We recently connected with Charis Kelley and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Charis thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you have an agent or someone (or a team) that helps you secure opportunities and compensation for your creative work? How did you meet you, why did you decide to work with them, why do you think they decided to work with you?
Yes, I’m represented by an art dealer who has become both an advocate and a partner in my creative journey. Finding her was truly a labor of love — a woman of color art dealer in Texas is rare, and discovering her felt like divine alignment. I first met her daughter during an art activation in June 2023, and over the following year, my dealer and I stayed connected, building trust and understanding through genuine conversation.
After earning my Master’s, she visited my studio, and we discussed goals and direction. Soon after, I signed with her company, and she began actively promoting my work. Together, we recently secured a major institutional commission — a project that required months of collaboration, revisions, and faith in the process.
What makes our relationship special is that we believe in each other’s purpose. We’re not competing; we’re building. The partnership has been rich, affirming, and fruitful — a reflection of faith meeting opportunity. As we look to 2026, I know it will be a banner year, made possible because we trusted both the process and each other.
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?
My name is Charis Kelley(@chariskelleyart), and I’ve been a full-time artist since 2013. But my journey started long before that in 93′ while in high school i experiemented with paintng and grabbed me by the hand and said lets go. Since then Ive expanded into Mixed Media and just experimental methhods and techniques. My journey into art wasn’t a traditional one — it was born out of transformation. After a life-changing car accident I walked away from with one scratch, I made the courageous decision in the early morning ours of the very next day to step away from unmeaningful ways to survive and fully embrace an entrepreneurial path and my artistic calling. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been profoundly rewarding and has allowed me to live with greater purpose and authenticity. Moving through space and time like water.
I specialize in high-end commissions, mixed media works, and large-scale murals, creating pieces that merge texture, emotion, and story. Based in Houston, I’ve had the privilege of working with clients across the U.S. — from coast to coast — and internationally in two countries. My work not only beautifies spaces but also educates clients about the true value of art as an evolving asset. I help them understand that as the artist grows, so does the worth and legacy of the work they’ve invested in.
What I’m most proud of is my continued service to others — mentoring emerging artists, speaking to creative groups, and being a living example of resilience and faith in action. Each opportunity to share my journey reminds me that art is more than creation; it’s connection, healing, and testimony.
I want people to know that my brand is built on intention, integrity, and impact. Every piece I create carries purpose — it’s crafted not just to be seen, but to be felt. My story and my art both stand as reminders that even from the hardest experiences, something beautiful can be born. Represented by Beryl Basham Fine Art
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, for me, is the deep sense of self-awareness that this creative journey continually strengthens. Art has given me the ability to see myself clearly — to understand my worth, my vision, and the value I bring to every project I touch. That awareness has become my greatest strength. It empowers me to stand firm in my purpose and to say no when others try to diminish or undervalue the work I’ve poured my heart into. Each and every work carries a piece of my soul and becuase these pieces are spreaded across this country and in parts of the world I have expanded, and thats proof that my Art and creativity are way bigger than me.
I take immense pride in maintaining accountability for the quality of what I create. Every piece is an extension of my dedication, discipline, and respect for the craft. I approach each work with intention, ensuring that it reflects both technical excellence and emotional honesty. That commitment to quality doesn’t go unnoticed — those who acquire my art often express a deep appreciation for my attention to detail, focus, and authenticity.
What truly fulfills me is knowing that my art is not just seen, but felt. It carries the weight of my integrity and the clarity of my self-awareness. The most rewarding part isn’t only the finished piece — it’s the confidence that comes from creating on my own terms, with purpose, passion, and an unwavering belief in my own value. To be able to ride around the city and see murals , walk in clients homes and experience my work, and just know my work emits positivity and beauty, solidifes my legacy.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I believe one of the greatest misunderstandings non-creatives often have about the journey of a creative is rooted not in malice, but in limitation. Many people simply cannot see the world through the same boundless lens that artists and visionaries do. Creatives are not meant to be “normal,” and to treat us as such is to misunderstand the very essence of what creativity is. We are explorers — courageous, curious, and often unafraid to venture into emotional, intellectual, and spiritual territories that others might find too uncertain or impractical. Our minds don’t follow straight lines; they dance in patterns, they question, they dream.
Our gift is perspective — the ability to see what doesn’t yet exist, to connect what others overlook, and to imagine worlds that feel just out of reach. This unique insight allows thoughts and emotions to ascend to euphoric heights, giving depth and texture to life itself. Yet too often, those who don’t share this wiring try to ground us — not out of cruelty, but out of fear or misunderstanding. When someone says, “Just use your art as a hobby,” or “You should get a real job,” they are often speaking from their own anxieties, from a mindset shaped by stability and predictability. They can’t always comprehend that for a creative, the act of creation isn’t just a pastime — it’s purpose, it’s sustenance, it’s oxygen.
What many don’t realize is that by asking a creative to suppress their calling, they are unknowingly denying the world access to something extraordinary. Every masterpiece, every innovation, every movement that has shaped humanity began with someone brave enough to resist the demand to be “normal.” Real creativity is freedom — a sacred space where the mind and spirit meet without inhibition or apology.
To ask a creative to conform, to shrink, or to mute their imagination is, in a sense, a modern form of captivity. It confines brilliance within the borders of convention. But I also understand that not everyone can see the vision; some people simply operate within the limits of their own experience. My hope is that, through compassion and conversation, they can learn to see that creativity is not defiance — it’s devotion. It’s how we translate the unseen into something beautiful, something that moves the world forward.
So rather than fear what they don’t understand, I invite non-creatives to *listen*, to *observe*, and to *believe* in the creative process. Because when creatives are allowed to flourish — unbound, unfiltered, and unapologetic — the entire world benefits.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.berylbashamfineart.com/chariskelley
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/chariskelleyart
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charis.kelley
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chariskelleymfa
- Twitter: chariskelleyart
Image Credits
Mark A James Photography Miami Fl