Chiffon Lark shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Chiffon, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
I think in all of our lifetimes, we face intersections of diametric opposition. There are what I like to call “junctions” or crossroads where we can take a path that is more familiar- or face a decision we often times know is the best but is unknown. I believe that we have to prepare to face these paths in our life more than once.
In my late twenties, I faced a decision to leave the idea of success that I was conditioned to believe in (earning high sums of income, having nice/luxury material belongings, having a partner because it proved that I was desirable, etc.), and redefine my life on my terms. I knew that meant I needed to ground myself in the values that nourished my spirit, not in the ways of what capitalism expected of me but in the ways my ancestors knew to be true.
I have always been an advocate and activist for wildlife. That path was chosen for me as young as seven years old when I scolded the SeaWorld Staff Members for allowing other kids to peel the starfish and sea cucumbers from the tide pool exhibit. I decided to align myself fully to the values of protecting the natural environment. This meant fully investing in: biodegradable materials, sustainable manufacturing and shipping practices, and ensuring all partnerships within my business were with organizations who were also committed to similar conservational ethics.
I think this cost me more financially, but in turn my Spirit is more wealthy in relationships and peace than it has ever been.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chiffon Lark, I am an Alcohol Ink Artist & Illustrator based in Southern California. I specialize in wildlife subject matter as well as children’s book illustrations. I use a lot of my own identity and experiences to depict what I see in the world. The subject matter is more than an image to me. It represents historical significance to me as an Native American/Indigenous Person, as well as the emotional/spiritual connection we have inherently as living beings to all life on Earth.
I work mostly with non- profit/for profit organizations who are dedicated to cultural and environmental preservation. For example, my most recent children’s book, I Am (scheduled to be released in October 2025), is my debut as an Author and Illustrator. It will be an indigenous language preservation initiative, so I will be working with several different Sovereign Nations of the southwestern US to have it translated and provided to elementary schools and school programs within each of the respective reservation communities.
I think now is a time that is more important than ever that indigenous people feel empowered, and that really starts with finding beauty in who we are authentically. It is a dream come true to provide a space for children to ground themselves spiritually in their native identity.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I remember as a young child, my birthdays began to become less and less of an occasion the older I grew. My parents were not wealthy and as my younger siblings were being born, resources for birthday parties were not as plentiful.
It was my sixth birthday and that year my parents decided that we would not have any party to celebrate.
We had a large camphor tree in the front of the house I grew up in. It was over 30 years old so the foliage attracted bird nests year round. A small chick had fallen from a nest, and my sisters and I asked if we could help raise it. Keep in mind, back then (late ’90’s- early 2000’s), it was widely spread mis-information that by returning the fallen chick to the nest, the parents would reject it, so to us this was our attempt at “saving ” the young bird. My mom said we could keep the chick and we would try to feed it a diet of mashed up dog food mixed with water.
We did not have a microwave at that time, so to warm the mixture, my mother asked me to walk to a neighbors house to use their microwave. I remember carrying the little dish of mash and thinking, somehow, I need to make this day a memory. I walked barefoot across our front lawn to the neighbor’s house (my birthday is in the summertime so it was warm that morning). Even though it was my birthday and I was not having any celebration I knew I needed to do something so that when I was older, I could look back and have a childhood memory. I made up a little song right then and there on the spot. I started singing “I’m six, I’m six, I’m six, I’m six today” in a self composed melody. I even made sure to look down at my bare feet while I walked past my mother’s garden so I could remember the rich soil and sprouting flowers and the memory would be “beautiful too”.
I put so much thought and effort into creating a “lifetime memory”. Looking back it was a truly incredible thing for a child of that age to realize, with intention – you can transcend space and time. I remember envisioning myself in my late twenties/ thirties looking back on the six year old girl I was with so much love and fondness.
I am now 36 and I often think of that song, that memory, and how my six year old self positively influences me still as an adult. She knew it then, I knew it then – and it is an incredible power.
The little chick passed away over the next fews days, but this memory lives on.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Keep going. You are meant for much more than you realize.
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’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I believe that I have a responsibility to maintain a clear pathway to the inherent connection between humanity and all life on Earth.
With every illustration, book, or conversation – that is what I believe I am here to do.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I believe that I am still shedding layers of what I was told to do or be growing up. As indigenous people, we carry the burden of generational shame. My great-grandparents were born before the American Indian Citizens Act of 1924 was passed and were not considered US Citizens before thenBefore 1978, our ceremonies were outlawed, our languages banned, and our presence shunned. They built their lives and my grandparents lives on terms of assimilation and survival. My grandparents in turn, raised my parents similarly.
I was brought up in a household that preached assimilation in terms of needing to fit into the capitalistic sense of success ( go to college to get accredited, get a high paying job to earn high income). But the intention was always to be perceived as successful. What people consider successful is relative and often if you are basing your life success metric of extrinsic validation, you never have the opportunity to validate what truly makes you happy.
I am still learning how to fully release a lot of reliance on external validation so that I can focus on doing what I was born to do in this lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chiffonlark.com
- Instagram: @chiffonlark
- Facebook: @chiffonlarkofficial
- Yelp: Chiffon Lark Art
Image Credits
Derrick Cabico
