Becky Bokern
Age 49-Belleville,IL
Creativity That Deepens With Time
I’ve always admired Becky’s creative spirit, but spending time with her in conversation gave me a deeper appreciation for how art and life intersect. Her story reflects what so many women experience in midlife — balancing responsibility with passion, and finding ways to keep creativity present and meaningful.
How have time and experience shaped the way you create today? That question is at the heart of this conversation with Becky.
Becky’s First Big Shift: Love, Motherhood, and Identity
Becky was 24 when she met her husband, Eric — three days after her birthday — through an online dating profile, long before dating apps were the norm.
“I always joke that I met my husband on the internet 25 years ago,” she says. They connected quickly, moved in together within months, and were married nine months later in Las Vegas. But while marriage was meaningful, Becky’s biggest transformation came with motherhood.
She became a mother at 27 and immediately knew she wanted to stay home with her daughter, Sade. “I went from just being Becky… to being Mom. Everything in my life revolved around her — when she slept, when I cleaned, when I rested.”
Sade’s early years brought unexpected challenges. She didn’t walk until nearly three. Speech came later than expected. Sensory sensitivities and anxiety shaped daily life in ways Becky never anticipated. “This isn’t typical parenting,” Becky explains. “It’s caretaking — just a different kind.”
And yet, she never frames it as sacrifice. “I’m her mom. I did what I needed to do.”
Becoming “that mom” -and Loving it
For more than a decade, Becky was deeply embedded in her daughter’s world. She led playgroups, volunteered in classrooms, served as a Girl Scout leader, and became a familiar face in her community. “I still have people come up to me and say, ‘You’re Sade’s mom.’”
That identity — being needed, being present — shaped her deeply. But like many women, Becky eventually felt another shift forming beneath the surface.
Creativity as a Constant Thread
Long before art became her profession, creativity was Becky’s anchor. She crocheted, knitted, beaded, and worked with fiber arts for years. Crafting wasn’t just a hobby — it was how she processed the world. “I hurt my wrist crocheting, so I taught myself to knit. Different muscles. Different rhythm.”
That adaptability — learning new techniques rather than quitting — would later define her artistic career.
Second Act Begins — Unexpectedly
When Sade was around 13, Becky began spending time at a local bead and yarn shop during school hours. What started as casual participation slowly evolved into a role. “They needed a crochet instructor. Then someone quit. Then suddenly I was on the schedule.” Her boundaries were clear: she was a mom first. The shop worked around her life, not the other way around.
Eventually, Becky became the shop’s inventory manager — updating the website’s inventory, managing the yarn department, teaching classes, and assisting with workshops, — all while maintaining flexibility.
“It worked because it fit my life — not because I forced my life to fit a job.”
Act 3-Creativity as Survival — and Self-Reclamation
Becky has always been creative: crochet, knitting, beading, fiber arts. But midlife — and grief — unlocked something deeper.
After losing her mother, Becky reached a turning point. “My whole life, I was told I wasn’t good enough. I was fat. I was never quite right. And one day I thought — I’m going to do something for me.” That decision led her to an unexpected world: gel printing, a layered, tactile printmaking process that combines paint, stencils, texture, and chance.
“I saw it on YouTube and thought, what is this? I continued to watch. Gel printing immediately resonated with her background in fiber arts and printmaking.
“It’s experimental. It’s imperfect. You don’t fully control the outcome — and that’s the beauty of it.” What began as curiosity turned into courage.
“I thought, I can do this.” She reached out — nervously — to a well-known art studio. They weren’t actively recruiting designers, but they agreed to see her work. The response surprised her. “They told me yes.”
Today, Becky is a paid, published stencil and stamp designer, earning royalties on her work and collaborating with internationally known artists.
“I can say it now — I’m a professional artist.”
Inside Becky’s Art Process
Becky’s work begins digitally and physically at the same time. She designs stencils and stamps using a combination of digital art tools and hands-on testing. While some artists submit designs purely on screen, Becky insists on cutting and using her own designs before submitting them.
“Something can look great on a computer and completely fail in real life. I won’t send it unless I’ve tested it.” Her stencils are cut on specialized synthetic paper designed for alcohol inks — thin enough to layer, durable enough to reuse — allowing artists to build complex textures and compositions.
Once a stencil is finalized, it’s submitted to the studio, where it’s manufactured and sold worldwide. Becky earns royalties on every piece sold.
“I still get excited when someone posts work using my design.”
Art That Invites Interpretation
A defining feature of Becky’s work is ambiguity. Her designs are intentionally open-ended. “Someone might see a guitar. Someone else sees a flower. Someone else sees something totally different — and all of them are right.”
