We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kevin Barrett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kevin below.

Kevin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

It’s tough out there! Managing your creative self and balancing the business side of things can be scary enough without worrying about vending weather or slow online purchases. Is it worth the stress? Absolutely. Would a consistent paycheck be nice? Of course. Every sale is a victory, every new customer a friend. This is my 6th year curating the Bear Fruit Designs journey and I am incredibly proud of my past work, as well as excited for my best work to come.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Kevin! Owner and creative director of my fashion/graphic design company, Bear Fruit Designs, super funky, one of a kind clothing, accessories, and custom art. Originally from Iowa, I came out to Colorado to study art at CSU in 2011, graduating with a printmaking concentration in 2015. After that I was lucky enough to land a job with Sloth Steady, designing and vending official merchandise at music festivals like Summercamp and Electric Forest, before moving to Chicago to help run their flagship store. I had already started Bear Fruit when I was let go, but I had all the experience to start running a booth of my own. I moved back to Colorado, started creating more inventory, got a laser engraver, and hopped on the festival circuit to dance around the country. My favorite achievements have been designing clothing for a number of incredible musicians, like Russ Liquid, Defunk, and a jumpsuit for The Polish Ambassador, that I got to wear on stage during his set at Red Rocks. Wearing my own clothing all day everyday certainly fills me with pride and is also an amazing way to advertise my craft. From shoes and umbrellas, to button downs and dress pants, I’d love to create a unique style just for you!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Easy! Being my own boss. Having full control of my creative limitations, not having a set schedule, making my own luck. The most rewarding but also the most terrifying part of my artistic career. Seeing an outfit come together head to toe is a close second.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As an artist, my work blends the themes of nature, emotion, and animals with a futuristic twist, creating a unique style that I call “future retro.” My pieces and clothing explore the intersection between the natural world and modern technology, with a focus on capturing the essence of different animals and the emotions they evoke. Through the use of vivid color palettes, striking geometric shapes, and bold retro patterns, I strive to bring a sense of energy, movement, and nostalgia to each piece. Incorporating elements of retro design into my work serves to ground the piece in the past, while the futuristic themes and use of technology bring a sense of progress and innovation. This fusion creates a visual dialogue between the past, present, and future, inviting the viewer to contemplate our relationship with nature and technology.

At the heart of my work is a desire to provoke thought and inspire connection, keeping it as funky as possible, exploring the complexities of our world through a unique lens of the future retro.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bearfruitdesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearfruitdesigns/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BearFruitDesigns/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bearfruitdesign