BestWorld is the moniker Ottawa-based surrealist collage artist Sierra, who is the latest artist in our series of spotlights. We first came across her psychedelic collages on Instagram, and wanted to know more her creative process and how she creates such unique and dreamlike images.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Hi Sierra, tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

Sierra: Hey, I’m Sierra a surrealist artist. My days consist of drinking lots of coffee and hanging out with my baby kitten, Zephyr. I just recently turned 24 and I’m in that stage of recognizing that time is passing by super quickly and I’d rather be putting my energy to things I love doing. It’s kinda as if I’m in a quarter life crisis, but in the best way possible. Most of my days are honestly spent daydreaming and envisioning the future. Naturally being this way has given me an edge on creating, but has definitely stunted me in other aspects of my life. I created BestWorld a few months ago honestly out of sheer boredom, working back to back government contracts in Ottawa and [discovering] it wasn’t for me. On my lunch breaks, I started to create vision boards and took up multiple courses in graphic design. I was also heavily obsessed with 70s concert posters at the time and was like, “Oh hey… turning my work into something tangible would be cool.” I also have a background in business which has helped me out a lot.

AC: How did you first get into art? Has collage always been your primary medium?

Sierra: I got into art at a very young age, in fact it was probably the only thing I was deemed “good” at up until my late-teens. I literally sucked at all sports and was terrible in school. I was a very stubborn child. My dad and I, when I was around 7 up until my late teens, would create these giant playlists and draw illustrations to the songs. I believe my love for art first started around this point because I was feeling things that I couldn’t really put into words for the first time.

Sketching and painting were my primary mediums growing up. I still do draw a lot and paint sometimes. I do feel like the future of art is going to be very digitized with Procreate, so I’m starting to learn new mediums and formats as we speak.

AC: What’s the creative scene like where you’re from? How do you think it’s influenced your work?

Sierra: The creative scene where I am from has definitely flourished in the last 5 years. I really do think Ottawa has a lot of potential and there are some extremely talented people here. A lot of my friends here are creatives and the community is pretty close knit, which is really warm and fuzzy. When you’re surrounded by talented individuals. it definitely pushes you to become the best version of yourself. This is my last year in Ottawa as I will be moving to Vancouver this summer, but I am extremely grateful for Ottawa’s creative collective.

AC: Your work is super psychedelic and colourful, a nice break from the minimalist aesthetic we often see on Instagram. Where do you find your inspiration? Who are some other artists who have really influenced your work?

Sierra: Haha, thank you so much! I get my inspiration mostly from other surrealist artists and other visual artists, my own dreams and visions and of course, as well as music. My top three favourite artists are: Salvador Dali, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Victor Moscoso. Dali’s painting “The Elephants” is honestly probably where it all started for me. I saw the painting when I was around 10 and I was completely blown away by its otherworldliness. Basquiat was overall just such an interesting character, who was way ahead of his time. My favourite work of his is “Riding with Death,” which he painted right before he died. He was illustrating his opinions on the state of the world at the time and the racism he was experiencing. Victor Moscoso’s use of colour is what really intrigued me about him. It was just super unconventional; he made so many rock posters, advertisements and comics in the 60s and 70s. He was the first rock poster artist of the 60s and highlighted the entire psychedelic/hippie movement going on at the time. He also just seems like a super sweet lad.

“Kiss the Earth that Birthed You” by BestWorld

AC: Who do you usually listen to when you’re creating new work?

Sierra: I usually just put on a Spotify playlist I’ve created while making new designs. As of now I’m, really into 53 Thieves, Washed Out, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Japanese Breakfast, Frank Ocean, Weyes Blood, beabadoobee, Jay Som, Toro Y Moi, Litany, TENDER, The Strokes, RF Shannon, Crumb, Tame Impala, Jimi Hendrix, Andy Shauf, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mazzy Star, Chloe x Halle… Honestly could add 10,000 more artists in there, I listen to music all day.

AC: You mentioned that you’re doing more commissioned work lately. How have you found the transition from making art for fun, to beginning to be able to monetize it? What are some tips/resources you could give to up and coming artists?

Sierra: As of now, I’ve been incredibly lucky. Everyone I’ve collaborated with has been amazing to work with and I’ve made some long lasting friends. My advice to up and coming artists is to honestly stick to your guns and don’t get pushed around by anyone. Believe in yourself, as scary as that sounds. You’re working for yourself and you can decide, pick and choose who you’re working with. Make sure they are good humans because your name and brand is on the line. Overall, you don’t want to be working with shitty people regardless, just know your worth.

Especially when you’re first starting out, you might have imposter syndrome. Try to brush those feelings aside because it happens to the best of us and I believe every artist has these thoughts from time to time. Also, collaborate with other artists and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to direct message your favourite verified artist on Instagram; they may have some phenomenal advice for you. Don’t think you’re above or below anyone or anything and don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s only when we truly push ourselves out of our comfort zones… That’s when we grow as individuals and artists.

AC: What’s your creative process like? How do you usually find your images?

Sierra: My creative process can take up anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the piece I am creating. It takes a lot more for commissioned work as I am working with someone else's visions, whereas I kinda have mine already known in my mind (if that even makes sense haha). When I’m working on album artwork or single artwork, I listen to the song over and over again to pick up on sonic motifs and lyrics, and then incorporate them into the cover art. I find most of my images on vintage archived libraries. For my hand cuts, I go to thrift stores and buy their clothes and ask if they have any mags from the 70s I can use.

AC: Finally, is there anything that you want to promote or mention? How can we best support you and your work?

Sierra: Support local businesses and your pals. Keep your artistic friends close because trust me, I can tell you they work hard. The best way to support me would honestly just be to have some conversations with me, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram at anytime. I love humans so much haha. I also have a second shop launching shortly where I will be selling t-shirts, bags and a lot of other things. My Etsy will still be available to purchase prints, canvases and custom artwork. Thanks so much for your time!