Meet Kiki Fields

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

Hi Kiki, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
Overcoming burnout is never easy, and I’ve dealt with it many times throughout my life. My most recent case of burnout was after I graduated from SCAD University. Along with the constant work output that comes with an art degree, I was dealing with the loss of my grandmother just before graduation, she had been the entire reason I started my art journey when I was a child. The grief of losing someone so special to me, and who was connected to the biggest part of my life, made me experience an ego death. It was like I was frozen, creating art didn’t bring me joy and felt tedious. It was a burnout that I had never experienced before, mixed with so many emotions that I didn’t know how to process.

Navigating burnout is something that takes a lot of patience for yourself, I had to learn that creating doesn’t always
have to be purposeful. Ironically, what helped me overcome my burnout was doing things outside of creating art. I focused on discovering new things that inspired me, picking up new creative hobbies, spending time with loved ones, and ultimately facing my grief and what my art journey would look like going forward. Burnout is scary because it makes you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, but sometimes those moments can give us much-needed clarity. My advice is: never fight burnout. Be kind to yourself, take a break, and try looking at your art and creative process from a different angle. Being open and accepting of change is the most important thing you can do for your creative process during burnout.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a Black Nashville-based artist who has recently started an online shop called: Galaxy Puff Designs. This shop features my original illustrations and other merch featuring characters from my brand. I wanted to create something that featured cute Black characters. Representation has always been important to me, so whenever I create anything I want to make sure that it is Black-centric, colorful, and cute. I’ve always been inspired by character-focused brands like Pusheen, Sonny Angels, Hello Kitty, etc., and I wanted to create a brand that offered cute Black characters that make people feel happy when they look at them.

Right now, I’m selling illustration prints, stickers, buttons, and charms. For 2025, I’m adding more types of merchandise, such as stationery supplies, pins, apparel, and more. Aside from my shop, I’m also working on other personal projects like graphic novels and video games, which can be learned about on my social media.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three things that have always helped me with my art journey are: maintaining hobbies outside of art, the importance of doing warm-ups before drawing, and knowing how to build a community. Hobbies outside of art have helped me to stay fulfilled even on the days I find myself not able to draw, it’s important to have something else you love doing to keep your mind clear. Warm-ups are essential to drawing, it’s much easier to become discouraged or burnt out if you don’t take the proper time to practice a bit before diving into your next art project or sketching session. Building community is always important for an artist, you want to have people in your circle that understand what you do and support you.

For creatives who are early in their artistic journey, my advice would be to never be stubborn about your process. It’s okay to start over if something isn’t working, look for inspiration outside of your usual mediums, and never be afraid to try something different if you feel like you’re in a rut, sometimes all you need is a restart.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking for people to collaborate with! Since opening my shop, I’ve wanted to collaborate with other creatives who make various stationery-based products, like stickers, prints, washi tape, pens, notebooks, etc., or apparel. I’m especially excited to collaborate with other Black or PoC artists. I can be reached by email or you can DM me on any of my social media profiles.

Contact Info:

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