We had the good fortune of connecting with Dara Kay Barker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dara Kay, is there something you believe many others might not?
“A jack of all trades is a master at none” is one of those pieces of conventional wisdom that has plagued me for years…I am one of those people who is interested and curious about lots of different disciplines…from law to pedagogy to art…but I always felt like a dabbler even if I took the discipline seriously because I knew I’d move on to another interest and dive in there for a brief period. I was always envious of those people who became “experts” at their passion. But at some point a few years ago, I realized that my excitement and interest in lots of different areas is really it’s own blessing. It’s fun to get pretty competent at lots of things. I think my constitution is such that I’d be bored with only being an expert at one thing…so I resolved to just keep trying new things. It’s ok to have varied interests!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have officially made the transition from law professional / academic to designer/artist as a second career and it was not easy! The biggest challenges were in my head, of course how we are raised to think about careers and success. But like any person raised in an academic setting, the way forward was through learning. Took design classes, architecture, painting, etc. etc. I learned to just try stuff…creative disciplines are so different than traditional academic pursuits. Trial and error in the arts is the only way forward…and it’s messy! In academia, perfection is valued, but in the arts, that is not the case. I’d love people to know that it’s ok to have many different interests and the only thing you need to do is hold yourself accountable to try out your interests. You may be bad at things, or you may discover that you don’t even like your hobby. But if you don’t try, you won’t know. What is that Wayne Gretzky quote? “You miss all the shots you never take?”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The best thing is Southern California is the landscape and tacos! I’d take my guest on a hike in Pacific Palisades over Temescal Canyon for the gorgeous views, and maybe up the coast to Santa Barbara. Along the way I’d eat at Coazon Cantina at the Public Market in Santa Barbara (delish) or Arigato for sushi.

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?
So many people…Robyn Coles for art, Judge Amy Pellman for teaching and my husband, Conan Barker, for supporting all my weird interests.

Website: Darabarkerdesigns.com , defining space & style (new site coming)

Instagram: @ darabarkerdesigns.@defining.space.and.style

Image Credits
Kelly Sweeda Photography

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