Meet Rebecca Burke | Mixed Media Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Burke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I don’t think I could do anything else, to be honest. I’ve always been drawn to the arts- I had a lot of unsupervised free time as a kid and that led to a vast amount of hobbies.. I used to watch my dad do handy little DIY’s around the house, and I took the skills I learned from that and applied it to different mediums. I was always taking junk and turning it into slightly prettier junk- now that I’m an adult I get to call it art! I’ve got ADHD, so I never really stuck with one medium growing up and I still haven’t now; I sort of ping-pong from different projects until each one is completed. Some take years, some take hours. It all depends on how long my attention span is for the day.
I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) a few years ago, and that also plays a major role in why I chose an artistic career. One of my main obsessions is perfection; everything within my control has to be perfect. (Except not really.) (But really!)
So what is my idea of perfection? I couldn’t tell ya! I’ll work myself into oblivion until it just feels right. That’s the compulsive part. You don’t really even know you’re doing it until someone points it out. You don’t really even stop until you’re satisfied.
A pattern I’ve observed within myself is the need for everything to be balanced and beautiful. It’s just in my nature, I can’t help it and I’ve never been good at explaining it. I think that’s why I take so long on many of my projects – “if it isn’t finished, then of course it’s not perfect. You can’t fully judge its beauty until it’s done. And if I never finish it, then it’ll remain perfect in my head. I can see it in there, so why bring it out here?”
Sounds a bit bonkers to me, but I’m the one thinking it! I don’t quite understand the way OCD and ADHD make my brain think, and I don’t think I’m anywhere near figuring it out. I’ve been expressing this conundrum through my art- that’s why I chose this path. I often think too much and feel too much and it spills out of me.
If I don’t understand it, maybe there’s someone out there that does. And if they don’t understand it, maybe they can find meaning from it. That’s what art is, no? You’re supposed to look at art and feel something- the amazing thing is that it’s different for everyone.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well, I definitely have the “tortured artist” trope going on- but that’s not too groundbreaking. At the beginning of my journey I completely lost myself; I was on far too many pills and surrounded by far too many people.. I was screaming so loudly but no one was listening. Seeing dozens of therapists and psychiatrists wondering, “What is wrong with me? Why am I like this? Why can’t I fix myself?” What I failed to realize is that I was fixing myself- I just couldn’t see it at the time. I poured my pain, my joy, every emotion- into my art. I used to call this period “my ascent into madness.”
If I had never lost my mind I don’t think I would have found a career in art. I am endlessly learning more and more about myself as time goes by. The mediums I use are my different emotions- earrings are my happiness, doodles are my sadness, collages are my confusion… At times they bleed into each other.
I can’t help but pay too much attention to every detail… Damned OCD. I make sure no two pieces are alike- in order for it to be “perfect,” it has to be imperfect. I am quite tedious about my process. I value every step along the way- right down to the quality of paper I use. (Plantable seed paper fyi)
I am most proud of how far I’ve come. When I started Oddball, I was a broke college student (still am!) trying to figure my life out. Because funds were so tight I turned to different methods on how to make earrings and art- that led me to my Oddball Recycled collection! I love taking objects and repurposing them~ It’s like a second chance at life.
I view my artistic journey like a toddler stumbling around- creating chaos everywhere I go. Sometimes people enjoy the mess, sometimes they don’t! I somehow managed to get enough people to take me seriously and now I’ve got a business to run.
Oddball is the person I’ve always dreamed of being. She is all of my failures and all of my successes. She is my reminder that progress is not always linear. Oddball is.. well, Me!

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.
The first Denton staple that comes to mind is the Chairy Orchard. I take everyone here. I never tell them upfront what it is- so it’s only right that I don’t tell you. Go check it out! You won’t be disappointed. I’ve lived downtown for 3 years now and the square never ceases to amaze me. There’s plenty of hidden gems- get lost in Recycled Books and Records, find amazing trinkets at the Downtown Mini Mall, grab a coffee at Jupiter House, get some ice cream at Beth Marie’s, I could go on and on! Just a little off of the square is Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios~ there’s always great music going on there.
My favorite hidden gem is what I call the “Thinking Circle.” The official name on google is “Labyrinth,” which is probably a better name but I’ve got my quirks. It’s located at the corner of E. Sycamore St. and Wainwright St. It’s a small concrete maze pattern in the shape of a circle- the idea is that you come to the circle with any problems weighing you down… You follow the path until you get to the middle and then turn around and follow the path out. By the time you’ve completed the circle, hopefully you will have discovered new insights about your troubles! If you haven’t, turn your butt around and do it all again!
I always end my guest visits with a trip to Golden Boy Coffee- my dog is kind of a regular there and the coffee and atmosphere is amazing. I’m not sure if the baristas even know my name, but they sure as hell know Gorgi! Everyone there has my heart- one cup of Matcha at a time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I had the absolute pleasure of running an afterschool care program for a local school up here in Denton; without a doubt one of my biggest inspirations is the children I got to work with throughout the years. I never had a conventional childhood- when I started working with kids I wanted to be a figure for them that I never had growing up. Within that I found myself and a new sense of purpose. I began making earrings and would wear them to work to impress the kids; I always wanted to be that fun quirky art teacher. No matter what project I made, what crafts I brought, different videos I played- they were always so happy and excited to do it.
“Miss Becca, how did you get so good at this?”
It was the first time in my life that I started to believe in myself. I never thought of myself as “good” at things, let alone running an elementary school program. I began to bring all of my art supplies to work and would let the kids go crazy with it. They inspired me, I inspired them- it was really just a beautiful sight to see. I would bring their projects home and turn them into charms or earrings.. Kids never care about how “perfect” something is, they just adore the art of the craft. I worked with Kindergarten through 5th grade, so there was never a shortage of excitement in working with them. They’ve taught me so many valuable lessons that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. Because of them I have a very kid-like nature when I view the world; I wouldn’t change it for anything.

I obviously have to also shout out my friends and family for always encouraging me as well. I would never have had the balls to do this if it weren’t for the consistent pestering of my sister, all of Stroud house, and all of the amazing artists I’ve met here in Denton.
LLYAS!

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