Mixing Mediums & Messages: An Artist Spotlight on Calypso
Episode Feature on the We Are Artists Podcast with Host Shannon Shine
In this heartfelt and illuminating episode of the We Are Artists Podcast, I had the absolute joy of sitting down with the radiant and multi-talented Calypso — a visionary tattooist, painter, and creator of immersive art experiences who brings bold storytelling and deep emotional resonance to everything she touches.
Calypso is more than just an artist …she’s a channel for creative transformation. With roots in fine art and tattooing, her work extends into live painting, performance art, wearable design, and workshops that invite people to connect with themselves and their creative spark.
Art with Intention: Weaving Symbolism, Energy & Emotion
During our conversation, Calypso opened up about how nature, music, personal transformation, and spirituality inspire her process. Her work is vibrant with bold color, flowing symbolism, and dreamlike elements that speak to inner growth and emotional healing.
Whether she's working on a massive festival mural or a hand-painted mini, her intention is everything. She shared how she integrates resourced materials, crystals, chakra themes, and sacred shapes into her art to help guide not just aesthetics, but the energy of the piece. Every brushstroke, line, or layered material is an offering to her community and the people that support her.
Festival Vibes, Community Creation, and Sacred Space
Calypso is a regular presence in the festival art scene, where she performs live painting and facilitates creative workshops. In the podcast we explored how these experiences bring her into a unique state of flow — allowing her to co-create with the audience and the environment around her.
From late-night adventures, sketchbook sharing circles to full-blown performance installations, Calypso believes in art as a tool for collective healing and reflection. Her community-based work often blends playfulness with depth, creating space for others to express themselves in accessible and empowering ways.
We also talked about her evolving practice of creating wearable art, prints, and handcrafted goods — tangible pieces that carry the spirit of her paintings out into the world. She shared the joy of making something new out of what would have otherwise been damaged goods. There is a power in using what you’ve got and creating new life from it.
What became clear in our chat is that Calypso’s art isn’t about one single medium — it’s about the message and the journey of each piece and what makes it unique. She blends sacred storytelling with playful design, giving herself permission to explore, shift, and evolve while still grounding each piece in authenticity.
Wisdom for Artists & Creators
If you’re an artist looking for:
Permission to explore multiple mediums
How to transform what you’ve got into artwork
Festival + Tattoo Lifestyle
Or insight on how to blend community, commerce, and creativity...
This episode is for you.
Calypso reminds us that you don’t have to fit into one artistic box. You are allowed to expand, to evolve, to create work that speaks to your soul and serves the collective.
🎧 Listen to the episode now:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3pamFqbAI4Ii9ZyM5dhmyr?si=eeb33dd1229740a2
📲 Follow Calypso on Instagram:
@calypso_the_artist
Visit her website : http://artofcalypso.com/
📲 Follow The Host Shannon Shine:
@ShannonShine.official - Instagram
@ShantasticShine - TikTok
📲 Follow The Network:
@BringMe2LifeOfficial - Instagram
@Bring Me 2 Life Network - Facebook
Community Facebook Group! -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/bringme2lifecommunity/
