Meet Liz Little-Ingebrigtsen | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Little-Ingebrigtsen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
When I was 17 I lost my eyesight following a spider bite. I was quickly submerged into a world full of shapes and colors bound by blurry lines before everything went completely dark. It took several months, but I slowly gained my eyesight back in both eyes. My vision was slow to become fully restored and I was thankful for the views I was being given the chance to experience once again.

While I was loosing my eyesight, I fell in love with the magical visions I was seeing. I never once was afraid of loosing my eyesight because I was comforted by the abstract colors and shapes. I was immersed into an otherworldly place that was both colorful and dark at the same time.

I had never set out to be an artist; but I had experienced something that most people never will. I wanted to leverage my passion for exploring and share with people the views I had seen.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My creativity came from an accident, but one that brought me happiness. I’ve harnessed this visual place in my mind over and over again as I look to share my views with others. I learned through this that there can be beauty in even tough places. Some spaces completely opened and became other things; no longer was a rock simply a rock, but rather a rock submerged into the essence of a mist that’s encapsulated by otherworldly colors.

I would never say it is easy, but creating my work is what allows me to go to this other place in my mind. In a way it is a sort of escape for me. Everyone has challenges that they will experience, but it is how we react to them that makes us who we are. I looked to this tragic incident and rather than sit in fear, I gained inspiration on how I wanted to live my life.

For me, the most important lesson you can learn is to allow yourself to find beauty in all of the obstacles you’re given.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
– Get a coffee and pastry at Per’La in Coral Gables. – Spend a few hours walking on the beach at South of Fifth.
– Grab an açaí bowl at Sproutz in Sunny Isles. It’s perfection.
– Take a bike ride out at Shark Valley in the Everglades.
– Get some sushi from Sushi Chef in Coral Gables. It’s a small place, but Chef Enomoto inspired me to visit Japan.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family is 100% who I owe everything to. Nobody in my family growing up was an artist, but each one encouraged me to go after what I wanted to achieve in life.

My husband changed my life completely. He (Nico Stipcianos) challenges me to think bigger about every idea I have. Nico is a photographer as well and my biggest fan, so he is always pushing me to explore my ideas to their fullest. He is always willing to talk through creative thoughts.

My professors at MassArt gave me an amazing foundation to build from. They encouraged me to always try new things and actively explore my work, allowing myself to make mistakes to learn from. Barbara Bosworth was instrumental in encouraging me to actively look to the skies for inspiration.

Website: www.littleingebrigtsen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_ingebrigtsen/