We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kaylin Wood a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kaylin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
At the risk of sounding much too poetic, being an artist was never a mindful choice that was settled on. Rather, it is who I intrinsically am, who I’ve always been. I came into this world with a tilt to my head and a rather different way of seeing things that lie between the ordinary and mundane. “I AM an artist” I’d always say, even when I was very little. I don’t think I’d know how to be any other way.
There have been times I’ve tried somewhat regular jobs – barista, deck hand on a whale watching boat, children’s art teacher, and local boutique employee – still I’d find ways to work little magics into it all, because to do anything other would have been disingenuous. So the question, am I happier as an artist and creative? I think happiness doesn’t cover the scope of it all. I am an artist in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It means everything to me, and it is my very voice in this world.
Kaylin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am Kaylin of Kaylin Rose Ceramics, located in the Pacific Northwest. I have been doing art of every medium for as long as I can remember, a magpie of creativity you might say. In 2008 I was living in central California and feeling positively restless and was desperate to go to art college, but wasn’t able to afford it at the time. I settled on a handful of art classes at my community college, ceramics 101 being one of them. I caught the bug, but was unable to fully dive in. Twists and turns of fate brought me north Portland, OR way and I had my eyes on the Oregon College of Art and Craft. In 2018, still feeling restless and still unable to go full time, I signed up for another one off ceramics class. This time it took off. I enthusiastically explored, sculpted and practiced every chance I got – dragging bricks of clay home and gathering my own tools for my little studio. The more I worked with clay the more I realized all those other avenues of creativity I so loved, found its way into my pieces. Fantasy, folklore, mythology, storytelling, illustrations – all of it I’ve woven into clay.
Everything I make is by hand and I approach it as a collaboration with the clay itself. I’ll sit at my bench and whisper to the lump of clay, “what would you like to be?”. From there I slowly move and shape it, not stopping till it feels just right. I like to believe everything I sculpt has a bit of a soul in it, its own personality and story. Sometimes I do not know its story until it finds itself in the hands of its forever home. That’s why I enjoy marketing in person so much. I can see peoples eyes light up and their inner child shine through, like when they could first see the magic in the world. They tell me how the little monster mask in their palms remind them of their great aunts ancient dog with a snaggle tooth, or how the hand painted wall hanging of a cluster of acorns reminds them of how when they were little they would sneak acorns into their pockets and they’d always rattle around in the dryer after a washing.
Wither it be a mug with eyeballs and teeth, trinket bowls that look like pools of water, or opalescent slugs carrying baskets of tiny scrolls – my one hope in all that I do, is that even if for a moment, I can bring a smile to someones face and help them believe in magic once again.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve had to unlearn the thought that I had to stay small and quiet to be safe and accepted in the world. It’s a lesson I’m still learning today. I was a sensitive and dreamy child who was alone a lot, sitting in a circle of trees in my yard or chatting with my goldfish every day after school. It wasn’t until adulthood, when I left the high control religion I was raised with and got my AuDHD diagnosis that I felt I was finally on my way to being able to live more authentically. The wild daydreams I had, the creatures I saw in the woodgrains, or the little gifts I’d leave out for the faeries – I didn’t have to hide that anymore. That this rich world that lived inside me could be shared and maybe even be an encouragement to others to be brave and live more authentically themselves. In doing so, I’ve been able to meet and connect with so many wonderful and multifaceted people, hear their stories, and see within each of them their own wonderful world.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Keep art in school. Make art and creativity accessible to all, no matter the age. And for all that is good in this world, please no gatekeeping creativity. It breaks my heart when I hear people say, “I can’t even draw a stick figure” or “Oh, I wish I could be artistic like you”. Can you feel a powerful song stir inside you? Can you find shapes in clouds? Can you be curious? These are all sparks that, if encouraged, have the potential to catch and ignite something incredible in us. You don’t have to be good, you can just BE. Human expression is art and it is a right we are all entitled to. You’d be surprised what comes from a person who feels safe to play without judgement.
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