Meet Katelyn Chapman

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katelyn Chapman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katelyn below.

Katelyn, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

Creative blocks are often a result of burnout, resistance, or resentment that’s left unchecked. When I feel blocked, I try to address the why behind it first so that I can move past it. Whatever the reason, the only real cure for overcoming artist block is love.

A lot of creative blocks come from fear of failing, fear of being successful, fear of your work not being good enough, resentment from playing the comparison game, and more. When I show up for myself in positive ways, I am often able to overcome these bouts of resistance. Taking breaks from social media, journaling, spending time with supportive friends, and actively removing myself from toxic environments in favor of healthy ones are all effective tactics that I use to overcome artist blocks.

This year, I have been working my through Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, and have made a real effort to take her advice on weekly “artist dates.” Through this, I do something for myself (alone) at least once a week—going for a walk, going to a museum, taking a yoga class, checking out a new exhibition, reading a book, etc…all with the challenge of changing up the activity each week. This small commitment to a weekly artist-date replaces routine with adventure, provides a form of self-care, and usually offers a burst of inspiration that helps break through stubborn blocks.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I took the leap of faith at the end of 2023-start of 2024 to transition from a full-time Professor of Art to a full-time Artist. It’s terrifying to give up the stability and benefits of a steady job, but very exhilarating to accept yourself as an artist, make your own schedule, and put all your effort into achieving your wildest your dreams.

As an artist, I get to challenge, question, and add to art historical canons. I love making work about America’s rural South specifically through the lens of my own family and friends in the Midlands of South Carolina. Through painting, I am able to give an authentic voice to a group of people who are often misunderstood, misrepresented, or completely overlooked by outsiders, not only in art, but in society at large.

I am currently developing a body of work that will be shown next Spring at The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC. Some of the paintings I will be including in this 6-week solo-exhibition are ones that I started while I was in residence this past Spring at the Gibbes as a part of their Visiting Artist Program.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Tenacity, gumption, and strong work-ethic are the three qualities that have had the most impact on my journey. You don’t have to have the most talent or best skills when you start out…we’re all learning as we go. Talent can take an artist a long way in their artistic journey, but that talent can’t grow without commitment to a consistent practice and the drive to keep forging ahead.

If you dedicate yourself to practice and process the self-discipline will kick in and you’ll create little habits for yourself—where you block out time to hone your craft, to daydream, to experiment, and ultimately gift yourself the ability to pay attention to what you notice but no one else sees. If you show up for your artist-self every day despite what life or others may throw at you, you develop the tenacity to push through difficult moments. Gumption comes with enthusiasm and resourcefulness. When you’re creative in using what you have and make it fun for yourself, you can problem solve your way through life’s limitations.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I think it’s worth investing effort in improving areas we aren’t as strong in because they will inevitably inform our strengths and make us build on what we know in new and often unexpected ways. This is especially applicable to the arts. For example, when painters learn to sculpt, they start to see their paintings with more form and dimension and enhance their spatial awareness. Working in one art form or medium that’s different from the one you’re accustomed to will only allow you to further build on your natural strengths. It can open new doors for you as an artist. If you only focus on what you’re inherently good at, you risk becoming stagnant and resistant to growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katelynschapman.com
• Instagram: @kschap

Image Credits

Kolton Miller
MCG Photography
Katelyn Chapman