We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dace Kidd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dace, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
As a professional artist I feel very lucky and privileged that I can pay my bills by doing what is my passion and I enjoy most. I am very self aware and reminded every day how difficult it is to be a creator and make your means at the same time. I have to pinch myself every morning that I am not dreaming and I am one of the lucky ones and this is going to be a great day.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a professional artist working in a field of visual arts. My primary training is in studio oil and acrylic painting. I received my art degree in my home country Latvia and Italy. I moved to Texas in 2011 and it was quite a culture shock for me as the United States are quite different from where I grew up. I had to learn to drive a car, speak Texan and become outgoing and friendly. My country has similar latitude as northern part of Maine and I grew up in having a “northerner” mentality. Love and Mexican food are the main reasons why I left my art career behind in Europe and jumped into a new adventure and decided to become a Texan. I adjusted as quickly as I could and focused on restarting my career and getting involved in local art scene. Shortly after I felt comfortable in my new surroundings my phone started to ring and I would create many commission portraits, paintings, illustrations, designs and murals. In 2017 I created Mural Artist Tx brand and that helped my mural work to be discovered state wide and keep me busy traveling all over Texas and creating custom murals for many. Last year I founded a non profit Tyler Art Lift to grow and cultivate art scene in Tyler, Tx which is not my home-base.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In my opinion most important is to alway show up and keep showing up. If you only do that, it’s half of success. Next level is always try to do your best and if you can, do a little extra. Third thing – always, always, always write and send handwritten personal thank you notes. Good manners and being humble always leave a good lasting impression.
Try to get as many people – family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers – to be on your team and support you with honest opinions, advices, purchasing your products and services and be there for you when you need help.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My best friend and my husband James. His background is in marketing and he has a digital marketing company Green Cat Consulting. He taught me a lot about marketing and how to be a Texan and how Americans handle business. It was not easy for me to learn and get used to as Europeans are less aggressive and more subtle in their business deals. Now I help him in his business by providing graphic designs and artwork and he helps me to paint large scale murals. I have given him a tile – BTL, which means stay “Between The Lines”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.muralartisttx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muralartisttx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muralartisttx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dace-kidd-483b9a67/
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@muralartisttx5281
Image Credits
Dace Kidd
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
