Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kate Shooltz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kate, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I didn’t discover my purpose in life until I was around 28 years old, and I will remember the exact day that happened for the rest of my life because it was so clear. To understand why, I have to go back a bit to my childhood.
Growing up I was always in the woods. My parents divorced when I was very young and both of them moved several times – as a result of that I lived in 7 different houses by the time I was in high school. I realized recently though that every house we lived in had woods or a creek behind it. The woods were my constant. They were a place where I felt comfort and calm. I felt a magic there and a sense of enchantment and deep curiosity. Those feelings are ones that have stayed with me all these years and have really molded me into the person I am today – one that values the Earth and feels a deep sense of connection to nature. As I grew up I continued to spend time in nature and feel that connection, but didn’t really think about WHY I felt it.
Fast forward to 2015 when I was studying for my Master of Real Estate Development out in Salt Lake City and taking an elective called Green Communities. One day in class our professor was talking about something called biophilia – a concept that humans have a deep rooted connection to the natural world and seek out those connections. He went on to explain that biophilic design is a way of incorporating nature into the built environment to facilitate those connections in our daily lives. At that moment I felt like I was struck by lightening. I literally felt my life path shift. Hearing him describe biophilia was hearing a word put to a way I had felt my entire life, but didn’t know why. It made all the sense in the world why I had always felt they way I did – as a species, humans grew up in nature. It’s only natural that we would feel so connected to it and comforted by it’s presence. I knew that day with absolutely certainty that it was my purpose in life to promote biophilic living – to help people understand and embrace their connection to nature. How exactly I was going to do that I wouldn’t find out until later.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
After graduation I began working in real estate, but I knew my heart was in biophilic design. In my free time I would experiment by making living plant walls for friends and family, often to have them die after delivery because they wouldn’t be maintained. At some point I stumbled upon preserved moss and thought that would be the perfect alternative to living plants. Anyone could enjoy preserved moss because it required no care and no sun and would remain soft and green for years. I decided to focus solely on that medium and began creating small pieces of art in my spare time. I had never really made art before so it was a total “learn as you go” kind of process on the floor of my apartment making an absolute mess – but I got there. Eventually I felt ready to take it seriously and in 2018 Kate the Earthling as an artist was officially born! I opened an Etsy shop, started doing neighborhood craft fairs and that led to custom orders and bigger projects with every new year. I moved from our living room into my own studio here in Philly and today I do almost 100% commission based work with the occasional collection of ready-made pieces I sell on my website.
My artwork is all made with real plants, but they have been preserved to remain soft and green, feeling and looking alive. In the proper conditions they will stay that way for many many years with no maintenance. Preserved plants require no water or sun so all of my work is intended for indoor enjoyment only. I often use other accents in addition to mosses such as ferns, branches, mushrooms, rocks, florals and even glass mosaic. All my work is designed and created by me – I am a solo artist and aside from my trusty frame builders, there are no employees making what I design. I have a strict policy that I will never repeat designs. It’s very important to me that each piece I create is personal to that client and will remain special for them and never duplicated.
Some of the best parts about Kate the Earthling are the relationships I have built over the years and those connections with my clients are incredibly special. Over the last 6 years Kate the Earthling has grown more than I ever imagined and my art journey has taken me all over the country. I have met and created pieces for so many wonderful people and places – homes, offices, restaurants, weddings – even for Olympic National Park and Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules (any fellow Bravo fans here?). Creating my artwork is my way of sharing the connection I have with nature and encouraging others to build their own connection. It brings me great joy to work one-on-one with my clients and create something special just for them. I feel extremely grateful to have found this passion and to be given opportunities to share it with the world.
In 2023 I started to think about my childhood and how the little girl I was in the woods has led to so much of what I am doing now. I realized how impactful that was on me and decided I should try and share this nature connection not only with my adult art clients, but with the littlest of earthlings. On October 15, 2024 I released my first children’s book titled, of course – Kate the Earthling. I am so thrilled to have this story out in the world and hope it inspires so many young children to grow up embracing their connection to the Earth. The future of all Earthlings lies with them and what they go on to do.
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?
Looking back I think the three things that were most impactful on my journey so far would be curiosity, a “figure it out” approach and definitely my business degree.
I have always had a sense of curiosity and that of course applies to nature, but also to my overall life. I am always aching to explore, to learn more about the world and to see what’s possible. I think having that curiosity helps you to always be open to new experiences and opportunities whether it’s in business or just in life. I often think about how you never know what will happen to you in a month, a year, 10 years – and I find that intriguing and exciting.
With Kate the Earthling the entire journey has been a learn as I go situation. Whether it was literally figuring out how to create a moss wall, or taking on a bigger and more complex project than I had done to date – I just figure it out. It doesn’t mean everything ends in perfect success, but you have to at least give it the effort. With each new accomplishment you gain confidence and that gives you the bravery to take on the next challenge.
Lastly, my business degree has been a huge benefit to me and I have my dad to thank for that. I remember going into college (for the second time after failing out my first try) and having NO idea what I wanted to do with my life. My dad, being the great entrepreneur that he is, suggested I get a business degree. “Everything is a business”, he told me “the knowledge you gain with that degree can apply to anything you decide to do”. He was so right. As someone entering the art world having never been “in the art world” I realized my business knowledge was something many of my fellow artists didn’t have. As any business owner knows, there is so much more to Kate the Earthling than just making the art and I am grateful I had knowledge of all those things going into it. I am by no means an expert, but having a little knowledge of business structures, accounting, marketing, etc. has been a huge asset for me.
As cliche as it may sound, I think finding your passion and following that truly leads to something. Never in a million years would I have seen myself as “an artist”, but somehow my passion led to that once I discovered what gave me purpose. For me, my passion was there in me all along and I didn’t recognize it until I was 28. I always loved nature and being outside, but when I dove deeper into that and realized why I had such a LOVE for it – I just wanted to share that. I wanted everyone to feel that love and connection for themselves and that’s what drives me. If you have something in your life that really brings you joy – explore that. No matter how random or small it may seem because you have no idea what that little seed could grow into.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
The biggest area of growth over the last 12 months would absolutely be my book, Kate the Earthling. It may be the most special thing I have ever done. Since I am able to see so much of my young self in who I am today I recognize how important that time of life is. Being that my goal as an artist is to help others connect with nature, I felt like I needed to start at the beginning of our lives when we are forming who we will be in the years to come.
Kate the Earthling started with my artwork, but overtime I have had other ideas that stem from that same initial place. I think of these ideas as branches of the same tree – everything growing from the same seed and motivation to connect. Kate the Earthling is the tree, the artwork being one branch, my new book being another. I have other branches I plan to bring to life in the coming years, but for now this book is the new growth and I hope it reaches far and wide.
The story was inspired by my own childhood and is incredibly special to me. My hope for this book is to instill our connection with nature early in the lives of the youngest Earthlings. The future of this planet and all who share it lies with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katetheearthling.com
- Instagram: @k8theearthling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k8theearthling/
Image Credits
Ryan Navazio
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