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

Kaitlin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In 2021, I and Adam Raiola completed a mural for the Streetwise Mural Festival. We were able to center the mural around Kali Fajardo-Anstine and her book, Sabrina & Corina, which consists of short stories about indigenous Latina women of Denver and southern Colorado. This book is very personal to me since I am half indigenous Latina, and it brings me back to my roots and land. I have two sisters, a mother, and a whole bloodline that consists of these women, and it was an honor to create a mural that celebrates them.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an artist and illustrator who started working as a freelance artist in 2017. Prior to that, I worked for Lucky’s Market as a graphic designer and mural artist for five years. Since becoming a freelancer, I have done murals all over Colorado.

I identify as a queer Indigenous Latinx and I have roots in the eerie parts of southern Colorado. I grew up on the same land as my ancestors and those textures have always inspired my love of stories and drawing.

“I currently reside in Los Angeles, and this year has marked a significant transformation and personal growth for me. I moved to a new place, and only a few months later, I lost my job, which was supporting my art. However, that job had connected me to the art world in an amazing way. This setback has pushed me to create some of my best work yet. I have shifted my focus towards fine art while continuing to work on my illustrations. I use Holbein Acrylic Gouache, which is a flexible paint that allows me to create a painterly style or a flat graphic style as needed.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

“I believe that the most fulfilling part of being an artist is simply being able to create. Whether it’s through traditional creative outlets like painting and drawing, or more unconventional activities like baking or restoring cars, the act of creation is almost a compulsion. It’s not really a choice, but rather something that must be done. For me, the ultimate goal is to reach that state of flow where everything just clicks into place.”

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I have had to unlearn is the idea of being secretive about the creative process. We are often taught to keep our methods to ourselves and never share our techniques. However, I have found that some of my most significant personal growth experiences have been when I was lucky enough to learn from others. Even if you know someone else’s process, it won’t necessarily result in the same outcome for you. That’s the beauty of creativity – even with the same materials, each person’s work will be unique.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kaitlinorin.com
• Instagram: @kaitlinorin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlinorin/