A blend of “Barb” and “metropolis,” Barbtropolis is my own small world, home to the characters that have lived quietly in my imagination for as long as I can remember.

It’s hard to say exactly when it began. In some ways, it has always been there. In others, it emerged when different parts of my life came full circle. Part of it was finding my way back to the child I once was. Part of it was regaining balance.

After a long time working within guidelines, I realized it was time to unlearn and to loosen my grip on rules I had followed for years. Art shouldn’t feel mechanical. It should feel open, alive, liberating.