We recently had the chance to connect with Sophie Unterhaslberger and have shared our conversation below.
Sophie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of school and work, I meet with friends weekly for a craft night. It’s easy to reach a burnout stage and lose artistic motivation when you are being told what to make. Finding times to create art for the sheer act of creating is very important to me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello!! My name is Sophie Unterhaslberger and my business is titled Squiggle and Dots. I’m currently pursuing a BFA in Sculpture & Expanded Practice at Ohio University. I run my business primarily from Instagram and sell original paintings, customized clothing & shoes. I also accept personalized commissions.
My vision is to cover the world in squiggles and dots, hence the name. While choosing to focus on the process rather than the product, I’ve developed a deeply intuitive practice by letting the patterns emerge on their own. From fabric, canvas, wood, plastic and more, no surface is safe from becoming infected with my designs
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
I credit my strong work ethic to my father. He is an immigrant from Germany who grew up near a coal mine. Which later led to some nasty asthma, who saw that coming. He wanted to break the toxic generational cycles his parents set up to create a better life for his future children. I admire the courage it took to immigrate to a completely new continent with little English experience. He ran his own business for around two decades and helped raise 4 children.
Throughout my childhood he always stressed how important hard work is and that nothing is free. If I showed him a new skill I learned, rather than praise he asked me what was next. He pushed me to always be better and I would not have the self motivation to succeed that I do without his teachings.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
It’s okay to be a tomboy! You do not need to uphold yourself to anyone’s expectations of what “femininity” is.
Gender is a social construct, you can wear basketball shorts to school and a dress the next day and still be Sophie. Also everyone who called you a lesbian in a derogatory way was totally right lol.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Being a successful artist is not a competition is between you and someone else, but rather between you and you. There is always going to be someone “better” and “worse” than you. If your work is better than your last piece, even slightly, then you are developing a practice that will keep on emerging in beautiful ways. I used to think that my goal was to make as much money as I can, but it is now to learn as much as I can. Also along that note, you will develop much faster as an artist if you lose your ego and ask for help from your peers.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people remember me as someone who spread their energy among others through color… and that I had the best Spotify playlists of all time.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Squiggleanddots
