Meet Kelly White

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kelly, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

I feel like my confidence has been developing in stages. There is the confidence in my talents and abilities that I have gained through practice, hard work and looking to and learning from other great artists. Then there is the confidence to put myself out there to be perceived and potentially face rejection. That’s the confidence I am still developing, however, I feel it grows more as I work through my past – and maybe that’s the only way it can develop from an authentic place, otherwise it is just faking it until you make it. Which I guess works for some people, but that has never really resonated with me. However, when I dig into the instances that have made me feel small and rejected I gain new insight into who I am and how I’d like to rewrite the narrative. When I was young I had a lot of voices coming at me telling me who I was and why I was doing certain things, and I never felt that what they projected onto me reflected my internal experience. For example, as a child I was often told the story that I was shy, so I thought that must just be who and how I am. But now as an adult I know other people actually don’t get to decide that for me – I do, I define who I am. I can be quiet, I can be a great listener, but I don’t think that makes me shy. And it’s not even just knowing my strengths that breeds confidence but also accepting my shortcomings too. It takes a lot of courage to own up to the help and support you need instead of putting on a mask to protect your ego.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a fiber artist that uses the punch needle to create rugs, bags and house wares. I am passionate about creating hand made goods that are both practical and beautiful. I create custom made to order pieces. My work juxtaposes the texture of wool yarn with graphic and minimalist designs.

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?

I am actually pretty early in my journey and would love some advice myself! But, I think three impactful areas of knowledge for me would be to…
1. Looking to artists I admire. Observing how they create their work and how they conduct their business.
2. Exploring different styles and creative outlets has helped keep me inspired and prevented burning out. Because, I may be working in this one lane, but I am still a whole person with many interests and I don’t want to lose sight of that.
3. Starting simple. I can easily overwhelm myself with many ideas that go to die. For now, I am making simple designs and keeping my ordering small as they come to let my brand develop naturally until I am ready to amp it up.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

My biggest challenge right now is balancing a full time job and trying to promote my artwork. Content creation is a full time job in and of itself and then to add that to creating and my day job can feel too big a task. Honestly, I am still figuring out how to overcome this one it’s so difficult not to burn out. But, I think like I said earlier I am working on pacing myself and letting things grow organically. It may be slower than I’d like but it will be much more sustainable this way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kel.creating

Image Credits

Photography By: Liza Eve Photo