Many of her most popular designs came from moments of doubt. “One of my best-selling stencils almost didn’t get submitted because I thought it was too simple.” It’s now her top seller.
Layering Meaning Into the Work
Becky’s art is personal — sometimes invisibly so.
She incorporates subtle references: birthdays encoded into barcode-style designs, symbols pulled from her work environment, feminist imagery, Pride motifs, and playful subversion. “I like to sneak parts of myself into the work.”
Her process mirrors her life philosophy: layering experiences, adapting, repurposing, and letting meaning emerge over time.
From Prints to Wearable Art
Becky doesn’t stop at paper. She transforms gel prints into paper beads, jewelry, artist trading cards, and mixed-media pieces — often combining techniques across disciplines. Her jewelry reflects the same philosophy as her art: asymmetrical, layered, textural, and one-of-a-kind. “If you look at it for five minutes and keep noticing new details — that’s the goal.”
Examples of Becky’s Work
To fully understand Becky’s artistry, it helps to see how her ideas translate into finished pieces. Her work spans paper, printmaking, jewelry, and mixed media — often crossing boundaries between disciplines.
Gel Prints & Stencil-Based Art
Becky’s gel prints are layered, textured, and intentionally imperfect. Using her own stencils and stamps, she builds compositions through repetition, subtraction, and transparency. Each print is the result of multiple passes — paint applied, lifted, reworked, and sometimes partially erased.
Common themes in her prints include:
Repeating dots and circles inspired by pop art
Organic, abstract shapes open to interpretation
Feminist and symbolic imagery woven subtly into the design
Signature Stencils & Stamps
Becky designs original stencils and foam stamps that are manufactured and sold internationally through a professional art studio. These tools are used by mixed‑media artists around the world.
Popular designs include:
Bold dot and circle patterns
Abstract motifs that can be rotated or layered for different effects
Playful, symbolic shapes that invite personal interpretation
Many of her best‑selling designs started as experiments she nearly didn’t submit — a reminder that simplicity, when done well, is powerful.
Wearable Art: Paper Beads & Jewelry
Becky transforms her gel prints into wearable art by rolling them into paper beads, then incorporating them into bracelets, necklaces, and mixed‑media jewelry.
Her jewelry style is:
Asymmetrical and layered
Textural, with mixed materials
Designed so the eye continues to discover new details
Each piece is one of a kind — meant to be examined, worn, and enjoyed rather than mass‑produced.
Artist Trading Cards & Mixed Media
Another outlet for Becky’s creativity is artist trading cards — small, collectible works exchanged with artists around the world. These pieces often include:
Gel‑printed backgrounds
Collage elements from books or ephemera
Handwritten phrases or found text
They serve as both creative practice and global connection.
Recognition Without Losing the Joy
Today, Becky collaborates with internationally known artists, earns royalties, hosts workshops, and is part of a global creative community.
She’s been paid to teach, invited to participate in artist events, and featured by major craft brands.
And yet, she remains grounded.
“I’d still do this if I wasn’t getting paid. The money just tells me I’m good at what I do.”
Where to Find Becky & Explore Her Work Online
Becky shares her work across several platforms, each offering a different window into her creative world — from finished pieces to process, personality, and wearable art.
Becky actively shares her work, process, and collaborations online. Readers who want to explore more — or follow along — can find her here:
Instagram: Visual portfolio of Becky’s gel prints, stencils, jewelry, mixed media work, and daily creative inspiration
YouTube: Live streams demonstrating gel printing, stencil use, mixed-media techniques, and Becky’s real-time creative process
Linktree: Central hub with all of Becky’s creative platforms, shops, collaborations, and affiliate links
TeePublic Shop: Original designs available as print-on-demand apparel, stickers, and accessories — a playful extension of Becky’s art and humor
PM Artist Studio (Stencils & Stamps): Becky’s original stencil and stamp designs, sold internationally through PM Artist Studio and used by mixed-media artists around the world
👉 https://pmartiststudio.com/?s=Becky+Bokern&post_type=product
The Bead Place: Local bead and yarn shop where Becky teaches classes, manages inventory, and supports workshops — a cornerstone of her creative community
What Becky’s Story Teaches Us
Becky didn’t chase a master plan. She didn’t monetize her passion right away. She didn’t even believe in herself at first.
She followed curiosity — and allowed herself to grow.
That’s what Glow Into is about.
Not reinvention for show. Not success for approval. But becoming who you were always capable of being — when you’re finally ready.
Contact Becky
Becky welcomes genuine connection and creative conversation.
Please contact her directly through Instagram:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/tafkabecky23/
She regularly responds to messages related to her art, classes, collaborations, and creative projects.
