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

Karen, appreciate you joining us today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

While I gleaned plenty of knowledge and experience from my college education in Studio Art, Emphasis in Drawing and Painting, I greatly disagreed with the spirit that academia was trying to instill within me as a student and an artist. I have often felt a strong sense of pretentiousness and hierarchy within those of the academic arts. They gave me the impression that they believed that those who practice art for fun–or from the heart rather than the mind–were considered unimportant and, in simpler terms, “wrong”.

The statistic I heard about graduates of the art program I went into is that only a meager 10% are still doing art within two years of graduating. I felt like an anomaly to not only make it my full-time job, but to do so making art from my heart, and not going in the gallery and/or “high art” direction. Sure, my mind is certainly involved in my process, but with the intention to make art accessible for the people. Not to confuse nor segregate, and not just for the elite or wealthy.

A few years after graduating, I worked part-time at a ‘paint-and-sip’ studio. I often observed children choosing not to follow instruction, as they proudly–and without abandon–painted whatever they wanted to. On the other hand, I consistently found adults to be creatively constipated, feeling nervous with every stroke, worried about being “wrong”. I was evenoften asked to paint parts of their painting for them!

This made me so sad. I made the connection that our culture finds ways to shame, stifle the creative spirit. That our education system has been unchanged since WWII, and was designed to create factory workers in the collective by using straightforward processes of learning that involve a lot of following directions–not straying from the path. To see so many struggle and stress amidst this rare opportunity to let yourself be free and have fun is devastating, especially thinking on how that applies on a larger scale. Further, how are we expected to grow, to evolve, by staying only within the lines?

Art is for -everyone-. It has little to no bounds, and can be anything it wants to be. The kind of art that personally moves and touches me the most is art that really says something important about culture, society, the human experience, etc., and says it with feeling. And with that, quality is irrelevant. Especially when that quality is connected to Western standards of realism, as if all of the other styles and expressions of creativity are less–if not entirely–irrelevant.

I encourage all who I come across to follow their creative spirit, to be brave and let yourself go beyond the boundaries that have been intentionally instilled in you. Dear reader, to honor your unique self, to support human evolution and development, please create whatever your heart yearns to–without abandon.

Karen, 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?

Ever since I could hold a crayon, I have been drawing. And ever since I can remember, I have loved and been fascinated by all animals; each living being is precious, sacred, and wondrous to me. These two inclinations have persevered throughout my life, and were strong and passionate enough that they demanded that I make it into my full-time career.

Through studying art at collegiate level, I learned that I desired to make art for everyone rather than the select few. Upon graduating, I had a conventional job for a year that I thought was related enough to art to be fulfilling, and I could do my own work on my own time…I was wrong. I discovered I don’t do well working the 9-5 type jobs, and I never had the energy to make the art I wanted to when I wasn’t working. I knew I needed to dedicate myself to my own work fully.

Along with a good savings, I was able to work pretty much full-time for a year on my art. I lived extremely frugally to focus fully on my dream. I also had a couple families I would occasionally nanny for, and also made income off of pet commissions. A lovely person had said she envisioned me making oracle decks with my artwork. I loved that idea, and went for it: I designed a mammals deck. 44 drawings, research and a written description for each, and all of the designed templates for the product itself. I dove in head-first into figuring out how to do all of this, and I certainly asked Professor Google plenty of questions when I didn’t know something. (FYI – Art school taught me -nothing- about business) The minimum quantity of card decks I could order was five-hundred count for several thousand dollars. It was a risk, but I bit the bullet and haven’t looked back!

Along the way, I met some incredible people who got me connected with art and vendor event opportunities. The most notable of those involved with non-profits that support endangered animals as well as animals in-need. It started with an educational and fundraising event with wolves and wolf dogs, which a connection there referred me to an fundraising race for African wildlife, which a connection there referred me to a fundraising gala for international endangered species conservation, which a connection there referred me to a fundraising gala for rescued apes, etc. I then became the go-to live-painter for these events, whose swiftly-rendered animal realism paintings sold for auction and proceeds were often split between me and the organization. I’ve even painted orangutans next to actual orangutans!!

The connections I’ve made and opportunities I have been given were of incredible fortune and beyond my comprehension; I could not have dreamed this up! Doing this kind of work allows me to support the causes I’m passionate about without necessarily direct funds, but instead using my time and skill set. And, I still get financial return for it–what a deal! I continue collaborate with most of these non-profits and connections, and they even often allow me to sell my own oracle decks, prints, and art products at their events. I couldn’t be more honored to do this work with the most heart-centered, salt-of-the earth people I know.

