We recently connected with Kathryn Hood and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kathryn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Growing up, I was always a high achiever in the classroom. I genuinely loved learning, but I also loved pleasing others. Good grades came either from an ease of comprehension or from the anxiety of letting others down. This conundrum made life difficult when I began to consider career paths as a young adult. What was I really GOOD at, and what did I want to do “for the rest of my life”? I started college in architecture school, but it wasn’t the right fit. I loved art school and concentrating in photography, but I knew I didn’t want to pursue a commercial photography business. So, what was I going to do? Take pictures of stuff and try to sell that? I utilized a skill that I wish I had learned back in high school: I listened to myself. I listened to what I truly wanted, outside of the pressure of family or friends, and I heard myself without inflicting judgment onto my own desires. And what did I do with those desires? I followed them.
In art school, I found a passion for creating art that bears witness to present-day issues; for discussing these issues and their creative portrayal with fellow artists; for understanding the importance of art in society and the world; and, most importantly, for creating art that betters us and the world after absorbing it. I graduated from UNC Charlotte with a BFA in Photography and a BA in Spanish in May 2020, when the world was on edge and the whole population felt as uncertain of the future as I did. While there was fear of COVID-19 and its effects (along with other major social and political issues), I was elated to be situated in such a profound time. In that moment, creating art not only felt beneficial-it felt fundamental. I made work, and then I shared it. I shared it digitally, and I’ve grown my reach to share it in galleries since. I continue to make work (that mostly focuses on gender roles and social expectations of women in the South), listening to my own soul and my own desires now, with the goal of opening minds and opening conversations. May the wheels in all of our minds keep turning, and may these wheels move the human race forward.

Kathryn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kathryn Hood, and I am a lifelong North Carolinian. Born in Raleigh, I moved to Charlotte in 2015 and have been developing my creative voice ever since. My primary media are photography, mixed media (collage), and fibers. As an artist, my goal is to create work that can engage any viewer in some way. Did you look at it for ten seconds and found part of it beautiful? Great. Did you study it on the wall for 15 minutes and locate thoughtful ideas about current events? Awesome. Did it piss you off? Make you laugh? Confuse you? Fantastic. To me, art is not just for decoration; art speaks. Art moves. Art works. That is my primary goal: for my art to do the work to mentally engage the public and keep thoughts moving forward. My artwork primarily discusses gender roles and social expectations of women in the South. I am interested in portraying women outside of the male gaze while they still feel beautiful, sexy, powerful, and wonderful! Other issues I have covered are mental illness, identity, consumerism, and racism/racist ideals.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Creative people need four things: time, space, resources, and security. Artist residencies are a huge help to artists for their practice but also for networking and skill building. Support art museums, and visit a gallery opening: no, that $10 ticket won’t make anyone rich, but it won’t make you broke, so buy it! Buy local, original art, too! If it’s important to you, then put your wallet where your mouth is. Community art spaces and art collectives are vital to keeping your local artists thriving. Support with your word, with your dollar, and with your consistent attendance. We need an audience to engage with our work.

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?

I see similar style question from non-creatives: What is the purpose of X project? That won’t pay your bills, will it? That seems like a waste of your time. Why don’t you settle down and find a “big girl” job? There is an emphasis on linear thinking, a cause-and-effect mindset. For creatives, and especially artists like myself, we are following a path that takes many turns, splits off, travels over speed bumps, and sometimes appears as a dead end. Working creatively is not linear, and many decisions we make factor into a multitude of priorities, such as professional networking, skill development, deadline completion, and yes, bill paying. Creative careers are also not linear in title; maybe this month, a bartending jobs is paying the bills. In a year, my small business is paying the bills. Next year, I may work two part-time jobs. Boxes and labels are difficult for the creative community because they usually don’t fit us. Our careers are not linear; they are messy, works-in-progress. Be understanding and empathetic to our situation; most days, we wish it were easier, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kathryn-hood.com
• Instagram: @kathrynhoodart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-hood-b605b3117/

Image Credits
Headshot credit: Brittany Little