We recently had the chance to connect with Kay Curtis and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kay , 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 do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I have a routine that I follow everyday seven days a week all year long. My alarm rings at 6am. I make coffee and feed pets. I take the 50 yard walk down to my studio. This can be treacherous in the winter. I open my journal and record the date and begin to unpack whatever is in my way. I only write with a very fine black pen. Often I surprise myself with what I call a breakthrough, when I see something newly that was always there in the first place. If what stops me can be understood better with a visual then I draw little diagrams. At the end of this process I am full of enthusiasm and joy for what is to come.
I plan the day on a white piece of paper with a thick black marker. 10am meet with so-in-so, 2 hours work on designs….At 6:30pm my day is supposed to end. Then I stop. This rule can be broken by obligations.
Having caused myself to be in a great mood I ring up a friend to whom I have shared these morning calls for 13 years. We talk for exactly 45 minutes. I weigh the success by how many times we laughed out loud.
I return to my home to eat and check emails.
Then after the first 90 minutes I am prepared to begin my creative processes.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is K. Curtis. I decided to be an artist age 8 and have been able to do so for 64 years. I grew up in the West Indies which has had a great influence on my color palette.
I spent 30 years after college raising three children while making art. I produces hand block printed greeting cards, stuffed mobiles and fine art. This was mostly in California. I had over 125 galleries, museum shops and children’s stores that carried my work.
In 2000 I returned to the East Coast and opened a Reggio based art school for children in my home. I gained experience with being around people after years of sitting cross legged on the floor alone making art. The children’s designs were always an inspiration.
Then 8 years ago I retired which meant I had even more time to make art and without the constraints of needing to earn a living. My first and perhaps finest adventure was to cause HARMONY COLLECTIVE: Artist Gallery in Brattleboro, Vermont. Here 36 artists have a shared community to support their art endeavors. Clearly a magical space!
I am currently looking into the children’s book arena. My style has always been whimsical and fun and I have so many stories to tell. All the years with the children gave me an understanding of what they most love in a book.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I was siting on the floor in our home in Kingston Jamaica. My back was against the cement wall. A sunbeam came through the window and hit the paper in my lap. I cannot explain how this happened but I knew i would be an artist.
My family liked this idea when I was a child and encouraged me. Later they thought I should grow up and get a real job. In other words have a reliable income. It was too late to change my mind.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Looking back to all the years of choosing to be an artist I would have loved to hear the words:
It will all turn out! Everything you are doing is just the way it was supposed to go. Yes, it will be hard but you will never regret that you do what you love and love what you do. You have been able to make a difference in so many lives by being you.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I think the trap is that having lots of money is how you win. Fame is the desired outcome.
The trajectory of my life was extraordinary because I was not distracted by the race to have lots of money.
Fame almost always is a distraction from the game to make our one life amazing and a contribution to others. And yet, we are taught that fame equals the A-plus.
I knew a painter who told his daughter, “After I die I will be famous and you will have lots of money.” She said why not now while you are still alive. “No” he replied. “I just want to paint while I am here.” His best paintings now sell for $100,000.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I actually live this way today. I have 10 years left and what else needs to come off the wish list? When the cooperative gallery HARMONY COLLECTIVE was launched in 2019 I was fulfilling on a dream I had for 18 years. I live now like that was way too long to wait.
In 2024 I was able to paint a 7 foot high and 60 foot long mural using my characters. I just needed to know what would happen if they were seen at that scale. The three month project was so daunting and so thrilling when it was complete.
The children’s book idea has been on my plate time since I was in college at 17 years old. Multiple attempts have all resulted in rejections by publishers. Today self publishing is an option. I have been in the process of writing and illustrating a book for the past two months and I am learning what stops me. This will be useful each time I take on another project that seems impossible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://KayCurtis.com
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
