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

Kayla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I was a teenage girl the first time I became obsessed with what people would say about me after I died. At that point I was undiagnosed bipolar, and doing my best to get through the turmoil of an abusive relationship, so I was suicidal and obsessing over what people would say when they found me. Those thoughts came from a hurt, and a tiny bit of vengeful part of me. It’s morbid I know, but I’ve came a long way since then. I’m 37 years old now, and my life has of course had ups and downs, but it’s been beautiful.
I’ve always been an open book about my mental health, and I believe that’s part of my legacy. Also celebrating the weird parts of you, letting your freak flag fly.
I was so obsessed with dying as a teen, and now I am sure to live my life in the most authentic way. Filling my days with creativity, and an outpouring of realness, and love.
I hope I live a long happy life, and when I go I know I’ve inspired people to live out loud, no matter how weird, raw, or ugly that is.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kayla Post. I am a vocalist, a born entertainer, since I was a baby I’ve been singing. My Dad would send toddler me to other patrons in the diner we’d be eating in, and tell me “sing for them Kayla” and I did gladly. I host Karaoke, and I’m in a cover band and an Original Progressive Death Metal band called Little Heathen. I also make weird videos on social media that people seem to enjoy. I have a series called Rage cooking with Kayla, and the Hypochondria Forager, full of weirdness and laughter. I am an artist, and I didn’t think I was until fairly recently. I’ve always been creative and crafty, but being adhd and bipolar made me a bit chaotic. I’m a messy artist who impulsively works on a project and it’s full of spontaneity and chaos, instead of meticulously planning my art and paying perfect attention to detail. I belittled myself about it for a long time, as if my art wasn’t valid, and I wasn’t good enough. I know now I’m wrong, and the art I make reflects who I am. It’s unique and weird and in so many different mediums. I hyperfocus for a day on making stickers, the next day a big macrame project, off to doing digital portraits, then making candles, I am all over the place, and that’s perfectly okay. I like it that way. I’ll be doing my first craft fair with my craft business 3 crow Bazaar next Saturday.
I am a photographer, my business is called Rebel Refuge.
During the pandemic of 2020 I started getting headaches and eye problems. After some scary appointments they discovered I had Psuedo Tumor Cerebri also called idiopathic intracranial Hypertension. I spiraled into the worst depression I’ve had as an adult. In more pain than I’ve ever had. Basically my diagnosis symptoms mimic a brain tumor. Lots of pain, from my head to my feet, brain fog, and vision problems. My life changed drastically. I had to learn to slow down.
I lived on an old Christmas Tree farm, the woods became my solace. I’d walk out there everyday, and I’d grab my husbands camera that was gathering dust in the corner, and I learned how to use it. 3 miles a day for a year, thousands of photos of all the gifts my magical forest gave to me. Everytime I’d see a new mushroom, plant or animal, my heart would heal a little. The glitter the sun makes passing through tree tops and the smell of moss and dirt as I stomped through the woods with the camera I was falling in love with, healed me.
Now I’ve worked hard at making photography my business. My chronic illness has made day jobs very hard on me, and I’m grateful for those times in the woods, learning a new skill. I don’t have a studio yet, but I do prefer taking my clients to the woods and shooting in the beautiful natural lighting the world offers.
I’m still learning everyday, Pre-pandemic I was an esthetician and working makeup artist so my next goal is building another makeup kit so I can offer makeup services with my photography clients.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

When someone reaches out to me, and tells me something I did inspires them. It gives me warm fuzzies. I’m an open book about my journey with mental health, and all the other struggles I’ve had, and still have, and knowing something I’ve created has inspired someone, or even made them laugh, makes every tear I’ve cried in this uphill battle of life worth it.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal right now is being able to live comfortably as a creative. My photography and visual art business journey is so new, and fresh but I know I’ll get to that point.the hustle never stops. My goals for Little Heathen is to finish recording and get our music out there. Hopefully by 2025 we can play live, which is where I feel my true self is, on stage, singing and screaming in peoples faces. I’ll have my cover band going by then too which is just a fun project with friends!
Someday I hope to tour with my band, camera at the ready! 37 isn’t too old to stop dreaming.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/lil.heathen.kayla?fbclid=PAAaYau6c-VHiPvRzVcku_aZPB-jJuh4Uz71W28Zgvc5TOBUUmU26fTEHZObE_aem_AWs6y7hr5377FR8m0JS-v4saA2t75cIbtaBDTWapHH5nFsGyZAaJcSWiswNMa505YM0
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lil.heathen.kayla?igsh=aGJ4YTU5YXlleXNr&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089808824696&mibextid=opq0tG

Image Credits
Enduring Depections