TaylorAnn O’Brien, also known as Critch Life, has pursued tufting as an art form, creating vibrant pieces and selling them at local markets. 

O’Brien, a Little Rock native, said, “I’m so comfortable making art and just starting markets has completely changed everything for me. Like I feel like I can finally focus on art more and it’ll be worth it.”

“Markets have probably changed everything because now I can actually kind of see a future with art, and I really didn’t before,” O’Brien said. “I had no idea about markets, but all of the local artists have been so nice, and just people stopping by and talking to me — it’s crazy.”

O’Brien explained markets have been a positive change in her life.

For eight-plus years, I’ve been repairing electronics and taking in negativity from the upset people who broke their things. Markets have been so extremely refreshing and positive,” O’Brien said. “It has shown me how great and important the local community is to me. I have never been surrounded by so much positivity and support.”

O’Brien explained where the name Crith Life came from. 

“It’s really just a word my group of friends made up,” O’Brien said. “It can mean anything, but I really strive on, not really imperfection, but I don’t want everything to be perfect. Nothing is perfect. Sometimes things get critched, and that’s OK — sometimes that’s better.” 

O’Brien said she takes inspiration from local artists such Slugknives ( Jenna Jones), Sugar Tentacle (Sabrina Fountain) and Hazy Mango (Cassidy England).

“I get a lot of inspiration, a lot of it from tattoo artists, probably, but a lot of local artists just inspire me a lot,” she said. “Then just being a 90s kid, I think also kind of shows in my art, I’m so inspired by just all of the colors and creative things from the 90s especially.”

She said she saw people doing tufting online, and that inspired her to get started.

“I got a tufting gun as a Valentine’s Day gift, and I have not stopped tufting since then. It was just something that I started and could not stop. I enjoy it so much,” O’Brien said. 

O’Brien said she has been doing forms of art her whole life. 

“I’ve been so into art my entire life. I’ve done some screen printing for shirts and for bands — but not my own thing. And now I feel like I can totally do my own thing with tufting,” she said. 

O’Brien said her favorite thing she creates are traditional-style flower rugs. 

“I have a couple of them, but that’s again, just tied into all the inspiration I get from all the tattoo artists, even a lot of the local ones. I love them so much,” she said. 

O’Brien said her biggest piece of advice to other artists is “just don’t stop, just keep creating.” 

“Just keep creating. Focus on the positive side. Don’t ever dwell on any of the negativity. Keep creating,” she said. 

O’Brien will be hosting a rug-tufting class from 5-9 p.m. April 8 at Good Day Pottery in Conway. 

“My main focus is on tufting workshops and just inviting anyone to reach out, if they have a space and they want me to pop up there with tufting. I just want to teach as many people as possible,” she said. 

More information about O’Brien’s work can be found on Instagram @critch.life