Eeekk super excited for this one, like I say for all of the interviews. But I am really excited to spill all of the tea about this friendship and getting to work together and maybe a few sneak peaks and hints will be in here...
Your Name: Allison Owens - lols NOT Allison Sketch (even if I did start a rumor ahah you can find out all the details below)
General Bio About You:
I am a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in Visual Communication and a minor in Advertising. I have a passion for storytelling and I love to showcase it through my designs and illustrations. I specialize in graphic design, digital illustration, and fine art. I have recently added live event painting to my services which has allowed me to travel to so many unique events and balls.
Peep Allison with a painting of the Illyrian Mountains she did for a Styled Shoot. This art is straight up just STUNNING!!
What are your passions? Hobbies? (Please tell us about this, if you are a cosplayer, author, or vendor feel free to brag and drop whatever information you would like here!)
Other than art being an obvious hobby of mine, I also have a passion for music. I am a classically trained pianist and grew up taking lessons. I also have a passion for animation and storytelling.
Girlfriend doesn't even touch on her reading as a hobby or all the bookish designs she has been working on. I freaking love everything. I also told Allison moving forward if she was going to keep working with me she had to read all the books to truly understand my visions, and let me just say she did. It is a personal goal to get all my friends to read all the books.
How did you get involved in the books or events community?
I started getting back into reading while on a trip in 2022. I was at a bookstore and I saw a Colleen Hoover book. I wanted to see what the hype was all about so I purchased it! It was so nice reading a book again that I started reading so many other books (thank you BookTok!) I became involved in the book community through Rachel. She asked me to design her invitations for her 2023 Starfall Ball which led to a great friendship and so many other work opportunities. I’m in deep now!
What is your favorite quote (whether book related or not)?
"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." Albus Dumbledore
10/10 not at all surprised about this, Allison is obsessed with Harry Potter. The kind of obsessed where she will get to fly across the country and be a live artist at a Yule Ball! Yay for her!!
What is your “Why?” (interpret this however you would like)?
I have never had the desire for a regular 9 to 5. I have worked in corporate design in the past and although I do enjoy it, it doesn’t even compare to working on my own designs and working one on one with my clients. I am very much an enneagram type 3 and would honestly be bored to tears if I didn’t have big career goals that I was chasing to achieve every day. In fact, when I took a personality test in college my top three personality traits were competitive, achieving, and futuristic (I have a clear idea of how to plan for the future). This usually catches people off guard since I can be quite shy, but when I am in my element I am a whole different person.
Allison is an incredibly talented artist. I totally agree with needing a lot to not get bored. And trust me, I keep her busy! ;)
What are some of your past projects?
I spent 2023 doing illustrations for a children's book for a professional basketball player, working with Rachel on the Starfall Ball, and working a few design contracts.
What are some of your current projects?
I have been so excited to show some of the digital pieces of art that I have been creating, inspired by the SJM girlies. I am doing a Romantasy Illustrated series, a set of "magazine covers" that are shout outs to all the girls. I launched the collection with my own version of Nesta Archeron. Which fun enough, while I designed it, Kris Love inspired the name Romantasy Illustrated and Rachel actually has come up with the majority of the "articles" on the covers. Check out the first one here! I am super excited to be working on even more and releasing them as Rachel announces her character reveals for Calan Mai, just another fun collaboration that we have going. Past that, I'm designing other art pieces, have events coming up and applying for art licensing with a few different authors for future projects.
You guys, I am OBSESSED with all the art pieces that Allison has been working on. I got the first ever Nesta piece of art as a bookmark gift that she gave me for my birthday. She told me she wanted to design more and I was like UMM YES. Also, I am showing y'all this, with ZERO context, but a recent painting Allison did for me for a project!!
Who can be expect to see next?
You shouldn't be surprised if you see the rest of the Archeron sisters, and maybe a few members of the Inner Circle. And maybe if you are REALLY lucky, you will be to see some of the characters who would attend Calan Mai!
Where and how can we meet you?
You can find me at a number of events coming up as well as ALL of RMK's events. My answer will always be yes to her events. Check out 3 upcoming events, but don't worry we have more than this coming too!! :)
If you had an anthem (song about who you are) what would it be?
