We recently connected with Kailee Collar and have shared our conversation below.

Kailee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

In theory sooner would have been cool but I don’t think I would have been as equipped to navigate a career as an artist young. I learned a lot in my 20s through various careers, all which have helped me sustain this path. I also don’t think I would have appreciated it as much as I do now. I value and appreciate the life I have been able to create for myself so much.

Kailee, 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 am a muralist specializing in exterior and interior art for both professional and residential clients. From walls, floors, windows, furniture, to live painting, I provide my clients with customized visual experiences that not only enhance and unify the space but stimulate joy and an appreciation for art. My go to and personal style highlights the beauty of nature with the use of fine lines and playful color palettes.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

As an artist, what I find most difficult is the lack of willingness for a client or customer to pay for what they want. I think it is important for clients and customers to trust the price tag. Most don’t think of everything that goes into a single piece of work, there is materials, design time, install/application time, the back end of running a business, the back and forth communication if it is a custom piece, schooling or training, years of knowledge, etc.

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

About a year into being a full-time artist, I got to a point where I was both financially and emotionally drained. I had gone back and forth on if I should get a part time job to help make ends meet, anxiously maintaining hope that a project would come in and I’d be ok till the next month or even bill. And I choose that for a few months, literally dollar to dollar. I started to feel the effects of this choice. I was operating in survival mode and it was affecting my creativity, my desire to create was scarce, there was a disconnect between me and my art. One day it just hit me, I needed to pivot. I was letting my ego and fear of failing prevent me from succeeding. I had to reframe my mindset/self-talk and accept that it was okay for the plan to change, that great things could come from it. So I took on a part time job. In doing so, I was able to take projects that were aligned, remove the financial pressure and also able to get back to creating art from a place of abundance and joy rather than desperation and fear.

Contact Info:

• Website: bykaileecollar.com
• Instagram: bykaileecollar