Eli Kisko’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

Eli Kisko shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Eli, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I would say a relationship with Jesus. Recently I found my way back to Christianity and it completely changed the trajectory of my life. My entire identity used to be my work and traits as a “creative” person. People would ask my how I am by saying “so how is the creative work lately” or “have you made any art recently?” It felt like an endless cycle of having to create to feel like I was being myself. God tells us different, that we are first and foremost called to be His children through a free gift of salvation, not our actions. A lot of people don’t share the behind the scenes of life, but my life has become a testimony of how Jesus guided me back to a path worth living. One of the most well known verses, Psalm 23:4 says “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” This acts as a reminder that the burdens of life aren’t eliminated no matter how hard we try, but we are given a way through those, walking together with Jesus.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Eli, I run Eli Kisko Design LLC, and my goal is to bring professional modern branding to local businesses. We live in a day and age where everything is being sold to us; mentailities, coaches, consumables, wearables, self image, etc. The list is almost unending. When I think about how we consume, my mind initially goes to what we are consuming? does it have a purpose? does that purpose positively affect us or the world around us? When I help someone share their brand, it is my goal to not only make a logo and brand identity look good, but to also share what someone does in a meaningful and impactful way.

I also enjoy making artwork and exploring new creative techniques. I believe that bringing joy into peoples spaces is a beautiful way to impact someone’s life. My art often explores the natural world with a whimsical abstraction, as well as identity of self/the human experience. A mix of steampunk futurism, brutalism, and naturalist perspective collide to explore the human experience and how we choose to consume the world around us.

My current project is a sculpture I call terrestrial voyager, depicting a floating world lost in space, abandoned by a once thriving civilization. Water flows from inside a tree stump that turn into waterfalls cascading down before disappearing into thin air. The water creates an atmosphere that feeds a tree sitting at the peak of the floating mass. Moss covered walls and overgrown paths wind from the bottom to the top, symbolizing the internal journey we all go through until we disappear from this world. If you want to check out this piece or my other work, I tend to post mostly on Instagram @elikiskodesign

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
A struggle with identity is something humanity has been plagued with for ages. Who we are constantly changes through the years. When you change as a person you can view is as leaving behind/forgetting your old self, or growing into your new self. I tend to identify with both, the old child I once was is still a part of me, the new person I haven’t been yet is also part of growth and change. Before I was a whimsically driven person, exploring the world without care and thriving in the question of “what if?” Abstraction made more sense than the reality before me, and the unknown was what I searched for. Those elements are still present in who I am, but I also started a business, pay my bills, shop for groceries, and have fun when I can just like most of humanity. The structured aspects of life that provide check and balances feed into the logical perceptions of who we need to be to survive. As I grew the logo and branding side of my business I started to see identity through a very structured lense instead of the abstract childlike experience that brought me to love art in the first place. So you could say I have found a bit of logical structure to the abstract nature of life, but I still strive to appreciate the unknown childlike state that drives my creative exploration.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Probably yesterday, or even the day before. Being a business owner in a creative industry is a huge challenge because you are selling a solution to a problem that doesn’t have just one answer. I find that imposter syndrome is a very real experience I often deal with as a creative. Confidence comes from practice though, and it helps to have a supportive group of entrepreneurs (creative or not). We are called to community by nature, and I love that I have found a community that pushes me to be my best and also supports me along the way.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I once heard that you are a different person to everyone. They see the parts of you that reflect them and their needs, and nobody will ever see you the same as the next person. I’m not sure how I am perceived by the public eye, but no matter how I’m seen I hope to make a positive impact on those around me.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I don’t believe life is about leaving a legacy. When we are gone our legacy almost always fades, which makes me think focusing on a life worth living is far more important than creating a legacy worth remembering. The ripple effect of our actions can change the world. One simple act can set a cascade of events into place without our name being attached to the result. If my legacy is nameless but I helped one person change their life in a meaningful way, I say that was a journey worth living. Serve your community while you are here, not once you’re gone. Go live an impactful life and help inspire those around you.

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Image Credits
Eli Kisko Design

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