Today we’d like to introduce you to Charity Anchors
Hi Charity, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I think that the desire to create has always been a part of me. Being born and raised here in Savannah, I grew up surrounded by the city’s rich history and appreciation for the arts. Even though a lot of my family pursued careers in the science and business fields, they have always encouraged me in my artistic pursuits. As a child, I tried many different things like acting, choir and dance, but I found that the visual arts was what I most connected to. I grew up in the church and have always had a love of reading, so I feel like I have always had a love for all kinds of storytelling. Some of my most vivid childhood memories relate to art: coloring in the Sunday-school classroom, writing and illustrating a book with my grandma, drawing My Little Pony characters in elementary school, etc. I always knew that art was something that I was “good” at. It wasn’t until middle school that I began to take a more serious approach to my creative journey. I was encouraged by my art teacher and family to apply to the Savannah Arts Academy. During my time at the Savannah Arts Academy, I experimented with many different art forms: painting, graphic design, and fashion design. I remember feeling excited to learn more about different methods and tools that can be used to make art. During highschool, I always thought that the obvious next step would be to go to the Savannah College of Art and Design for college. In 2021, I made the decision to remain here in my hometown of Savannah to attend SCAD. My time at SCAD has been such a blessing in my life. I think that I have gained a clearer vision of what I am passionate about and what I want to achieve or communicate with my art. I have loved being surrounded by so many other talented artists. Which brings me to where I am today, in my senior year at SCAD.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Fortunately, compared to other’s journeys, my life has mostly been a smooth road. I think that most of the bumps along the way that I’ve encountered were more internal. As a kid, it was easy for me to create art that I was one hundred percent confident in, but being surrounded by other talented artists, beginning high school and continuing into college, caused me to compare myself and my work to others. I lost sight of why I love creating art. The saying “comparison is the thief of joy” really holds true. Although this is something that still affects me, I find that remembering that everyone’s creative journey and pursuits are all unique and special, helps me to stay confident in my own creative work. Additionally, I think having a solid support system of my family, friends, church community, and fellow creatives has helped me to feel grounded in this whole journey. Choosing to continue to attend church and stay involved in my church community throughout my time at SCAD has been such a blessing and helped me feel secure and at peace, even when so many other changes are happening in the world and in my own life.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an illustrator specializing primarily in creating children’s media—specifically book illustrations. I am also interested in the realm of editorial illustration and surface design. My work is playful and fun! I am known for incorporating vibrant colors, textures, and bold shapes into my work. I like to use traditional techniques in my digital work. My digital creative process is similar to my traditional creative process. After ideation, I tend to focus on the shapes in a composition before I even think about color. I like to use complementary and primary color palettes when it comes to colors. I think it adds that element of playfulness that I aspire towards. I want my work to reflect that childlike wonder and beauty of the world that I remember experiencing through the media that I grew up with.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I think that finding inspiration in other types of media is another fun and necessary part of the creative journey. Growing up, I was always an avid reader. I loved taking the Accelerate Reader quizzes in elementary school! During my freshman year at SCAD, I picked up reading again. Like my younger self, I once again consume books like candy. I think that being able to live in a story for just the length of a stand-alone novel or a full eight-book series has somewhat revived my imagination. Seeing how different authors portray the world or a completely fictional world. Reading more has given me a greater grasp on different types of storytelling. Whether it be specific to ways to build and write a compelling character, how to think about unique world-building, or just what a good story looks like. Thanks to the internet there are so many different ways to consume books too! During the school quarter, I tend to read more audiobooks, than read physical books. But on school breaks, I have more time to sit down and physically read a book. Between physical books, audiobooks, ebooks, web comics, etc., there are so many different stories avaliable at our fingertips!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.charityanchors.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churityart/?hl=en
