Meet Kimberlyn Petit

We were lucky to catch up with Kimberlyn Petit recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberlyn, 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 found my purpose by following what followed me.

Whatever I was naturally drawn to when I was by myself with no distractions — which, for me was writing — I’d hone in on and take a step further.

I’d listen to my instincts and concede to going wherever I was being called, paying attention to what my heart was drawn to and what it physically moved my body toward. I’d always end up with a pen and paper in hand.

I recognize the spiritual element of artistry and honor it by lighting candles, setting an ambiance, and taking extra breaths for intention. I believe that curating a warm and welcoming environment encourages creativity to enter the space and frequently return.

Acknowledging the ways that I felt during and after the creative process helped me to understand how much I benefit from the practice even more than the results. For me, when writing, I’m in a trance-like, meditative state, while afterwards I feel relief, lighter, grounded, and closer to my core. Recognition of these feelings helped me to understand that my purpose in life is to use this creative outlet, from which I gain so much, to create a finished product that carries inspiring messages from the metaphysical realm into our physical world.

The power to provoke people without ever physically touching them always feels like magic to me. Isn’t it crazy how through these little symbols my mind is speaking with yours right now?!

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

I write. Everything. All the time. I mainly write autobiographical short stories (about my real life) and I develop them to screenplays. I also write poetry, lyrics, and make music.

In 2019 I graduated college with a Pre-Dental degree, with plans to go to dental school to earn my doctorate. Instead, after the pandemic, I chose to pursue my writing, though I had no professional plan or have ever had any schooling in that field. I simply chose my heart as my guide and followed what my spirit said, which led me to travel all over the world, living in different places and writing about my journeys.

A job I was offered at a museum led me to settle in Boston, where I currently live and continue to write and collaborate with friends and other artists. Professionally, I’m focused on consolidating my stories into cohesive books that will later be published, then pitched and produced as short series in the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, I’m planning to record my music and make music videos with my friends.

What feels most exciting about my work is that the story always continues, and the magic is always prevalent if you choose to see it. My practice of writing forces me to view things philosophically, and from that I’m constantly reminded of the curious nature of consciousness and the miracle of our existence at this exact point in time and space.

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?

The three most important qualities in my journey that led me to feel as though I’m living the dream are openness, bravery, and trust.

Openness to all outcomes, to all changes in our perceived paths, to all emotions and ideas that arise, allows for every opportunity imaginable, rather than restricting ourselves to limited options. Just as boundaries are created and set in the mind, it is there they can be expanded.

Bravery is necessary in order to take the proper steps toward your dream. We always hear that outside of our comfort zone is the only place that we grow, but we don’t often hear about what it takes to make that leap outside of our safe circles. Comfort and security will cause us to remain where we are for fear of the unknown, but it takes true courage to step into our power.

Trust is the most important quality in my personal creative journey. Trust in yourself that you are capable of what it is you hope to accomplish. Trust that the universe is constantly conspiring in your favor. Trust that you already are everything that you hope to be.

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?

The biggest obstacle I have always faced and continue to face is fear of being cringe.
It’s pretty shameful of me to admit, since that fear proves my desire for the approval of others, but it is unfortunately true that I withhold a lot of my art rather than offering it to others and risk it being ridiculed. This also plays into perfectionism: holding onto my art because “it’s not ready yet” or “it’s not good enough,” overediting or harping on a project, leading to burnout and the stunting of my creative flow.

Alana O’Herlihy, one of my favorite artists, always says “You thought it was cringe, I thought it was fun.” Repeating this quote always reminds me of the reason why I make my art in the first place: because it’s fun. The spirit that’s inhabiting me and begging me to create these things deserves to be heard, and I push myself to remember that the deliverance of an idea from concept to physical is a privilege and an honor that should be done with bold pride, rather than with hesitation and fear of what others would say or think.

A reminder I constantly give myself is that there is always an audience for my work, and those people are unknowingly craving exactly what I’m providing. Art is food for the soul and I want everyone to be fed. If it’s not someone’s cup of tea, they don’t have to drink it. Put simply: the girlies who get it, get it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kimpetit
• Other: As of now, almost all of my works are exclusively in my handwritten notebooks. Hopefully in the next few years I have more of a direct platform to guide people towards 🙂

Image Credits

All Photo Credits: Andres Sandoval – Firebee Studio