Team

“Creativity is the ability to modify reality in exciting and interesting ways.” —Amy

Amy Patterson is an artist and content creator for Sparketh’s TikTok and Instagram pages, where she shares art thoughts, tips, and creative motivation on a daily basis. You may also recognize Amy as one of Sparketh’s online art instructors! Amy enjoys the freedom and flexibility of her work with Sparketh and the satisfying work/life balance that comes with being an artist and creative entrepreneur. She also really enjoys being in a constant state of learning. Amy’s favorite artist is Lauren Ys (@squid.licker on Instagram). When she’s not creating, Amy enjoys playing guitar and piano, singing, and riding her motorcycle.

“Creativity means allowing your imagination to run wild, taking chances, and pushing yourself to try new things! It’s letting your brain unleash ideas and implementing them in outlets that speak to you. Creativity is necessary for art! We all have a special something that we can add to the art world!”—Becca

Becca Scoggins is an artist, art educator and the Sparketh Community Host. Becca helps manage posts and create content for Sparketh’s free community for young artists. She creates monthly challenges and gets to interact closely with community members, giving feedback and helping to promote creativity. You may also recognize Becca as the art instructor behind many of the online art courses that students use at home. As an art educator, Becca enjoys connecting with students in the Sparketh Community and seeing the work that students create. She loves giving guidance and motivation to growing artists and helping them connect with and support each other in the Sparketh Community. Becca’s favorite artist is Frida Kahlo because she admires and respects the way that Frida used her own difficult experiences as fuel for her art. Outside of the world of art education, Becca loves thrifting and antiquing. She enjoys expressing herself with fashion and unique items, as well as the “thrill of the hunt” that comes with finding them!

“Creativity is the medium that your inner voice uses to communicate when simple words aren't enough to adequately express your thoughts and ideas. This is why art is able to appeal to the emotions as it has the power to embody a different level of intelligence possessed by all.”—Chantae

Dwayne Walker is the Co-founder and CEO of Sparketh. He develops product vision and finds creative talent, manages the overall Sparketh brand, and collaborates with Tim Samuel (Co-founder of Sparketh) on expanding Sparketh. Dwayne is also a professional artist, and you may recognize him from some of Sparketh’s online art classes! His favorite thing about what he does is getting to see Sparketh’s direct impact on the lives of individuals. He especially loves hearing stories about the real kids who are learning to enjoy art for the first time because of Sparketh. Dwayne’s favorite artist is Leonardo Da Vinci because of how this free-thinking master used his creativity to impact science, medicine, engineering, and many more industries beyond the world of art. Dwayne enjoys continually learning new things, going on adventures around the world, and helping others reach their goals.

“Creativity to me means being different from others, inventing your own style, value and worth.”—Doneka

Dwayne Walker is the Co-founder and CEO of Sparketh. He develops product vision and finds creative talent, manages the overall Sparketh brand, and collaborates with Tim Samuel (Co-founder of Sparketh) on expanding Sparketh. Dwayne is also a professional artist, and you may recognize him from some of Sparketh’s online art classes! His favorite thing about what he does is getting to see Sparketh’s direct impact on the lives of individuals. He especially loves hearing stories about the real kids who are learning to enjoy art for the first time because of Sparketh. Dwayne’s favorite artist is Leonardo Da Vinci because of how this free-thinking master used his creativity to impact science, medicine, engineering, and many more industries beyond the world of art. Dwayne enjoys continually learning new things, going on adventures around the world, and helping others reach their goals.

“Creativity is the ability to think outside the box and solve problems in new, interesting, and unexpected ways.” —Javier

Amy Patterson enjoys the freedom and flexibility of her work with Sparketh and the satisfying work/life balance that comes with being an artist and creative entrepreneur. She also really enjoys being in a constant state of learning. Amy’s favorite artist is Lauren Ys (@squid.licker on Instagram). When she’s not creating, Amy enjoys playing guitar and piano, singing, and riding her motorcycle.

“Creativity allows us to drink in new perspectives and break out of boxes. Being creative also means taking things you’ve learned and putting them together in new ways. When we nurture creativity in ourselves - and in our kids- we are building a more empathetic and innovative future.”—Katie

Kathryn (Katie) Gustafson is Sparketh’s content writer and social media strategist. Katie writes articles for the Sparketh blog and is the voice behind the newsletters and Facebook posts. She also plans and coordinates content strategy for Sparketh’s social media team. Katie loves her work at Sparketh because it allows her to use her creativity to promote something she is passionate about--art and art education for kids! She also enjoys working with a small team of creatives who are talented, passionate and inspiring. Her current favorite artist is Walter Anderson because of the way he drew inspiration from mythology and the intricacies of the natural world. In addition to online articles, Katie enjoys writing poetry and fiction. You can also frequently find her reading, drinking too much coffee, living the rebellious homeschool parent life, or dancing spontaneously.

“Creativity is the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems.”—Kirit

Dwayne Walker is the Co-founder and CEO of Sparketh. He develops product vision and finds creative talent, manages the overall Sparketh brand, and collaborates with Tim Samuel (Co-founder of Sparketh) on expanding Sparketh. Dwayne is also a professional artist, and you may recognize him from some of Sparketh’s online art classes! His favorite thing about what he does is getting to see Sparketh’s direct impact on the lives of individuals. He especially loves hearing stories about the real kids who are learning to enjoy art for the first time because of Sparketh. Dwayne’s favorite artist is Leonardo Da Vinci because of how this free-thinking master used his creativity to impact science, medicine, engineering, and many more industries beyond the world of art. Dwayne enjoys continually learning new things, going on adventures around the world, and helping others reach their goals.

“Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something somehow new and somehow valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible or a physical object.”—Kliment

Dwayne Walker is the Co-founder and CEO of Sparketh. He develops product vision and finds creative talent, manages the overall Sparketh brand, and collaborates with Tim Samuel (Co-founder of Sparketh) on expanding Sparketh. Dwayne is also a professional artist, and you may recognize him from some of Sparketh’s online art classes! His favorite thing about what he does is getting to see Sparketh’s direct impact on the lives of individuals. He especially loves hearing stories about the real kids who are learning to enjoy art for the first time because of Sparketh. Dwayne’s favorite artist is Leonardo Da Vinci because of how this free-thinking master used his creativity to impact science, medicine, engineering, and many more industries beyond the world of art. Dwayne enjoys continually learning new things, going on adventures around the world, and helping others reach their goals.

“Creativity is something that is always happening, and we can choose whether or not to participate in it. Creativity is the reaching for beauty and connectedness. It is a huge source of joy and life for me, and I’m so grateful to instill this trait in young people!”—Maddy

Maddy Hellevik is an artist and an art instructor for Sparketh. She creates many of the videos and lesson plans that Sparketh students use to learn art skills at home. Maddy’s favorite thing about her work with Sparketh is the opportunity to unlock artistic potential in young people and teach them a skill that they will enjoy using for the rest of their lives! Maddy feels that pursuing a career in the arts was the greatest decision of her own life, so she is excited about helping kids discover the joy of art-making for themselves. Her favorite artists are Vincent Van Gogh, David Hockney, and Dana Schutz. When Maddy’s not creating or teaching art, you’ll find her doing all kinds of fun things with friends, family and people she loves (from tennis matches to movie parties).

“Creativity means everything to me. Every day, we are always being creative. Whether it’s creating a painting or being creative when problem solving. Everyone utilizes creativity everyday-- you absolutely do not need to be an artist to be creative!”—Maria

Maria Sandoval is an artist and a content creator for Sparketh’s Youtube channel, where she creates and shares drawing, painting and educational art videos each week. She enjoys the work she does for Sparketh because it involves a lot of drawing and painting--two things she loves to do! Maria’s favorite artist is John William Waterhouse, the Pre-Raphaelite painter who is best known for his depictions of women from Greek and Arthurian legends. When she’s not creating art, Maria can be found student teaching (the final step in her journey to becoming a certified high school art teacher). She also enjoys hiking, eating at new places, and playing with her cat, Daisy.

“Creativity is being curious and willing to learn and fail. it is applying and mixing unusual ideas to create innovative solutions, and it is not exclusive to the art field. Everyone is creative in their own way.”—Rosa

Dwayne Walker is the Co-founder and CEO of Sparketh. He develops product vision and finds creative talent, manages the overall Sparketh brand, and collaborates with Tim Samuel (Co-founder of Sparketh) on expanding Sparketh. Dwayne is also a professional artist, and you may recognize him from some of Sparketh’s online art classes! His favorite thing about what he does is getting to see Sparketh’s direct impact on the lives of individuals. He especially loves hearing stories about the real kids who are learning to enjoy art for the first time because of Sparketh. Dwayne’s favorite artist is Leonardo Da Vinci because of how this free-thinking master used his creativity to impact science, medicine, engineering, and many more industries beyond the world of art. Dwayne enjoys continually learning new things, going on adventures around the world, and helping others reach their goals.

“Creativity means acknowledging that there's an infinite amount of solutions to any problem. To me that is inspiration. When everything looks dire, I get motivated because I know that there are an infinite amount of ways to succeed or beat the odds if I just put my mind to it! I would lose hope if there was no creativity in life.”—Tim

Tim Samuel is the Co-founder and Vice President of Sparketh. He is involved in multiple facets and intricacies of Sparketh, and he can often be found putting out (metaphorical) fires --and planning ahead in case of future fires! Tim loves his work for Sparketh because it involves constantly learning new things, collaborating with a variety of talented creatives, and pushing himself to expand his own creativity. He is also constantly motivated by seeing kids and teens become inspired to be more creative through Sparketh. Tims favorite (musical) artists are J.Cole, Juice Wrld and Bazzi. In his spare time, Tim performs and studies the art of illusion and magic tricks. He also enjoys the world of film and videography. He hopes to make a feature film one day!

“Growing up, I used creativity to navigate the landscape of my emotions to express myself. Creativity was a way for me to have a therapeutic conversation with my inner-self. That conversation changed the way I navigated the outer-world. It gave me the ability to create something from nothing. Like magic…except it’s real.”—Dwayne

Dwayne Walker is the Co-founder and CEO of Sparketh. He develops product vision and finds creative talent, manages the overall Sparketh brand, and collaborates with Tim Samuel (Co-founder of Sparketh) on expanding Sparketh. Dwayne is also a professional artist, and you may recognize him from some of Sparketh’s online art classes! His favorite thing about what he does is getting to see Sparketh’s direct impact on the lives of individuals. He especially loves hearing stories about the real kids who are learning to enjoy art for the first time because of Sparketh. Dwayne’s favorite artist is Leonardo Da Vinci because of how this free-thinking master used his creativity to impact science, medicine, engineering, and many more industries beyond the world of art. Dwayne enjoys continually learning new things, going on adventures around the world, and helping others reach their goals.

Meet the
Sparketh Team

Start watching art courses!

Meet the Sparketh Team

Start watching art courses!

Meet the
Sparketh Team