We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kary Francisco a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

From the time I was little, and could comprehend what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’ve only ever had three ‘careers’ in mind: surgeon, marine biologist, and artist. I don’t remember when exactly the first two options fell away, but I do remember solidifying the ‘artist career’ when I was 12 years old, and my middle school counselor asked me to think about my future. Middle school was my first chance to take art related electives in school, and I got to join the Art Club as well. I got the opportunity to try different mediums, different disciplines, and my enjoyment for creating grew leaps and bounds. Inversely, it became apparent that my other two career ideas involved skills and classes that I didn’t grab onto in the same way I did with art.

Prior to officially deciding to pursue an art-related career, I had always been a crafty kid. I liked to draw, craft things out of paper and cardboard, you name it. I loved the idea that I could make something out of nothing, or add to things I had already. I liked to give my creations as gifts as well, and I was definitely fueled to make more things when the recipients were happy with their gifts. While in school I entered some art and design contests as well, and the successes I achieved in those also amplified the the desire to keep creating.

I also really enjoyed, and was really inspired by, customized ornaments and souvenirs. I was given a magnet with my name on it when I was little, and it was the coolest thing to see – it’s still on my fridge to this day! My name never usually appeared on ornaments or little trinkets in gift shops because of its unique spelling, so I was always excited when the rare item cropped up. When I started to pick up various arts and crafts, I enjoyed putting names on things. Whether it was for myself or a gift, the ability to make it, and make it personal, was so much fun!

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 was already pursuing a career in art and design when I started to add freelance design and printing into the fold. I had happened upon some websites that would allow me to upload art, and then purchase items with my images printed on them. This meant I could get coffee mugs and t-shirts with my designs on them! It was quite a step up from the paper crafts and puffy paint shirts of my childhood. The neat thing about those websites, in addition to uploading and ordering for myself, was that other people could search the site, and order products for themselves with my designs, and the site would give the artist a small commission. It was a really neat space on the internet that showcased a bunch of creatives and their work. After a short time, I wanted to take that even further and learn how to manufacture these things myself. The reason for printing and producing my own custom items was simple: I just wanted more control and options for what I was doing. I started with some shirts to give as gifts to some friends and family members. Then more shirt ideas popped into my head, and I had to make them, and on and on this went. The more I shared my creations, the more requests I would have, either through word of mouth or social media posts. Eventually I was able to invest in some more equipment, vary my products, create an online storefront, and a small online presence for what is now a small business!
I love to design and print just about anything. I offer design services for businesses and individuals – things like logos, business cards, invitations, signage, web graphics, and more – as well as custom printing on a variety of apparel, home décor, drinkware, jewelry and accessories.
Being that I am a small business, I think it’s a bonus that a client can work directly with me for the entire process. There’s no outsourcing of design work or material handling or printing – I am the sole creator and producer start to finish. Whether you have a firm and clear image in mind, or only a vague idea for your project, I work with you and bounce several ideas and drafts back and forth until you are satisfied. I love that I can provide my clients with absolute customization or personalization – it’s one of many favorite parts of the ‘job’!
Even though this is considered a business and I earn an income, it’s never been a goal to do this full time or earn enough to consider that. This venture has grown into more than I could have ever imagined, and I am very passionate about what I create, so to take that to a level where I must rely on it to pay my bills would render it less of a passion, and more of a necessity. I simply just want to keep creating, keep making others’ ideas come to life, and letting my own imagination run wild. Because of these notions, I offer pretty reasonable prices as well. Costs are high enough for so many things these days, I try to keep things as feasible as possible for everyone.

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

I think rewiring the instant gratification sort of mindset is necessary as customers and consumers in general, but especially if we want to support local creators and small businesses.

The world is so fast paced lately that supporting someone who can’t give you free same-day shipping on an item is tough. This is a big deal in what I, and many crafters and creators, do. For me, it usually involves someone asking for a last minute gift or meeting a fast approaching deadline for an event that needs custom apparel or items. Competing with the fast turnaround times of large mega-manufacturers can be difficult. Just having a conversation with your local artist or creator about a commission or custom product is beneficial, you can get insight into their process and get a feel for their timelines. Knowing why things take the time they do can really help curb that instant gratification.

I’m certainly guilty of finding things that I can get to my doorstep in mere hours, it’s not easy to slow down and plan at times. But I think if we try to take some time, even a little bit, to plan that gift or that event, we’d be able to get what we need from a local place that has a slightly longer turnaround time (and we might very well be even more pleased with the quality of the item!).

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I have perpetual anxieties when it comes to people seeing my work. I often find it difficult to think my art and creations are ‘worthy’ of being displayed or sold. So it’s exceptionally humbling and rewarding to see people enjoy what I make. It goes beyond someone thinking a painting is nice, or a shirt looks cool – compliments I am always grateful for! But when I get photos of my art in someone’s home, or a gift I created being used or worn, having returning customers, those things just make my heart overflow. There’s a quote by Elsie De Wolfe that goes “I am going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life.”
I love that quote, I love the beauty in creating and what it adds to my life, so when I see my creations possibly adding beauty and joy in others’ lives, it’s just an incredible feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.createdbykary.com
• Instagram: createdbykary
• Facebook: Created By Kary
• Youtube: Kary Francisco