Sharon Strange on Making Crystal the Creep: Animation, Vlog Storytelling and Creative Freedom

Sharon Strange brings a lifelong ambition to become a cartoonist and a personal interest in spirituality to Crystal the Creep: Chronicles of a Creep. Working across writing, producing, directing, acting, editing and animation, she developed a short that combines animated cutaways with the intimacy of a vlog. Its protagonist, a cartoonist who also works as a lightworker, reflects Strange’s interest in personal growth and reclaiming one’s power. In this interview with Indie Shorts Mag, Strange discusses finding the story in the edit, directing her own performance, making creative use of a limited budget and taking her fictional universe into darker territory.

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Indie Shorts Mag: How did your ambition to become a cartoonist and your interest in spiritual energy come together in the original idea for Crystal the Creep: Chronicles of a Creep?

Sharon Strange: I wanted to tell a story inspired by my own life. I’ve always wanted to be a cartoonist, and ever since I was a kid, I’ve had spiritual gifts, such as knowing things intuitively and being able to read energies. Drawing from those experiences, I was able to create a character who shares those abilities. Crystal helps others remove toxicity from their lives, as a lightworker, while working her day job as a cartoonist. I’ve also always been able to create one-of-a-kind cartoons, so it felt natural for me to build this world and bring it to life.

Indie Shorts Mag: When drawing on your experiences growing up as a military kid, how did you decide which elements belonged in the story?

Sharon Strange: I moved so many times and lived in so many different places that I like to say a little bit of everywhere helped shape who I am today. I’ve always been someone who adapts to the mood and setting around me, and that influenced the character of Crystal as well.

In this story, she’s working on a case involving a coworker who appears to be under demonic possession and must confront the demon head-on. The experiences I’ve had living in different states helped inspire how Crystal gets to the bottom of the mystery and eventually frees her coworker from the demon’s grasp, even when the coworker doesn’t want to let go.

One thing about being a military kid is that you learn how to let go over time. You have to adapt, grow, and keep moving forward. In many ways, it’s a do-or-die mindset. That’s something I wanted to show through Crystal. She never gives up until she finds the truth, and she’s always inspired by the world around her.

Indie Shorts Mag: What guided your choices about how animation could express the film’s themes of energy, spiritual awareness, and reconnecting with yourself?

Sharon Strange: Crystal is a full-time cartoonist, and I wanted to include animation throughout the film to show what she’s working on when she’s not dealing with her coworker’s demonic possession, which is slowly leading to the downfall of the animation studio where she works.

I wanted to connect with anyone who is constantly working and show that, no matter what is happening in your life or in the world around you, you still have to keep moving forward. I did that by featuring many cutaways to my animation. They provided a nice break from the main storyline, which was filmed to feel as though Crystal was updating her audience online.

That’s something I think many people can relate to today. It’s no longer just one job. For many people, it’s like juggling five jobs at the same time just to get by.

As a lightworker, Crystal’s secret life and purpose are centered around awakening her audience and helping them understand how things work on a larger scale. She approaches these deeper topics with humor, even befriending a demon to explain possession and what life is like in the spiritual world before it manifests in the physical one.

More than anything, Crystal wants to make the world a better place. If even one person begins to understand what they are meant to be doing here, then all of her work has meaning. Through her efforts, she is able to free souls, including her own.

That idea is something I personally connect with. Every day, I try to work on my own soul and continue growing so that I don’t feel trapped here. In many ways, that journey is at the heart of both Crystal’s story and my own.

Indie Shorts Mag: As both director and actor, how did you judge whether your own performance was serving the scene?

Sharon Strange: I had to look at takes and pick out the best ones, that feels like she is livestreaming, and having a real discussion with an audience, I wanted it to be smooth and something that was educational, so if I felt I learned something from the take, and clips, I put it in the short, and started to align it all together, I really try not to get in my head too much when I am acting, and directing I had a vision on where I wanted the story to lead out to and I was able to get there.

Indie Shorts Mag: Which creative decision was most strongly shaped by the limited budget, and how did that choice affect the finished film?

Sharon Strange: Making the film on a tight budget while still making it look fun was the key. I was able to create all of the graphics and design work myself, and I wanted the film to have a modern influencer-style feel. The vlog format helped with that, and by combining color grading with animated cutaways, I was able to create something that feels fresh and different from other films on the short film circuit. It was rewarding to use everything I had access to in order to tell a story that felt very personal to the audience. Viewers get that one-on-one time with the creator, and I think that connection comes through throughout the film.

Indie Shorts Mag: How did editing the film influence your understanding of the story you had written?