My true passion is creating affordable educational products that bridge the gap between humans and nature, for the benefit of both. In this way, art is my tool and not the sheer focus of my work as a creator. In addition to the mammals oracle deck, I also recently printed a birds oracle deck, which took me five years to make–44 detailed paintings of 44 birds! These products are meant for the user to receive inspirational messages from randomly picked card(s). Each message is uniquely crafted to fit the behavioral patterns and overall character of each animal. I am pleased to share that I have received such lovely feedback from my supporters about this product, that the messages it provides are often very relevant and moving.

I also created “Save the Bees!”, my first coloring book of (hopefully!) many to come. For all of these projects, I think about what the natural world needs, and what humans need, and try to synthesize them. I research my chosen content with much care, and try to create a product that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but really reaches people emotionally through: meaningful messages, sharing the wonders of the natural world, and adding bits of humor and light-heartedness.

What I would hope my supporters take away from my work as a whole is that it comes from a deep, deep passion for the natural world, and active intent on both preserving and regenerating it. I have great interest in ecology, permaculture design, natural building, homesteading, food forests, land regeneration, and so much more! These are the kinds of topics I like to focus on in my work, and make that information accessible to others in an enjoyable way. While I’m just one tiny person in the large, chaotic machine that is the human collective, I intend to use my work to make the greatest beneficial impact on all the living beings I logistically can.

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

Absolutely! I feel my artist statement does a decent job at describing my “why”:

“Each kind of animal and plant has a different character, archetype, or “essence” to it, and I so enjoy delving into the specifics of how each one shines. I am intrigued at how every living being contributes to the ecosystem, these perfectly balanced and interconnected webs of thriving, adaptable life. My connection to the natural world–and especially animals–often feels spiritual, sacred. When a certain animal consistently shows itself to me at a certain time, it’s as if that animal’s essence is speaking to me. What can I learn from this animal and its distinctive way of being?

My main goal in my personal work is to realistically and soulfully highlight the glorious individuality of the Earth’s creatures, and by doing so, connect the audience with their special essences. And even further, remind humans as a species why our animal kingdom and natural world as a whole are so important–important enough for us to take care of it.

With the fourth mass extinction occurring as we speak (due to consequences of the global infestation that is the human species), we are losing between 200-2,000 species every year. A portion of these species are crucial to maintaining ecosystems worldwide, and even keep the human species alive.

In my eyes, there is no more pressing or more important issue than the climate crisis (and all the branching effects of it), and I believe we to dedicate our own unique skills and efforts towards bringing awareness, mitigating the effects, and creating positive change.”

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

For me, being a full-time artist who is still growing her business means living an unconventional lifestyle. I don’t have any children to be financially responsible for, nor do I personally want to with the way the world is now. I also keep my financial burdens low by limiting spending to only work-related expenses, and otherwise only buying what I need. When I do buy things like clothes, I go to the thrift store (and find some amazing stuff), which saves money but also reflects my environmentalist values (the clothing industry is one of the most wasteful entities in the world!).

With all of this, there may be a different expectation amidst my social world on what I limit myself to for my work. For example, it’s normal to invite a friend to a restaurant and pay dutch, or have a drink at the local bar, or go to watch a movie, or spend the day at the amusement park. While I love spending time with my loved ones and could certainly find enjoyment in all of the above, it makes me very uncomfortable to spend money on these things. It’s not that I -can’t- pay for that thing, it’s that I don’t want to.

I purposely keep a savings and have only maintained it only with careful, thoughtful spending. Even though I understand it’s good to splurge every once in awhile–and occasionally do–it will still make me uncomfortable. Regardless, I find enjoyment in the simple things, in deep conversations, in plants and animals. Sitting on a friend’s couch with their cat on my lap while my friend and I talk about life is basically what my ideal social time looks like. I am incredibly fulfilled by those times.

Another thing that I think most creatives misunderstand about being a creative, is that it’s not always “fun”. It takes -a lot- of hard work to successfully launch a business by yourself (especially in the creative arts!!). It can also feel very vulnerable and stressful to always be exposing your work and brand to the world. And while my schedule is much more flexible than the average person, there is hardly a day that I don’t work; I’m always working, always thinking about work. There is really no work-life separation for me, my work is my life. That’s why I believe it’s really important to love what you do if you work for yourself!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.karenkliethermes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkliethermesart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenKliethermesEssenceoftheSoul
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/qG7gz8avwGE