Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kate McHugh. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kate, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I’m glad my parents encouraged me to read lots of books growing up. I think this really helped my creativity and pushed my imagination, and being able to take in all kinds of stories with different illustrations and pictures is something that will stay with me throughout my creative journey.
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’m Kate – a visual artist and illustrator. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember and filling up notebooks with doodles, and a few years ago I realized I wanted to tell open ended stories with my art.
I grew up loving surreal stories, whimsical tales of daydreams and dream sequences that can go wherever you want. I try to take the same approach in my creative practice, and follow one feeling with a loose narrative that doesn’t have to translate literally. I like the freedom this brings to my work – not knowing where it’ll end when I begin keeps me inspired.
My goals for the future are to play with different mediums and experiment with how that affects my style. I believe forcing yourself in a box kills creativity, and I want to continue to let my inner world vary as I do with it.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I think being in touch with your creative side can shape the way you see the world, and breathe magic into every day life. Daydreaming is so important to discover yourself in relation to your surroundings and when you really tap into your creative practice it can bring that world to life. It’s very rewarding for me to be able to help young people get in touch with this side of themselves and discover their creative voice.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
I love listening to other artists talk about their journeys, and often watch videos of illustrators I look up to. If I lose inspiration or am feeling stuck it helps remind me of what I like about it, and encourages me to keep going. I think one of the most important things you can do starting out is to find as many artists that you like as possible. The more you take in, the easier it will be to find your own style, and it is part of the fun to find new styles you adore.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katemchugh.co/illustration-1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halfblush/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-mchugh-1a13511ab/