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

Alright, Kaylenne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My mom, hands down, taught me discipline and that there’s time for things we love to do as long as we manage our time well. She’s always been a hard worker. At one point in our lives when my sister and I were much younger, my mom had two jobs, cooked almost every night of the week from scratch, exercised at least 3x per week (many times it was all of us going to the park), found time to read and always had a clean and tidy home. To me she was super-mom but in reality she was teaching me the value of a disciplined life.

I remember as a little girl my dad always coming home after work and bringing me a small gift. They usually were never toys but instead things that sparked my creativity like watercolors and color pencils, an embroidery kit, coloring books, and huge books that then he would sit and show me how to draw the characters in the book. Aside from that, he taught me to be resourceful and always make something out of whatever I had on hand, even if it wasn’t much.

I guess these lessons are so engraved in me because they weren’t just taught by word of mouth but they were lived. They’ve impacted me a great deal because without them I don’t think I would have even pursued any type of art in the first place.

Kaylenne, 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?

I’m an artist, but it took me a while to call myself an artist because for a long time I didn’t think my work was that great. Getting into art didn’t happen by mistake for me as it really was the only thing I could confidently say I loved to do since I can remember as a kid. I graduated college with a bachelors in Fashion Marketing and Management because it was the closest thing to ‘creativity’ I could think of doing at the time. I thought the business side of it could help me in the future because I grew up with a mentality that there was no ‘real work’ for an artist. For me it seemed like the safest route. Then, at 28 years old, 37 weeks pregnant with my first child, I decided to start my small art business, mainly focusing on hand-lettered bible verses and custom work for weddings and events. When I tell you I had no idea what I was doing, I really didn’t know what I was doing lol.

In these short four years I’ve become a mom to two beautiful girls, I’ve learned so much about the type of work I enjoy doing and what I hope to be doing in the future, and have learned the power of not saying ‘yes’ to every project that comes my way. I also rediscovered my love for watercolors. Watercolor portraits are now the main product I offer for Handwritten Hope Studio along with custom bible verses, some custom wedding/event hand-lettering, and digital bible verses/quotes (any that you see on my Instagram account are available for ordering).

There are many artists out there and each and every one of us has a different style. That’s what makes me, me. I have my own style and I won’t trade or change it for any one. I’m realistic and I know that not everyone will like what I offer, and that’s okay, but it’s a blessing when someone does and I can make something meaningful for them that will carry through the years.

Above it all, my main focus has ALWAYS been to spread hope through God’s Word in everything I make and post on social media. I always try to give an encouraging word through my account because someone may need it. My hope has solely come from and is only in God and His Word. He has been my strength and peace my entire life and I only pray that someone would get to know Him a little more through what I write and the artwork of His living Word.

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

The most rewarding aspect for me is that in art, there are no wrongs or an exact way of making art that everyone has to follow. It isn’t like math where an equation will have one specific answer. Every single person has a unique style and no two will ever be the same — I think that’s great.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

All I can say is life takes us on quite a ride sometimes. When I graduated college at almost 21 years old I felt like I was at a crossroads. I decided to take a break and just continue working at the hospital where I had a part-time job for the past five years. I didn’t continue with more education, I didn’t start applying for jobs in my major, I simply took a much needed break for about a year. At the end of that year I ended up moving from my home state of New Jersey to Florida. It was a pivot in life from every aspect. Although it was such a big move and considering I was moving away from my mom, sister and entire family to be on my own, at the time I didn’t realize it. I guess I was so young and change didn’t scare me much. After some time though, I learned more than I could have ever imagined through countless experiences, some extremely hard and some really good ones, but they were all needed. God always has a way of using any circumstance for our good and a better future for His purpose. It took a few years to really see pieces come together through God’s Sovereign hand but I’m thankful and still amazed at how it all happened.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/handwritten.hope.studio/
• Other: I also have a photography business alongside my husband — JR Foto. We love doing at-home sessions, interiors, and weddings. Find us at: www.instagram.com/jr.fotoservices/