Soy Artista: Dope Soul Studios creator Izzy Starr

Izzy Starr, the owner of Dope Soul Studios, makes stunningly colorful keychains and stickers that are available online on her Etsy store. Every piece is cute, playful and contains so much detail, an indication of the love and effort Starr puts into her art. 

Born and raised in Tracy, California, Starr has been playing softball competitively since she was 10 years old and as a senior in high school she committed to Humboldt State, now known as Cal Poly Humboldt. She moved to Humboldt in 2019, and has been here ever since.

 “I fell in love with Humboldt before I even got here,” Starr said.

Starr played softball throughout college and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in film in May 2024. She is currently working in Arcata while also making plenty of time to focus on her creative process. She relies on her roots and strong relationships to keep her motivated with her art. 

“Something that inspires me is definitely my parents. My mom and my dad are super hard working people,” Starr said. “They’ve pushed me alot and they’ve always been accepting and excited about all the new stuff and art that I have for them.” 

Starr shared how her brother encouraged her to follow her passions.

“I remember having a conversion actually with my brother that got to an emotional point where, when I was here at college, I wasn’t studying what I wanted to because I was scared that I wasn’t gonna really make an impact or be successful,” Starr said. “He’s younger than me and it hit really hard when he got emotional that he realized I wasn’t doing what I loved to do and what I wanted to do and I wasn’t pursuing it as much as I could.”

For Starr, her journey with art began when she was very young, as her parents and grandmother were into arts and crafts. Her family bought her many books and art supplies as she grew up. Her mother is also a photographer who has a deep love for art and Starr receives plenty of artistic and creative influence from her family members. In addition to making keychains, Starr also loves to paint, draw, watercolor and make digital art.

Another person that Starr credits with supporting her artistic journey is her boyfriend. Starr recalled the heartwarming memory of when he got her an iPad for Christmas a couple years ago, allowing her to further pursue her creative passions. His support and encouragement pushed Starr out of her creative comfort zone and allowed her to challenge herself. She believes that this process has helped her build on her skills and grow as an artist. 

“It was another person who believed in me no matter what,” Starr said. “He’s always excited to see what art I have. He’s always interested in what I’m working on, and I always feel comfortable asking him what I should draw.” 

For now, Starr wants to get her art out into the community and is interested in meeting new people. She has been able to have the experience of being a vendor at a couple of art markets. Having that dynamic of meeting other artists has created an environment of collaboration and affirmation.

“Every single artist that I interacted with was super accepting and super nice,” Starr said. “It’s inspirational and it keeps me motivated.”

You can follow Starr on Instagram @dopesoulstudios.