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

Kat, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was obsessed with Disneyland as a child, and still to this day, so we would often make the 6 hour drive from Phoenix, AZ to Anaheim, CA. On one of our trips, I was mesmerized by a wedding display in the window of The Grand Californian Hotel showcasing some of the services they offered. I begged my mom to take a photo of the display with our disposable camera and still have it hanging in my craft room to this day. Seeing that display sparked something within me. I would spend hours organizing Pinterest boards with different wedding ideas and even had my own wedding planned in it’s entirety by the age of 13. In high school, I was first given the opportunity to plan and execute a wedding with only three days notice. To everyone’s surprise, I was able to have multiple bouquets, boutonnieres as well as various signage and decor ready. The couple enjoyed the day and were so thankful for a caring team of people wanting to help them tie the knot! This was when I realized it could be more than something I enjoyed, it could be my profession. During college I was able to create florals for several more weddings and events eventually leading to the creation of my business, TAK creations.

Kat, 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 a 20-something non-binary person who loves creating and always has. My spouse and I have been married for 3 years and are proud bunny parents to two adorable bunnies, Meek and Maple, one of which is moderately Tik Tok famous. Growing up, my mom was bombarded with art projects I made at school as there was always a new craft they were teaching which I’d pick up on immediately. Creating florals was something I gravitated towards mostly out of necessity for my own wedding as we were trying to save money anywhere we could. After creating all of our florals I couldn’t stop! Friends and family were so supportive and continued to hire me for their events while allowing my confidence to grow. Although florals are my main creative avenue I also work with polymer clay, resin, custom clothing, and various textile arts. I primarily create jewelry using polymer clay and resin while creating tote bags, scrunchies, and fabric canvas art using upcylced fabric donated to me by members of my community. My art work is set apart as much of it is queer focused while also donating many of my profits to organizations like The Trevor Project and One N Ten, an Arizona based program. I enjoy using fabric others would’ve discarded to create Pride flags, the largest of them being 3 feet by 5 feet! My queer identity is something I struggled with for many years as I grew up with my father’s side of the family being quite religious and conservative causing me to deny my personhood. Thankfully I have a wonderfully supportive mom, spouse, and friends who have wholly embraced me! Creating queer art is healing for my inner child. Using simple things like a canvas, Mod Podge, and fabric I can create something simple enough for a child allowing the little kid inside of me to enjoy their identity. A design I am most proud of would have to be my Trevor collection. All of the items (shirts, totes, etc.) all say “accepting queer kids IS suicide prevention” which is such an important message to share with everyone. This design has also been the most popular one I’ve created as my community loves the message as well!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I enjoy being able to make people’s visions come to life, be it a unique floral arrangement or a custom shirt design, getting to see my customers over-the-moon with their products fills me with joy. One of the most special items I was able to create was restoring two old ballerina pin cushions for a friend. My friend was very close to her mother who unfortunately passed before meeting her granddaughters. For the girls’ first ballet recital she wanted to gift the pin cushions to them but wanted them to have a little “makeover” as the antique pin cushions had significant wear and tear. I was able to remove the body of the ballerinas, fix the chipped paint, and give them each brand new skirts. Her and her daughters were excited to have a beautiful antique from their grandmother while also having some of their own personalities mixed in as each ballerina was their favorite color, pink and blue. Additionally, I am always excited about what I create, I have a folder saved to my phone of my reactions to pieces dear to me. I recently spent about 10 hours creating a large floral canvas with black, white, yellow, and purple faux flowers to make the non-binary flag. Tears rushed to my face as I saw my finished product which beautifully represented my artistic passion and personal identity.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My ultimate goal in my creative journey is to eventually own and operate my own venue for weddings and events. My spouse and I met in college in Denver, CO and I absolutely fell in love with the state. I will feel like I’ve “made it” when I can take a simple walk from my house down to my workspace all encompassed on my own property. Growing up my family owned a maple syrup farm in Vermont causing me to fall in love with the woods which is why I’d be extremely excited to operate my own venue nestled into the mountains of Colorado. Having a large amount of space like this would also allow me to have a larger studio space as everything I currently do is out of my childhood bedroom, which my mom has been kind enough to let me continue using.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://takcreations.square.site/
• Instagram: @creations.tak
• Facebook: @creations.tak