Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katie Krell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Katie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
My confidence as an artist really came gradually. I think most artists begin because it’s a passion and they create what makes them happy. The more you create, the sharper your skills become and the confidence you feel to create good work blooms. The first commission request I ever got really sky-rocketed my self-esteem and confidence because not only was I proud of my work, but someone else liked my work enough to ask me to create a piece for them! From there, my confidence in my work became effortless.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a full-time Senior Graphic Designer with a passion for good design and creating identities for people and companies that help set them apart from the rest of the world. In my spare time I have always enjoyed many different forms of art including painting and drawing with traditional mediums, digital painting, and abstract art using epoxy resin. In early 2020 I decided to create a brand for my resin art since I found myself creating so much of it, I created West End Resin as a way for others to easily keep up with the work I was making and associate me with a style, enabling me to start adding commissions to my schedule. My brand has grown so beautifully and has brought me such joy creating works not only for my home, but also others! I also began teaching others how to use the medium- currently working on a suite of courses as we speak!
Currently I have found myself yearning for new experiences and although I’ll never leave resin art behind, I have been thinking about new ways to evolve my process and the kind of works that I create. I have also very much been missing traditional mediums, drawing, and have an itch to give linocut printmaking a try! Life is short, If something stops bringing you joy, move on to find new things that will!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three most impactful things in my artistic journey would probably be persistence, repetition, and knowing when to say no. Persistence is so important as an artist, having that drive to push through and keep creating even if you think no one is appreciating or seeing your work. We all want that break through viral moment but often, it’s the work we put in with every project that builds a strong portfolio, and helps build your confidence as an artist.
Repetition is also in that same vein. It takes time and much practice to build skills that start to become second nature the more you practice them. Enjoying the journey is so important and helps put into perspective all the hard work you put in to get where you are in your artistic journey.
Lastly, It took me a while to be able to know when to turn down commissions that either didn’t fit with my creative style or ones i knew wouldn’t bring me joy to work on. Early on I was so excited for any commission coming my way, that I often didn’t stop to ask myself if it was something I wanted to work on. Because of that, I became burnt out and lost a lot of joy in creating art and had to step back and really think about what kind of artist I want to be and who I want to cater to. Is it worth it to be miserable working on something for someone else without the passion that you put into your personal work?
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I think the biggest challenge I’m currently facing is trying to decide what new direction to take my art. As I mentioned earlier, I’m always wanting to evolve and try new things, and also re-visit things I enjoyed doing in the past. Right now I’m at a fork in the road and trying to decide which path to take. It’s exciting and scary, leaving behind what I was comfortable with and jumping into new and exciting territory but I’m excited to see where it leads!
Contact Info:
- Website: westendresin.com
- Instagram: west.end.resin
Image Credits
my images
