Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Amy Baffa of Surprise

We recently had the chance to connect with Amy Baffa and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
The latest calling I’ve felt is to truly step into the world and allow myself to be seen for who I am. For so much of my life, I carried the weight of maintaining an image—believing love depended on how well I performed or what I projected. It often felt like a transaction with the universe. But now, I understand that simply being me is enough.

With that realization comes a new courage to share my gifts—my art—with the world. I’ve been creating for ten years, but this calling is different. It asks me to share fearlessly. To share without worrying if I am “too much” or “not enough.” To release the doubt that my art may not be good enough, and instead, to honor the truth that I am completely worthy of love and expression exactly as I am. This has really leveled up my experience as an artist as of late. The fear is slowly melting away – though it hasn’t been an easy journey, it’s been worth every step.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Amy Baffa, and I’m an artist who works with acrylic paintings, stone art, and micron pen on paper. I’ve also created a coloring book and a brand called Wild Spirit Arizona, which celebrates the wild spirit within us all and our deep connection to the desert’s creatures, both big and small. Wild Spirit Arizona is about honoring that bond—and, in the future, I hope to expand it to support wildlife conservation. I already have a few local wildlife rescues in mind where I’d love to donate a portion of sales from my coloring book, prints, and merchandise.

Beyond my Wild Spirit Arizona series, I create a wide variety of art products, all available through my website. I’ve also founded an Art Mentor Program for children, where I guide kids through a creative hour of self-discovery—helping them build confidence, passion, and belief in themselves as artists.

Outside of art, I’m a dedicated dog mom, model, and personal trainer. I have many passions, and while I sometimes struggle to focus on just one, I’ve learned to embrace them all. Still, art is my heart’s center—and it’s been incredible to watch it grow into something I can share with the world.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My dad. As a little girl, he always encouraged me to be myself and helped me explore my passions. Although he struggled with addiction and the heavy weight of his job at Perryville prison, the love he showed me in the moments we shared meant everything. He was a brilliantly talented artist, too, and he constantly told me how strong and special I was. In those moments, I truly felt seen and loved by him. Along with my pets, he was one of my safe places.

In 2016, he passed away from complications of alcoholism. Even now, years later, I still feel his love. I still hear his encouragement, reminding me not to be afraid to chase my dreams. I like to think of him saying, “What if instead of falling, you fly?”

Today, I carry that strength with me. Because of him, I see myself as strong, capable, powerful, and enough. I also still have all of his artwork, which feels like a treasure chest of his spirit. And fun fact: I paint on his vintage easel. It’s like a piece of his magic lives on through every brushstroke of my own creations, the artist legacy lives on.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Honestly, while I’ve spoken about much of what I’ve overcome from my childhood, I had never truly felt it in my body, or allowed myself to release it. After spending 19 years in an abusive home and many more in toxic or codependent situations, I finally found myself in my own apartment, living my own life—free.

It’s only been in the last few months that I’ve begun to embrace my pain fully, along with every feeling that comes with it, and it has been the most transformative experience. For so long, I ran from pain—using distractions, coping mechanisms, anything to avoid feeling it. That’s such a human thing to do, and I know many of us can relate. But when I finally leaned in and allowed myself to feel everything, I discovered something powerful: embracing my pain actually took away its control.

It’s almost as if by accepting it, I loosened its grip, and in that letting go, I reclaimed my own power. To support this process, I’ve leaned into Peter Levine’s work, IFS, and EMDR. I’ve learned not to fear heavy feelings anymore—because even when the storm feels overwhelming, it always passes. And when it does, I wake up clearer, lighter, and more motivated than before.

It’s a beautiful thing: pain no longer defines me. Instead, it fuels me.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
Okay, this might be a little silly, but honestly—Aubrey Plaza. I adore her. Obviously, she’s an actress and I don’t know her personally, but her whole vibe just reminds me to let go and be silly. And that’s something I really need.

I can be a perfectionist, I overthink, and I’m a little OCD, so her chill, quirky, unapologetic energy feels like this gentle reminder: it’s okay to relax, it’s okay to be weird, it’s okay to just be. She inspires me to not take myself too seriously and to lean into freedom and playfulness in life.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I love this question, because I think our society doesn’t reflect on the end enough. We spend so much time fearing death, pretending we’re immortal, as if it’s something distant that will never arrive. But the truth is, it can happen at any moment. We think we have time, so we put off the love, the joy, the happiness.

When I think of the end, I hope people remember me for my art and the love I tried to share. Maybe they’ll smile at my silliness, remember how much I adored my dogs, or think of the ways I tried to help—whether as a personal trainer, through a fun modeling shoot, or simply through the love we shared in everyday life.

Most of all, I hope they’ll tell stories of my passion for living. I want them to feel the love that was poured into every piece of art I made, because I know that one day, my art will stand as my legacy. Each piece holds a little piece of me, a little piece of love I offered to the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wildspiritarizona.com
• Instagram: @amylynne117 or @amyarttings

Image Credits
First two photos: Annaliese Youngblood Lost Buffalo Photography, Last set of photos: James Green Imperfect Studios