The Curb Your Enthusiasm theme. Sometimes my life feels like one long sitcom episode.
What is your favorite book and why?
The Invention of Hugo Cabret. It’s a children’s historical fiction book about a young orphan who lives in the walls of a train station in Paris. Not only does Hugo make repairs to the clocks in the station but he is also trying to repair an automaton which was left by his late father. Hugo believes that in fixing the machine he will uncover a secret message that his father had been searching for. Working on the automaton leads him into situations and to meet people he never would’ve imagined meeting.
Not the fact that my actual favortie book of all time is also a children's book, Frakenstein.
On the flip side, what is a book that you really just do not recommend?
We’ll Always Have Summer. This is the 3rd book in the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy and I hated just about every way that it ended. Dumb plot, dumb characters, and 0 satisfaction. It had character UNdevelopment. It’s not my favorite book series, but I at least enjoyed the first 2 books.
OMG, I might have fallen 100% in love with Allison becuase of this comment. While the show might not suck, tbh it isn't actually the best, it is no where near as bad as these books are. I wrote an entire blog dedicated to my distaste for these books. And if anyone wants to come at me for these books being Young Adult, I know that, I knew that when I read them. I expected the immaturity, but Belly literally gets to be more awful AS she ages. The show make half the things she did not as bad. You get second hand embarrassment in the show, but the book is straight up bad. I will never forget the 2nd book and how Belly treated Conrad and Jer when it was THEIR mom who died, and the fact that she told them to go to Hell at the funeral. Like that was embarrassing to read, that made me beyond mad. I couldn't believe that they both forgave her and both freaking still loved her after that. Again, I have A LOT of strong opinions about these books lols, and Allison was in the same boat as me, making me not feel alone.
Is there a particular book or character that you have carried with you, or severely impacted you?
Evelyn Hugo has a special place in my heart because it was one of the books that got me back into reading. We also have very similar personality types (enneagram type 3) and I love her ambition and drive for success (although I question some of her methods haha).
Are you a fan of the “Playlists” feature that many new books are having, why or why not?
I haven’t read any books that include a playlist but I have seen them and I think that the idea is really cool!
What has been the biggest blessing in being a part of this community or in the world of social media for you?
Besides the endless book recommendations, I have been so blessed by all of the friends and connections that I have made. It has also led to so many amazing work opportunities and experiences for me.
Okay, yet again, Allison is underselling herself. She literally told me just the other day "it's kinda like bookish events have become my entire career". Did she expect this, nope. Is she loving it, yes!! If you asked Allison and I both a year ago if this is what she thought she would be doing, I think the answer would have been no. Funny enough, I almost didn't work with her. Not because I don't love her, I do. But, I has this vision for the Starfall invites and knew what I wanted and for the most part could design them myself, but I ended up going out of the country for 3 months for work and without a doubt knew that I did not have the time to design on top of everything else I was doing. So, I hired Allison for a one off project. Well, then I kept seeing this trend of having live art at events, and decided, that could be cool. I started the conversation of, "super random, buttttt would you be interested in this?" and she started drawing and one project rolled into another, and one event into another, and now we are several deep. Allison isn't just a team member of mine, she is truly a best friend of mine now. Funny enough, Allison has become a huge influence for me and my brand and someone I don't know how I didn't have in my life before. I also want to share the love, I've been having a lot of meet ups with followers lately and Allison has been there for a bunch of them, getting to meet people in the community and make new friendships too, it is so sweet to see the community I am building in person.
What is your favorite book trope and your least favorite?
I love a good enemies to lovers plot. I don’t have a least favorite trope but I hate when they are lazily done.
What is your story with RMK Events by Rachel (whether a particular event, specific story, experience, convo, etc - again interpret however you want)?
I met Rachel in college when we were both living in College Station. We had a mutual friend (my roommate and a childhood friend of hers). We would hang out occasionally and always had fun. We reunited earlier this year because we both had very similar “business/entrepreneurial” mindsets and needed a work buddy (aka more social interaction lol). We immediately hit it off even more than we did the first time because of how like minded we are in our interests and goals. I wouldn’t be where I am in my business without her.
