We were lucky to catch up with Katie O’brien recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katie , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I have done a lot of art this past year from developing painting kits to my own collection of art but I have to say that I do consider the evolution of my teaching career as my most meaningful project thus far. Being a successful teacher is an art it itself and after teaching art at the high school level for over 15 years (10 years being at Torrey Pines High school), I feel like I have evolved to a place within myself that I am really proud of , meaning I have really developed some great projects that the kids love and have stepped up my game with connecting to the kids more. Teaching can be trial and error many times and at this point in my career, I have found a place of balance with it all and it shows with how my students are in my class. It has been most meaningful because not only have a been able to connect with these teenagers and help them grow as responsible artists and individuals through art, I have been able to improve on my own skills as a self-taught artist. Teaching painting and drawing for over 15 years has bound to have a drastic impact on someone’s own skills. I can appreciate how teaching really has allowed me to slow down in my process into thoughtful steps and I also appreciate aspects of design more. I have had the opportunity to research and discover other artists over the past many years and this has made such a lasting impression on my own likes and dislikes as an evolving artist. This year I made my best collection of paintings which evolved in a multimedia approach using digital tools. My newfound knowledge and love for digital art has really brought my art to new heights.

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.

As a child I always turned to art and creative projects as a way to stay busy and focused. I was always in my room drawing or painting and as I grew older, I realized how this act of creating really helped me emotionally as a means to “turn off” essentially my stress and unplug from the daily grind . Art always acted as a distraction from real world problems and now with my teaching experience, I have really come to appreciate the act of making art and being in the “flow state” because of its health benefits. This past year during 2024 I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the importance of having art in everyone’s lives and how the act of making art has impacted my life. After teaching for as long as I have, I have also seen how art has had a positive impact on my students’ mental health in a big way. Seeing this need for a space to create in everyone’s lives during stressful times, I decided to put my best foot forward and create a product that could help other people create art that they felt proud of in their own lives as well.

I have always noticed that people really love the act of painting, but I also noticed that people often struggle with “what to draw” or “how to draw” and this fear kind of prevents people from even starting the process. So with my newfound love of digital art, I used by drawing skills to create watercolor paint kits with pre-drawn templates in different themes printed on high quality watercolor paper. The concept is similar to a coloring book but its with watercolor painting with one on one instruction on how to paint with a painting tutorial . Also included in the kit is a high quality watercolor paint pallette. Plus, the designs are adorable and have so much variety to choose from. Whether a person likes to paint landscapes or cute animals, there is surely something for everyone. The kits can be found on Etsy and the shop is called Colorful Creative Lab.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is really always feeling like I’m still a kid even at my adult age and this is actually priceless when it comes to managing the stress of daily life. I really feel like I don’t have much stress in my life because I have this great creative outlet and purpose for art to help others.
Isn’t it funny how as children we are encouraged to make art but as we get older, there just seems to be less emphasis on the importance of creativity because other things take a greater importance. But the reality is, art is good for mental health and gives us a balance in our routine and it has so many positive benefits! Art builds confidence, it puts us in a “state of flow” which is ultimately a form of meditation and it can be incredibly therapeutic.

I have felt really lucky to have had a thriving career in art education and every day I am surrounded by the energy of creativity and I get to pass along this gift to my high school students. I love how my art class can bring my students a sense of balance, peace and joy in contrast to so many other aspects of their lives that seem stressful. I know I am giving them some form of therapy through art and this is so rewarding.
I also get to experience so many “ah ah” moments as an artist because I’m constantly in a state of educating myself about art by being an art teacher so as a creative myself, this is just a bonus to my own creative journey. So in a sense, I’m helping others through art and receiving a gift of new ideas for my own work.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I remember a specific time in my life when I had to pivot my career intuitively and it was truly the best decision I made. I actually majored in Business from San Diego State University as a backup in case art never panned out . I just felt hat a Business degree was a “safer” option. But in 2008 after I had been in the corporate environment in the Mortgage industry for a few years, the market crashed and I got laid off from the bank I worked at. It was during this time I had to take a deep reflection of what I wanted in my life and I decided that I did not want to end up in a non-creative field again as I felt like it was kind of killing my soul. I realized a few things ; I did not like administrative work and the 8-5 work life, I wanted to feel like I was giving back somehow to others, I wanted more freedom and work-life balance, and I also wanted to do something where I could use my creative skills. I decided I wanted to teach art at the high school level. And at the time this idea seemed daunting as it meant I would have to go back to school and take all these tests but within a few years I achieved my goal and ended up with a Masters in Education and a solid job teaching art at Torrey Pines High School . Fast forward 11 years later and I still love my career choice and my ability to have the extra time to practice my own art and purse my own entrepreneurial pursuits selling my art online. Choosing a career that offered me the ability to help others, be creative, and have a great work life balance has really been the best choice I made myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katieobrienart.com
• Instagram: colorfulcreativelab
• Other: https://society6.com/a/artists/katherineobrienart
  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/colorfulcreativelab
  https://www.etsy.com/shop/colorfulcreativelab/?etsrc=sdt