Sharon Strange: I first started filming scenes and vlogs without any particular order, and slowly I was able to shape them into something moving in the right direction. I wanted Crystal to explain herself to the world for the first time, as if she were sharing a secret, or a collection of secrets, with her audience.

As the story developed, I began adding other characters into Crystal’s world and exploring how they fit into her secret life and how they influence her journey. There are so many forces at play in our everyday lives, and that’s something many people can relate to right now.

For me, becoming more spiritual is often what helps you get through the day. Learning how to remove negative energies can completely change your life and the way you think. I wanted that idea to serve as the foundation of the story. Crystal is here to help others, guide them, and encourage personal growth.

When I started editing, I began to see the film as a guide to lightworking and a reflection on what we’re supposed to be doing here. It explores the idea of navigating life without the influence of negative forces. Attachments can happen, and it’s important to know how to recognize them and what to do when they occur.

At its heart, the story is about helping people understand themselves more deeply, overcome obstacles, and move forward with greater awareness and purpose.

Indie Shorts Mag: When the demands of handling so many filmmaking roles became overwhelming, how did drawing on your Sharon Strange alter ego influence the way you approached the work?

Sharon Strange: I feel free here. Sometimes, it feels like I’m able to become another person from another world. I stayed in that energy for this interview because I wanted to keep my other life separate from my creative world and this side of who I am.

When I’m here as Sharon Strange, I feel unstoppable. I feel like I can do anything, step into any lane, and see it through to completion without complications. It’s a space where I can fully embrace my creativity, trust my instincts, and bring ideas to life without limitations.

Indie Shorts Mag: The film encourages viewers to “get their vibe back.” What do you hope audiences carry into their own lives from that invitation to reclaim their personal power?

Sharon Strange: I hope the film encourages people to think more deeply about the world around them and how it makes them feel. If they’re not happy with what they see, or if something feels missing, then it may be time to think more about how they can create a life that feels more fulfilling and aligned with who they are.

It’s easy for me to simply say “be positive,” but it’s much deeper than that. It’s about examining the world you live in and asking yourself what’s missing. Is it lacking spiritual resources, guidance, or content that speaks to you on a deeper level? With the right direction, you can explore an entirely new world, or add new perspectives to your own. Doing so can open doors and opportunities you never knew existed.

As I’ve said before, Crystal is a guide. To me, lightworkers help illuminate both the positive and negative aspects of what’s happening around us so that people can better understand their experiences and make informed choices. Through this film, I wanted to be a messenger who encourages people to explore new perspectives and discover where they can go when they’re seeking something more.

Indie Shorts Mag: After returning to the project following a significant break, what did closing this chapter with the “Short of the Month” recognition in August 2026 mean for you as an artist?

Sharon Strange: I wanted to see if the short film was timeless, or if it could become timeless, and along the way, I realized it took another direction. It’s timely, not because the topic is boring or no longer relevant, but for the exact opposite reason. The themes resonate now more than ever.

I think this is a great time to end this chapter on a positive note. The film performed well once again, and I’m incredibly proud of the message and story I was able to share. At the same time, I’m ready to explore these ideas in new ways.

There are so many new stories and insights I can share about being a lightworker in 2026, especially after everything that’s changed since 2021. I believe the world is ready for these conversations, and people are actively looking for something more. They want to learn about these topics in a mainstream setting and engage with them in fresh, accessible ways.

For me, it’s an exciting time to grow, evolve, and continue sharing these ideas with new audiences.

Indie Shorts Mag: Your next artistic project, Sharon Strange, explores identity, control, and creative ownership. What questions about an artist’s ability to protect their ideas do you most want the project to raise?

Sharon Strange: It comes down to who is trying to take the power away. This project is much darker now. We’ve learned a lot about Crystal and how she tends to shift between different sides of herself, so stepping into another one of her personalities for this story was a little scary.

It’s one of those situations where I have to explore another corner of this creative universe I’m building around lightworking and being an artist. The story takes place in a world where people are willing to harm others in order to steal original ideas, and unfortunately, that’s still something we’re dealing with today.

I use social media to share my ideas and teasers as a way of showing ownership of my work. I’ve also been fortunate to find success on the short film festival circuit over the years, which has helped me establish a name for myself as a creator.

Now, it’s a matter of staying open, being ready for new opportunities, and taking my filmmaking career into the mainstream. This project feels like the next step in that journey, both creatively and professionally.

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For Sharon Strange, closing this chapter of Crystal the Creep: Chronicles of a Creep creates space to explore its ideas in new ways. Her next project turns toward questions of artistic identity, control and ownership, extending the creative universe she has begun to build. As she looks toward mainstream filmmaking, Strange remains focused on telling stories that connect her spiritual interests with the freedom to create on her own terms.