We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kae Pea a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kae, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes. I am so happy to say that I earn my living from my creative work. Though I will be honest — it has not been an easy or fast path. I believe that persistence, showing up on a daily basis, and support from my husband and daughter have made all the difference. My journey has been full of twists and turns, but from childhood, I never imagined doing anything else besides being in the arts in one form or another. Since I can remember, I always loved to doodle, draw and color. And though I always thought I would have a creative path, it did not begin that way and I held a series of jobs including, but not limited to; licensed nail technician, waitress, and a private in the US Army! In the late 1980’s when I was in my twenties, I ‘discovered’ rubber art stamps and that changed my life. I became so obsessed with all things stamps, that my parents literally put up their life savings to open a stamp shop and begin a rubber stamp manufacturing company. All of this began in 1993 and I worked with my parents until 2000, when a few terrible events transpired and everything was lost. Both of my parents passed away within 2 years of each other, and an unscrupulous business associate stole all of our imagery and began manufacturing all of our designs under a different name. This seems like it would be simple enough to address but I had a young family and few resources and so, it seemed, all was lost for good. I left the stamp industry — once an up and coming young talent, with a promising future — in shame, sadness and regret.

Then in 2007, I decided I was going to rewrite my story. I wanted to reconnect with the artist I knew I was, and set an example of perseverance for my children. And so I enrolled in a local university to earn a degree in Fine Art. I began when I was 41. I had one daughter in college herself and two young ones at home in elementary school. I loved school and though it was very challenging, I did well and managed to graduate in 2011 magna cum laude, with my BFA in Studio Art.

After graduating, I was once again at a crossroads. I was not sure where my art would take me. I was still so insecure and without school assignments and a goal, what would I do? Once again, rubber stamps seemed to find me. Through a series of serendipitous events, I bought an existing rubber stamp company. One that had been around for years and had a good reputation and fun aesthetic. It worked out as if the angels themselves struck the deal! Even though we were really struggling financially and had no place to start our business, and even though I lived in Missouri and the business I was buying was in Idaho, I never let it stop me! Inside, my spirit was shouting, ” YOU CAN DO IT!” and so I did. I crowdfunded the money and borrowed from anyone who would help me. I went and picked up the business and everything else did seem to literally fall into place! I officially took over ownership RubberMoon in 2012. I also began an online ‘subscription club’ called the MoonMail Club — one of the very first of its kind! My husband and I worked the business day and night, and in 2017 our oldest daughter came to work for us. We continued to work the business together and started a lot of innovations and marketing concepts online. We began collaborations with many popular mixed media artists and created a custom, private-label stamp program for artists to get their designs made into rubber stamps. Then, in 2019, we had the opportunity to buy ArtFoamies. I have really tried to follow my intuition in business and everything was telling me that ArtFoamies would be a great fit, even though I didn’t know much about them. (Fun Fact: I had never used or purchased an ArtFoamies stamp until after I bought the company!) We re-opened ArtFoamies in April 2020 and it has been such an amazing journey. We decided to sell RubberMoon in 2021 and focus on ArtFoamies for many reasons. I pair running ArtFoamies with my Patreon page (where I teach and share so many creative projects, ideas and techniques.) I look back on the years leading up to now and see so many steps and milestones that made me who I am. I still have things on my list and a lot I hope to accomplish. I am certain that had I not had so many setbacks and obstacles to overcome, I would have gotten to this point a bit quicker but I would not be the person I am and I believe that my pain and struggles have added layers to my art and to my life. As I have said throughout the years, “I am my art”.

Kae, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am really proud of the way we have been able to grow ArtFoamies from a relatively niche product into an indispensable tool in the mixed media world. ArtFoamies are for literally everything — from paper to wood to walls, in your art journals and card making and even on fabric and in textile art. They are so incredibly versatile and just plain FUN, and I am proud to be able to create and sell a product that so many people love! I am also proud of the fact that I have been able to launch and grow my Patreon while simultaneously running a business that sources artwork, produces, manufactures, and ships a physical product, essentially managing two separate businesses at once. My Patreon is all about “getting makey”– teaching techniques, sharing ideas, and building a community of creatives, and is my greatest passion in this life. As much as I love creating, I love inspiring others to incorporate art into their daily lives even more. “Everyday Art, Art Everyday” is another motto I have had since the beginning of my career, and my Patreon is a direct reflection of that ethos.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

That even if someone takes your art, they cannot steal your creativity or drive.
I had — and still have — my art literally being used without my permission and without compensation.
It hurt me deeply and for many years I used it as an excuse to not create. But after a few years of wallowing in self pity and despair, I realized I HAD to create. (That is when I realized I was a “real artist”). So the moral of my story is, albeit cliche is “Persistence is key”.

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

Honestly the most rewarding thing for me is the opportunity to follow through on my innovations. I love how the spark of an idea turns into a burning flame.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themoonandthemaker.com and www.artfoamies.com
• Instagram: @themoonandthemaker and @artfoamies
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artfoamies
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/artfoamiesusa
• Other: Patreon – www.patreon.com/kaepea