We spoke with Kristy Vidamour online in Milan, where she currently lives and works. In 2014, Kristy was awarded highly commended in the dot-art Schools competition as a Year 9 student at Range High School. She recounts how it felt to be recognised: 

“…it was a very special moment for me and it’s still a big thing in my career, a big achievement. I remember the build-up to it. I had this teacher called Mr Banks who was an amazing art teacher. He was very supportive throughout the whole thing. 

I remember I spent weeks on this drawing. Every single day after school, I’d go and draw this piece. I really put so much effort into this piece of artwork. 

On the prize giving day, I was very nervous all the students did such amazing pieces of artwork, and then when I was called for the award, I honestly couldn’t believe it. And to be featured in the Walker Art Gallery that I’ve been to many times before, that was a very special moment for me.” 

Did winning make you feel any differently about art and doing art at school? 

“I was always drawing… but that piece of artwork really taught me how to be extremely focused on one thing and spend hours on one piece. 

It really showed me what I could do… that was my best piece of artwork I’d done. I think my drawing skills really elevated. Also, the fact that it was exhibited in a gallery, it felt really professional and showed me that I could keep aiming higher in my career.” 

Were you already studying art or hoping to study art at that point? 

“I’d always wanted to be an artist…so obviously art was my favourite subject in school. And then when I was eight, I decided I wanted to be a fashion designer. But still now to this day, both art and fashion design are very high up, they’re both my passions.” 

I studied photography, fine art, and textiles at A-level. I did an art foundation course then I went to university to study fashion design in Leeds. My big achievement after the dot-art Schools was that my collection was published in the Daily Telegraph, which was unbelievable for me.” 

“I’ve recently finished my Master’s in Fashion Design. I got a scholarship here in Milan.” 

Kristy’s graduation photo wearing a traditional wreath on her head. Remind you of anything? Examples of her fashion collection photos below.

Do you think that art feeds into the design work that you do? 

“A lot of fashion designers, we’re constantly sketching and stuff, so it’s very interconnected with each other. I still do artwork in my free time, and recently I made some small sculpture, so I’m always exploring different creative things. I still consider myself an artist. This is my perspective on fashion design. I still feel like, in a lot of ways, it is an art also.” 

Advice for Young Creatives 

Kristy encourages young creatives to stay true to their vision, not be discouraged by rejection, and find supportive communities. 

“I’m very lucky that my parents have always supported me throughout my creative career, but I know not everybody has support behind them. So, that’s why it’s very important. Creative teachers, they really make a big difference to you. I have some creative teachers that I’ll always remember, because they were so supportive. A good teacher is so, so valuable…especially because us creatives don’t always do very well in school, academically. I’m dyslexic myself, so we often get pushed to the side or labelled, so to have a teacher that really believes in you, it makes the world of difference.” 

“To the teachers, just know that you can make a really big impact on the students that you teach. They will remember you forever.” 

Is there anything you’d say to students about how to think about their artwork? 

I think you need to really think about the concept, go for something that really resonates with you and makes an impact in yourself, like mine was the last of the tribal men, and what I did is I combined multicultural influences together, and it’s still quite apparent in my own work today. 

“If you’re going to do this contest, really give yourself a chance, because you feel so proud afterwards, even if you don’t get an award, you feel so proud for all of that effort, and it really shows you what you could do in the future.” 

“Another message I have for young creatives is you have to drop the fear of rejection. You can’t win everything. And if you don’t get rejected, the wins aren’t so good. We get rejected. People don’t like our work. You have to really learn how to deal with that and just brush it off then you can go on to create something better.” 

“I think as an artist, you learn to not care what anybody else thinks, because if you listen to everybody else, then nothing special will come out in your work because at the end of the day, it’s not you. It’s not your vision.” 

“As an artist, you have something to say that’s from yourself. For me it’s a balance of trying to listen to other people and then put my own vision because I do think sometimes a teacher tells you something that you’re not quite sure why they’re telling you to do it this way and then later on you realise, and then you’re like oh I learned something from that. Other times they tell you to do something and if you have a strong reaction to it, like no that’s not what I’m trying to convey, that’s not me, then definitely go with that, don’t try to impress other people.” 

“Another thing I’d say to creative people is we usually are the weird ones, the odd ones. The young ones try to fit in a lot, but I’d just say that to be different is your strength. Try to surround yourself with other creative people, people that really understand you, because it can be quite hard for a young creative person to feel like they have their place in the world.” 

Do you think doing competitions like dot-art Schools is worthwhile? 

“Definitely, 100%. Because it’s very professional, it puts you into a professional space, and as I said, I’d never produced anything like that up until that point. I’d always been drawing, but really to just have that focus and mindset, and thinking I really want to achieve this, that was a big eye-opener for me. That made me able to go on and enter competitions and say, yeah, let’s give this a go. And sometimes you have failures, but that was really the start of me pushing myself to do more.” 

The value of creative competitions 

Kristy believes competitions provide professional context and external validation that can be pivotal for young artists. She advises students to approach these opportunities with dedication, as the process itself is valuable regardless of outcome. 

“I think creative people really do get left behind in the schooling system, especially the fact that a lot of us are dyslexics and have other learning disabilities. We grow up thinking that we’re stupid and that we won’t ever do well in school. I can’t believe I’m sitting here today with a masters! 

“The biggest point of the competition for me because I never did well in school, but this achievement was amazing, so it made me much more confident in myself.” 

Kristy’s Future Plans 

Kristy completed her master’s degree in Milan and was chosen for Graduate Italia Fashion Week, showcasing graduating fashion students’ work. She’s building her portfolio and entering competitions with the goal of becoming a creative director while continuing her artistic practice. 

Follow Kristy Vidamour on Instagram @vidamour.world