Eekkk as Allison said, I've actually known her since our freshman year of college. Funny enough we have known of each other for a few years before that even because of our mutual friend Riley. I hit on how Allison and I started working together last year, but the reality is that I came back in August and was no longer working my full time job, taking my business full time. Allison also didn't have a full time job, as her business was already hers. Well, as she said we both had the business and entrepreneurial spirits and well it just clicked immediatley. We started with out first in person meet up in YEARS in August, where we met at Ampersand and worked, and then it became the next week, then the next, sometimes being more than once a week. Well, it just became a regular thing until Starfall. And then after Starfall we still did it, we slowed down for second in the holiday season, but picked right back up in the new year. Funny enough, we both thrived off our meet ups, as we both work heavily on our computers. And somehow everything got easier for me, I had someone to read off my weekly accomplishments to, give my To Do list too, discuss event ideas and collaborations, we both are really creative and it just worked for each other. I really don't even think we hardly go a day without texting each other anymore, which is so funny because I'm not really a talk to people through the phone, I prefer in person.
What is your prediction for the next SJM book title?
A Court of Sun and Shadows
Again, I said it in Halaynes interview but I'll say it again, I'm going to have a poll and bet for these names lols.
What is your most controversial SJM opinion?
Hahah I don't really have any controversial opinions, I read these for fun and at the end of the day I am definitely just here for the vibes!
In preparation of th the next SJM book, we all think it is going to be about Elain Archeron. Who do you want Elain to end up with?
I love the idea of it being Tamlin and Lucien has been covering for him. Tamlin and Elain are so similar. I also think Lucien deserves the world and I don't like the idea of his mate hating him.
Hehe kid you not this is one of my favorite questions to ask lately. I actually love it when people don't want Elain and Lucien together. I agree, I think Lucien should have someone who wanted him from the beginning. And SJM presented the idea that you can reject the mating bond, and I genuinely think that would be wild and something very "Sarah" to do. It is always interesting to learn what everyone else thinks. Now, don't get me wrong, I want to see Lucien happy, I want to see him in love, but I'm not sure as of now I see him being that with Elain. I feel like her is constantly thinking he serves her and trying to earn her. Now, Elain also isn't in the right in how she treats him at all. I really just can't wait for some more POV's and to be able to read what they are thinking and feeling: Elain, Lucien and hopefully both Tamlin and Azriel.
What are you most looking forward to reading and experiencing in 2024?
More events! I also am planning to start the Throne of Glass series for the first time and I am STOKED.
Again, she is totally not giving you a ton becuase she is so humble, so fine I'll just brag some more. Allison has A LOT coming up. We have a Styled Shoot on May 1, which Allison has designed the invitation suites before, she is also designing the Calan Mai marketing. Then later in May, Allison will be the live artist at Alluxia's Starfall Ball, she also has two or three other events she is doing this year with other event companies. Past that, she will be teaching an art class at my Cottage Core Picnic in June. She will be at my Threshing Party and Ball in January in 2025. AND she is on my team for a SUPER SECRET project that we both got recruited to work on...y'all I CANNOT wait to announce this and release details EEKKK, here is a hint: it is another event (but it is a collaboration :)!
Man overall, you should all go follow Allison on social media, her socials are all @allisonssketchbook and funny enough her last name is in fact not Sketch. I probably accidentally started that rumor.... and by probably I mean, I did. To be fair, I have always known her last name, BUT my sisters name is also Allison, they are both blondes with blue eyes. And with my friends Riley, I just say blonde, brown or red to tell people who I am talking about. I cannot do that with the Allisons. So I started saying Allison Sketch and well apparently I started the rumor that it was her last name and people call her that AAHAH. You're welcome for that. For the people super close to us, I can call my sister Allison, Turkey or Turk (what I say more often than anything) and it totally works. When we are on the Internet it's a bit weird to talked about Sketch vs Turkey lols, it has gotten some funny comments on our stories. But well, now you got to learn a little bit more about both of us. But seriously, make sure you check her out.
Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you!! And yes I gave myself 5 stars so what?