Kate Horowitz shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Kate, 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 being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be happy running a small business, I never would have believed you. The thought of managing the bookkeeping and making decisions about vendors and promotion seemed overwhelming and impossible. But the sticker shop I launched this year with one of my best friends has been a huge surprise and a source of endless delight. I had no idea I’d enjoy any of it this much.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I often describe myself as a writer and arter, which feels more playful and less ego identified to me than “artist”. In March of this year, I launched a sticker and stationery shop called Big Challenges with one of my best friends. Our motto is “supportive darkness for all of life’s big challenges,” because as chronically ill and disabled people, we’ve learned that some of the best survival strategies are laughter (especially about the really awful s***), connection, and stickers. We know how much it means to see our feelings reflected in art. And we know how good it feels to open the mailbox and find stickers.
We’ve just released our first spooky season collection, and I’m so incredibly proud of what we’ve made. We have one more release planned for this year—something we’re both extremely excited about owning, let alone selling—and are already giddy about our 2026 designs.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was weird. Really, really, really weird—much weirder than I am now. I was passionate and confident and magical and powerful and sweet and unbelievably strange. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve really begun reconnecting with that person. She’s in there somewhere, and I know she has so much to teach me. My hope is that this season of my life will be a time to let her emerge and lead.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
“You’re right. About everything, especially what is happening in your body. The world will tell you that you’re confused, that you’re imagining things, that you’re exaggerating, that you’re pretending, that you’re unreliable and unstable, that you’re wrong. Do. Not. Believe them. You are seeing things exactly as they are.”
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
I think so. Authenticity and honesty are core values for me. But that doesn’t mean that the public version of me is my *entire* self. There’s a difference between being honest and saying literally everything that crosses your mind. Discernment is extremely important. I don’t reveal every aspect of myself, but those I do reveal are genuine and true.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I could, and I do, and to be honest I think I could stand to do a little less of that. Being an A+++++ student is not good for anyone, particularly when the grading scale of life only goes up to an A, or, more realistically, has no grades at all. For the last few years I’ve been trying to practice being a C- student by my own standards, as I’m learning that this works out to about an A+ result. It’s extremely difficult to pull off, but when I succeed, life is a lot easier.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bigchallenges.shop
- Instagram: @kate_swriting
- Other: katehorowitz.com (personal website) and @realbigchallenges on Instagram
Image Credits
All images by Kate Horowitz
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