We recently connected with Deidra Kling and have shared our conversation below.

Deidra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

There is no “faster” way to speed up learning. It’s a process by its very nature. You have to move through this process one day at a time and it never ends. I learned several ways on this road, research technical knowledge and the vast and ever swirling ocean of risk taking and failure. We learn more from doing and failing than we do from reading or being told what to do. There is no secret, or magic or way to speed it up, each journey is solely individual and up to the artist. I experiment a lot, I push into the boundaries and edges to see what is there and then pull back or push further. I say the same thing every single time i do this and all my friends laugh when they hear it. I say “i have no idea how this is going to go”. and thats a fact! close your eyes and fall into it. let it happen, no matter the result. Nothing is weighing in the balance, no light or life is going to cost you for it. So go in.

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 became an artist long before I realized I was one. Probably at birth, but the true awakening comes slowly when you live in surroundings that are more about surviving than identifying ones’ attributes or interests. I am a photographer, painter, filmmaker, a some-times musician, a creative director, a noising mess, a wife and mother.

As a brand my art is emotional and connective, I like things to be surreal and allegorical as to allow the viewer to imprint their own narrative into the work. I have exhibited my photography and paintings for the last 10 years both locally and around the country. I sell my art globally and I have been published in photography related magazines including a recent fashion magazine cover. I have worked with bands around the world, filmed music videos and have taken photos of artists, collaborators and clients. Creating is language for those who have a burning desire to communicate. The work is never done, there is always more to dream, more to realize and more noise to make. I have loved every minute of this journey, the highs and the lows. You ask what my story is, and I think it’s still unfolding. Isn’t that the best part.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Funny story about this. I have a strained relationship with social media mainly because two years ago my instagram page which was my main page that I had grown to 13k followers. To me that was a huge accomplishment and honor that that many people cared about my work. One day my page was hacked and stolen and I was locked out of my page. The page still sits unclaimed with a new name that the hacker changed it to in attempt to sell the page for profit. I even had texts messages from the person trying to extort money from me. I forwarded these to Instagram which were ignored. My fans, family and friends all reported the page in an effort to assist me to recover my page. Instagram ignored all the reports and requests. I had to start over. Sadly opportunities you once had with a page that had a moderate following was now gone and some doors close to you when people see that your following is zero. No matter what you have done or created in your time on this planet. This is unfortunate and disheartening for all creators. This should not be the only measurement for value because what had changed other than the numbers on my page? Nothing. But, I want to say something positive about this. it might be humbling to start over. It might be a kick to the teeth because I have never regained that following due to the difficulty of the “algorithms”. Even though I was a two time-finalist in the beautiful bizarre art prize, even though I have been published and even received the honor of my work being on a fashion cover etc. etc.. The work doesn’t stop, you don’t stop. The work has grown and my world has grown despite this situation and it taught me that you don’t just disappear and become irrelevant when something like this happens. You just keep going. It’s all made up. We are all making this up as we go along and there is no light switch that turns that off except for death.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Keep going! Keep creating!
Keep risking!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.deidrakling.com
• Instagram: @Deidra.Leigh.Kling and @thebloodkind
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeidraKling
• Twitter: KlingDeidra

Image Credits
Models In Images Gina Fote Astrid Kalsen Nova D’Amore Flora Ellora Kriner Bekky Buekes