We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Diffie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.
Kelly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I am happy as an artist, but I also do many other jobs. The median income for an artist is 30,000, the median income for a household is around 58,000, so even the best selling artists usually have multiple income sources coming in to supplement their art, but despite that I feel that I love all the things I do which helps keep me happy as an artist.
Kelly, 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 have been an artist since i could hold a spray paint can. In my younger days, I often pursued writing and performing arts over visual arts, but truly, I love to create in a variety of ways; I paint, sketch, sculpt, engineer AI art prompts, do digital design and build, among a number of other creative outlets.
My art is unique and employs my own one of a kind blend of original as well as popular styles and techniques to achieve a powerful connection with hundreds and thousands of people worldwide.
It is my belief that everyone should be able to enjoy something beautiful, and in the spirit of that my family and I have been known to embark on community art giveaways to spread the joy of art to anyone who wants to receive it, having given away more than 250 pieces of original art since winter of 2022. This art is usually completely unique in a number of ways from the pieces that I sell at a variety of locations including at the world famous Meteor Crater Museum.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My entire journey has been a story of resilience. Pursuing a carreer as an artist is challenging. Only 19% of artists report earning over 50,000 dollars a year from their art, while the median household income sits at 58,000 dollars a year. 42% of artists report having to work at least 1 full time job outside of being an artist, I myself wear a number of hats aside from being an artist, including working as a paranormal investigator, as well as in marketing and advertising (also not art related). Only 12% of artists report gallery sales in their top 3 sources of income – this statistic in itself speaks about the struggles an artist faces. Self representation is difficult, but so is getting outside representation, and fees for this can create a unique set of challenges for an artist in themselves. Creatives have to be creative in how they create avenues to progress in their careers.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
They say that 90% of artists fail, not due to market saturation, or skill level but due to a failure to pursue their dream; a failure to market themselves. In most cases I have found all it takes is dedication to succeeding. Noisy wheels get the grease, and persistance and discipline are keys to achieving goals. The more attempts you make, the more times you ask, the closer you get to hearing the yes or yes’s you are looking for. You may hear some no’s, each one brings you that much closer to the yes you seek, but if you don’t ask, it’s true you might not have to face rejection, but you also never get the opportunity to flourish either.
Big returns generally require big investments, that can be more than money, it can mean time, energy, effort or other resources. Reward rarely is achieved without risk.
Even if you take the risk, you are not guaranteed success, but if you do not succeed initially, you’re gonna have to try again if you want that desire to be fulfilled, quiting is not an option on the road to success, it is instead a direct route to failure, avoid that path at all costs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.arizonaart.info
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/arizona_artistry?utm_source=qr&igshid=MzNlNGNkZWQ4Mg%3D%3D
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AzGhostLabs
- Other: You can also Email us at: Az.paranormal.labs@gmail.com
Image Credits
Kelly Diffie