We recently connected with Karen Goulet and have shared our conversation below.
Karen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My creative life started with being born into a family of creative doers who were generous to others. Watching objects come to life over a time-period was normal. Fine arts and hand-crafted furniture, gardens, garments, food, both harvested and hunted – everything surrounding me came from hands that brought newness into the world. I recall in grade school I envied other students who had sandwiches made with bread from the store. My mother finally bought bread and sent us to school with the longed-for sandwiches ‘like the others’. The disappointment of the bread’s taste and realization of how much better my mother’s bread was, has never left me. Same with the first store purchased dresses I wore from Sears, in third grade. How scratchy and poor their quality was compared to what my mother and grandmother made for us. It was in those moments that I understood the significance and value of individuality and found appreciation for the creative efforts of others. I began to learn to sew shortly after, developing my own style and building skills I use to this day.
Our first permanent home was built by my father from the foundation to fireplace built with stone gathered by him. He built the kitchen cupboards and shingled the roof. My two sisters and I contributed to its construction as best we could at our young age. We helped landscape the property it was on and maintained and grew the foliage. Between the hard work were sweet moments of evenings on the couch listening to music, tv sitcoms, watching Dad’s oil painting evolve, mom’s knitting project grow. There were summer trips to family and adventures. Museum segues to see art and artifacts, backpacking in the mountains, travel to new places, learning to body surf in the Pacific Ocean. A book was always at hand to fill in other waking hours. All of this was about learning and gaining experiences. As a result, I see myself and my siblings as insatiable learners and doers and it has passed on to my son who is a chef and artist. We don’t ever really stop thinking and doing.
Once we settled in the town where I would grow up there was also the aspect of community. My father was a teacher, and it was not unusual to have someone bring their child who was struggling with math or science over to our house in the evening to have him give them extra help understanding the subject. As one of the very few Indigenous families in the community he took it on himself to know who every other Indigenous person was, and how they were treated and looked after them. He was a witness that was not afraid to speak his truth and he made sure we understood we had the right to do the same.
Once we were in school my mother worked at various part-time and seasonal jobs, such as apple harvest, tree planting, migrant day care, and others- to supplement the household income. She would partner with a now very long-time friend to start a 4-H club for cooking and sewing and establish the community’s first girls’ softball teams. She became part of a hospital guild and bridge club, and later would help start a widows’ club and birthday group. She was and is a very social person who was generous of her time and energy with others.
Even though they were both creative people they were not confident that a creative path was the best choice for me to take as an adult. In high school my father negotiated with me what classes I would take – if I took the minimum requirements for entering college I could select any other classes I wanted, which were always art. With no plans for college I reluctantly agreed and realized years later when I finally did enroll in college how he had looked after me and the steps to the future I now live. They would try to steer me towards teaching or other more ‘stable’ career choices for a single mom. It would be near his too early departure from this world, that Dad acknowledged me as an artist and encouraged me to keep going. My mother is still here and is still encouraging me.
At certain points I have indeed been a teacher. However, my creative professional life has been very diverse and productive. I have not been afraid to try new things and go to new places. I am not afraid of working hard knowing that choice to be an artist is a demanding one. I really do have to say my parents raised me right and the gifts they contributed to the world still matter. My life path has been a creative path and I have dedicated my professional and personal life to making, sharing, and encouraging artistic practice. This interview gives me an opportunity to acknowledge and thank them for all of it.
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 live in a world of creative endeavor. It is independent of, intertwined with, overwhelmed, and inspired by the larger world. It is a place that seeks beauty and experiences emotions deeply. I have enjoyed my years instructing in the tribal college system. I curate exhibitions and consult on projects that require creative guidance and perspective. I have initiated programming that will change the dominant narrative to be more inclusive, more diverse, and more humane. I constantly have my own artwork in progress, from conceptual work to traditional gifts for my community and family. The voice I have through poetry and visual work is my authentic voice to the world. The support I give through my work as a curator is about understanding the power of art to connect and change the world. As an Indigenous woman I know the challenges faced by those speaking of the feminine and ‘other’. We must shout and stomp to be heard, diligent in our efforts and know everything we want to see change won’t happen in our lifetime, but we keep going anyway. I am not in it for the money or recognition. Though I do appreciate when those two things find me. I am in it because being creative is the one thing I know well and the place I best fit. The world we are in right now is precarious, often harsh, and unkind. But in it are the lights and hearts that aspire to change the world for the better. I look and live for the encounters I have with others of like mind. I believe in the magic that is found in a universe of infinite possibility.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Being an artist is a way of life. If you are lucky, you have people and places that support and encourage what you do. When it is not so lucky you have fortitude and drive that keeps you persevering on that creative path. How do we bring our creative conclusions into the light of a world that functions in more chronological ways? Creatives are time and dimension travelers whose role is to challenge the status quo through what and how we create. Everyone, including elephants can make art . But that does not mean they are an artist. I remember a conversation when I was in graduate school where long endless hours of making ended at the nearby pub conversing with peers as determined and dedicated as myself to our art. The comment was made- there are people that play artist and people who are artists. I never forgot that. I encourage all forms of creativity, but also acknowledge the gifts and dedication of those strong enough to forge their own creative path. Creativity, creation, creator derive from the same root. I have spent my lifetime considering them individually as well their connection to each other. My perspective of each of has changed many times over the years and I imagine that will be true until the end of what I do on this earth walk.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There is always something new. Making, learning, experimenting, if there are ideas there will be art. I often make in a flurry, creating large bodies of work that cover significant periods of time. Then there will be the aftermath of cleaning space, resting the mind, and contemplating what was completed. I take time to savor what is around me that is neglected when I am amid creative action. I still struggle with feeling guilty if I rest too long. But getting older helps you to slow down and appreciate what you have accomplished, and I have grown to understand that honoring the result is as important as being in the process of making. Reflecting on what was created helps to guide what I will do next. There seems to always be a next and more to do. That is what I love the most about being creative. I have more to accomplish and more to appreciate in this magnificent creative world I am lucky to be a part of.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kelisegoulet.com/
- Instagram: gouletke
- Other: kegouletart@gmail.com