We recently connected with Kirsten Sandlin and have shared our conversation below.
Kirsten, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I’m still learning how to keep it alive! I think that I have always had a creative mindset, but have discovered in my adulthood that surrounding myself with other creative, inspired people keeps me going. I began pursuing art as a teenager, in art classes and as a hobby, but I did not make it a career until decades later. I began in graphic design before Photoshop was a household name, and after many years as a graphic design artist, my experience with pixelation led me to paint needlepoint canvases for a local store. I eventually opened my own wholesale company selling canvases to stores all around the country, but my love for painting expanded beyond my business. When I first started participating in Paint Memphis, an annual mural festival that brings in hundreds of artists from around the world, I was not sure if I belonged. Although I was already designing and painting, I did not feel as talented as renowned muralists. To me, we were in different artist worlds, small-scale versus large-scale, and I did not know if I had the creativity or skill to look at my own art in such impactful and immense ways. It took a meaningful and assuring conversation with a muralist whom I hugely admire (thank you Mister Toledo!) for me to feel that I belong in this space, and I soon felt inspired to experiment in this new medium. Since then, I have been extremely grateful to become deeply involved in the organization, this year as a co-director, and I learn each year how important these connections are.
Each year Paint Memphis rolls around, it lights a new fire for me to be surrounded by creative people who I admire and aspire to. To share candidly with fellow artists, about their big wins, hard losses, and their own experiences with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, allows me to feel connected as well as better understand my own creative process and how best to make my ideas come to fruition. My creativity would have died long ago if not for the fellow creative minds around me that push and challenge me when I most need it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
These days, I am a muralist and sign painter, as well as a single mother. My children are deeply important to me, and my own business, Rogue Designs, is named after my youngest daughter. I work most closely with small businesses in the Southeast, and most recently, I have worked as a sign painter and graphic designer with the Overton Park Shell in the creation of their museum. In addition, while I am happy to be able to support my family through my artwork, I also find great satisfaction being the co-director of Paint Memphis. In this role, I get to connect nationwide with artists, work with businesses about the importance of art and artist communities, and challenge myself each year with a new mural! The 2023 Paint Memphis Festival is quickly approaching this fall. We are working extensively on systemizing the festival beyond its annual weekend and developing art gallery partnerships so that the visiting artists are able to continually gain from their experience with our organization. My work is always exciting, as I build partnerships and connections in every community I am able to paint in, and I value these networks in indescribable ways.
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 skills or qualities that I have utilized time and time again are mental flexibility, tenacity, and the insatiable desire to learn. I often begin conceptualizing a project a certain way, and it changes immensely by the time it is finished. While I appreciate every version of the work, viewing it as malleable allows me to let go of previous iterations in order for the final version to be its best. With this also comes the importance of tenacity. In my personal and professional lives, things can get difficult, and it is incredibly normal to not believe in yourself. Persevering beyond self-doubt can feel impossible, but continuing to move forward often is the most important thing. And lastly, I am constantly reminded through my children that you are never too old to learn new things! I stay curious and challenge myself to learn from others at every available moment, because you never know who will be an invaluable mentor or what will be a necessary lesson. For those beginning their journeys, listen to your fiercest advocates if you are ever doubting yourself, and know that there are so many people excited to see what you create and decide to pursue!
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
This is the easiest question yet: my children. When I am struggling for inspiration or finding the time to balance many responsibilities, they are constantly supportive and uplifting, reminding me that I can keep going. I am grateful to have six children, all passionate and successful in their own right, who create a nexus of ingenuity and compassion when it is most needed. They know when to be pillars of support, and when to properly encourage and challenge me in my ideas and paths forward. They continue to inspire me to do better and create bigger, even when I am not as confident in myself. However, I would also be remiss to not include my larger community of friends, family, fellow artists, and my partner, who are support systems in their own right. I would not be where I am professionally without the former director of Paint Memphis, past mentors in the artist community, or contemporary artists whom I look up to.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rogue.murals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090628752700
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-sandlin/
Image Credits
Mark Harbin
