We were lucky to catch up with Kat Spearman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kat, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me has got to be believing in me when I was at my lowest points in life. I wasn’t always able to work in this field due to the need to survive in our world financially as a young parent. There are very few people who have known me since those earliest stages of adulthood where all I had the time for was to wistfully look at my sketchbook. The one who has always known what I am capable of as a creative, even though he wouldn’t consider himself one, is my partner Yates, The way he has fought alongside me for years as young parents to ensure that I could go down this path is incredibly kind.

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 was always interested in art as a child and spent a lot of time experimenting with different craft materials and trying to draw pictures of my favorite animals. Over time this hobby turned into a passion and I spent a lot of time in the late 00’s trying to learn drawing techniques online with whatever technical skills I could pick up in my rural South Carolina public school art classes. I then got into a fancy arts boarding school- from which I left early due to mental health struggles. Next I started art school, dropped out, and wound up pregnant with my now 8-year-old son Finn. Art took a backseat then as we figured out how to be adults and parents at the same time. Years of hard work, a pandemic and then another baby later, I finally am at a point in my life where I can devote myself back to my passion. Which brings us to now!

I am proud to be a working artist. My studio is currently based out of my home so that I can care for my children and work intermittently throughout the day. I primarily paint, but also draw and create multi media artwork with recycled materials. I also found a new love of creating murals, having completed several, with another in the planning stages. I work with a large array of materials including acrylics, gouache, and colored pencils. I create a lot of surreal an imaginative pieces inspired often by nature or the cosmos. I am incredibly proud of the body of work that I have been able to produce in the last 12 months. The pieces I am creating are what I have always dreamed of doing and I am so excited for whats to come and the ideas I have. In the future I have plans for regular drops of prints and originals on my website as well as more shows and live painting events. I love creating unique pieces for my clients that bring a creative energetic feeling into their space. Work that takes us out of our ordinary worlds when we take a moment to absorb it. This is the feeling I strive to create with my body of work.

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

Making the work. Its all about creation for me. As I reach new levels of success I keep coming back to the feeling that my favorite part of it all is just creating the art. That’s where the fulfillment comes from for me. The joy, reward and feeling of internal satisfaction of getting a piece just the way I want it is what keeps me going.

Have you ever had to pivot?

There are times in our lives where we have to put a pause on our dreams to survive. Having a child at 19 felt like a dozen pivots off my desired path. At times it felt like my entire path was a pivot. It was hard and I often felt misunderstood by those around me. You can explain to everyone what your future plans and dreams are a million times over but most won’t see your potential. Some will nod and smile to placate you. Others will change the subject, obviously uncomfortable by your ambition. I think my absolute refusal to give up on the life I wanted and the drive to make it happen in any way possible is how I ended up here at last.

Contact Info:

• Website: motherandmaker.com
• Instagram: @motherandmaker
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mothermakerkat

Image Credits
All images taken by Kat (@motherandmaker)