We recently connected with Kaitlin Harris and have shared our conversation below.

Kaitlin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I have worked on is the Artist Mother: Prolific Creativity Art Show at the Medicine Factory in downtown Memphis this past February. I had been wanting to do something bigger and be able to support/ feature other local artist mothers as well as create awareness around mental health for mothers. It turned out to be a wonderful event with a lot of support. It was an opportunity to push myself and curate the show. Luckily, the other artists were super helpful and easy to work with too. The other artist mothers who were featured were: Katherine George, Jess Tinsley, Dorothy Collier, and Noelle Holler. We also had artwork and musical talents from Claire Hopkins. Becoming a first-time mother/parent during the pandemic in 2020 was a unique experience and the weight mothers everywhere felt increased immensely, except support was minimal or access to help seemed more limited. Learning how to parent without the additional anxieties of a pandemic/ virus is hard enough and I think everyone is still recovering and processing. So many of us (especially with young ones) were in survival mode and many were working remotely from home. Post-Partum Depression and Anxiety effect both mothers and fathers and I encourage those who feel like they are struggling to reach out for help. You are not alone, others want to help you navigate this transitional time, and resources are out there. A great place to start is with Post-Partum Support International.
Putting the show together was a lot of work, but I would also be interested in growing the show and creating a bigger fundraiser in the future. Creating space for artist mothers is important to me and they belong in the fine art world. Being able to combine all of these meaningful projects into one event was very gratifying and I’m grateful for everyone who was involved.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started working as a full-time artist in 2019. I have always been interested in art, creating, and admired those with artistic skills. Throughout high school I focused on continuing to put time into art and practicing because I figured the more I worked on it, the better I would get. After high school, I went on to graduate from Saginaw Valley (MI) with a BFA in Printmaking. I focused mainly on relief printing, but I was also heavily involved in and loved athletics. I competed in volleyball in college as well and ended up having a very fun and successful team and individual career while at Saginaw Valley. I actually coached at the assistant and head coach level for nine years before returning to art in a major way. Once I started creating daily again, the ideas and inspiration kept flowing and have only multiplied. I have worked with watercolor and ink, relief printing on paper and textiles, hand-dying textiles, home goods, swipe painting techniques, palette knife paintings, and acrylic on canvas. Throughout it all, I always have printmaking as my steady, but I like to be able to paint more free form when things get rigid with the printmaking process.
I don’t really know what sets me apart from other artists and I don’t care. I just continue to try to tap into what I truly want to create and enjoy. Somehow, that comes through in the work in the end. It’s really hard to trust myself sometimes and trust the creative process in that way because you do end up putting a lot of time and energy into something without knowing how it will be received in the end. However, when I create what I love or art that I would want in my own space, it usually ends up being received well.
I’m really proud of my recent series I started this spring that has more a Matisse/ Retro vibe. I also continue to just be grateful for the strangers who stumble upon my work at a market or on Instagram and connect with it in some way… that’s a really cool feeling.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Something I feel non-creatives struggle to understand is that they shouldn’t label themselves as non-creatives. As humans, we are all creative. It’s just a matter of what you choose to spend time on and open yourself up to. You might work at a job that seems “non-creative”, but I guarantee there are problems being solved and people are getting creative. The belief that what you make needs to look a certain way to be called “art” is limiting. Art can be anything. What an individual creates is unique to them and that’s special. Our species has been communicating visually from the beginning and I believe it’s something that is innate inside all of us. Art has a variety of uses and once you let go of expectations while creating and just accept what happens, it can be very fulfilling and rewarding for anyone. Bottom line… if you feel like you are a “non-creative” and want to make art and be creative, there are so many mediums to create with and just effing do it.

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

I really enjoy being able to connect with other people through art and learn more about others or what attracted them to my work. Everyone comes with a different back story and might see an image differently and I enjoy hearing about it.

Another thing I like about creating consistently is how my brain feels. While working in athletics was rewarding in other ways, it was also a very high stress and can feel binary at times. I love the groundwork of teamwork, selflessness, and discipline of athletics and how it can teach us that movement is beneficial for our bodies in life. However, once I was able to create on a daily basis, I honestly felt my brain feel differently. Because of the timing of my artistic journey starting in 2019, then getting hit with motherhood and a pandemic… I feel very fortunate it has been a constant to help me stay grounded in my own sense of identity.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.colorsbyakit.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colorsbykait_3/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColorsByKait/
• Other: https://www.speedballart.com/pro-artist-network/kait-harris/