Meet Stacey Sickler | Doula/Artist/Community Builder

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

Hi Stacey, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?

Last spring I quit my 9-5 desk job with no plan B. After having a hard time finding the next right fit, I became quite depressed. After over a decade in the non-profit sector, looking for another desk job really made my whole body say “nope.” Fortunately, I had signed up for a pottery class at the Fort Collins Parks and Rec studio. Since I had all the time in the world, I went to the studio every day. Working with my hands and creating was like pressing pause on everything else in my life. At the end of the session, I had a surplus of ceramic art and had my first vending experience November 2022 with The FoCO Art Mart. I was shocked when people, strangers, gave me money for things I had made! I started to think about how many times in my life I had said “I am not an artist” and “I can’t draw” when that’s just simply not true. We often give so much power to “I am” statements. There’s a point when we think, if I’m not a professional, then I can’t claim it.

All this to say is – I started to put all these pieces together. I valued my independence and flexibility after I had quit my desk job. Although extremely difficult to make ends meet, I was able to explore my creativity, an ember I realized had always been inside me, just not tended to in a very long time. I was also able to process my emotions in a completely new way for me – through art and creation. And community! The community I found through vending at shows and at the pottery studio truly has changed my life. And since the pandemic I feel like people are still finding their way back out into community spaces.

Through all this, I started two of my own businesses. One, is Sickler Doula Services, holding space for families during big life transitions like birth, postpartum, and death. And two, Peaced Together Art, where I sell my creations and host workshops/events around town. These events are always about creating community and supporting local artists, businesses, and your own mental health,

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

What I’m most proud of right now is the Ugly Art Nights that I host. Currently, they’re at Funkwerks every third Wednesday from 6pm – 8pm and I have a co-facilitator, Jackie Fedyk of Quackie Sue. Between desk jobs, I was always able to find nanny gigs. I really enjoy working with children because they’re brand new here! They’re the epitome of the beginner’s mind. They’re learning all the time and figuring out all the weird rules different adults tell them. And they get utterly amazed at the smallest things (I watched a two-year-old who had his mind blown by garage doors!). As soon as kids can put a crayon in their hand and not immediately chew on it, they can see a whole world in a bunch of scribbles that they proudly create. But at some point, kids become critical. A seed is planted in them by someone, some experience to make them feel “less than” and “not perfect.” I watched a kid who was only 5 years old who got so frustrated that his drawing wasn’t perfect he crumpled up the paper and declared he would never draw again. Dramatic, maybe but still…

For a long time, even though I enjoyed art class in school and was very creative in college, I would definitely be the kind of person who would say “I am not an artist” or “I can’t draw.” After my own personal journey through my career and my art, I just don’t believe that anymore. I think any kind and decent person would never tell a child “you can’t draw!” so why are we saying it to ourselves at whatever age we are now? I bet on it every time, if I ask anyone to draw a dog, you’ll be able to draw something that resembles a dog – just like a 5-year-old would be able to do.

So with Ugly Art Night, I have facilitated activities to help us get out of our own way. To make us feel a little uncomfortable challenging the rules we may have around creativity and art. It’s also just a time to let your inner child take over and have your inner critic take a break. It’s a space to just notice, not judge.

Remember when you were in preschool or kindergarten and you sat at a big table with other kids and you just talked to each other and laughed while you glued cotton balls onto paper plates? Yeah. That’s the environment I’m trying to create for adults!

Jackie from Quackie Sue facilitates the second half of the night to teach us the basics of junk journaling. We do our activities in a notebook and basically get messy and collage the rest of the night. The concept is at the end of the year if you have attended a few times, you’ll have a thick notebook full of paint, different glues, and lots of wacky paper. It’s just cathartic!

One of my favorite moments has been a woman who came to the first Ugly Art Night came back the next month and brought her 9 year old daughter (this event is geared toward adults but we love having kiddos there too). She told me that after the first Ugly Art Night, she and her daughter had a collage night that lasted for SIX hours. Ugly Art Night was her inspiration and was an activity for her and her daughter to do together and bond. This made me extremely happy 

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?
I always take out of town guests to The Mishawaka. Typically I’ll take them on a hike and then we hit The Mish for food and good views. We’d go to The Lyric for an outdoor movie, maybe Bottomless Laughs, or their weekend cartoons. Since Colorado trails are always so crowded on the weekends, I usually take people up to Wyoming into Medicine Bow National Forest. It’s beautiful up there and with much less people at any time of day. I live close to Old Town so we’d walk around, see if there’s music in the square, get a drink at Gilette’s, ice cream at Walrus. I’d take them to Horsetooth and Stem to make their own terrarium if they could easily take it home with them. Speaking of local stores, I’d take them to Kansas City Kitty, Makerfolk, and Dandelion & Rust for local shopping. We’d hit the farmer’s market on Saturday and try to find some local music. I also love taking people to Horsetooth Reservoir for the views at sunset.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Fort Collins Parks and Rec Pottery Studio in City Park fosters an amazing community! What a gem we have here. Shoutout to all the teachers and those who create there. Specific shoutout to Ali Blake, a teacher there, who very patiently taught me how to handbuild, which is what I exclusively do now.

I deeply thank Mag from Foco Art Mart for accepting my application to my first art show to sell my stuff. After my first show, Mag was the one who encouraged me to sell my collages too.

I have made A LOT of friends through the Fort Collins art community. They are all so talented, kind, and supportive. It truly blows my mind. far too many to name but go find them at Art Marts and First Friday Art Walks.

The Fox Den No Waste Cafe was the first business to partner with me on my Adult Coloring Night. They took a chance on someone with an idea and it was great! I’m having my second one with them in October.

Funkwerks, and specifically their Marketing and Events person Alicia Lincoln, also took a big chance on me. I came to her with the idea of Ugly Art Night and wow have they been an incredible partner! Alicia is a marketing wiz and works her tail off at every event there, but really took some time to work with me on making Ugly Art a success.

Speaking of Ugly Art Night – I ended up, at the last minute, asking Jackie Fedyk of Quackie Sue, to co-facilitate with me. Jackie is an incredibly talented artist and has previously done some workshops in the past around just having fun with art. She’s always an inspiration, beyond supportive, and is the one who calms me down in tense times.

Instagram: PeacedTogetherArt

Facebook: PeacedTogetherArt

Image Credits
Cover pic taken by Patrick Mead