of “being in my own way.” But now that it’s less of an issue I hope that the future me continues to insert her thoughts into conversations in rooms where she maybe hasn’t before. There are too many good ideas up in this noggin to let my own fears and insecurities block their delivery.
