We were lucky to catch up with Katrina Gorman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katrina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The way I learned art was by creating and experimenting. Early in school, my art teachers saw a drive and talent in me and was there for me to show me the basics to art. My imagination took wind then created freely. To speed up my learning in art, I believe if I used my own instinct quicker, I would have had more confidence to create free. Sometimes I questioned am I doing this right when I was taught in school, but in art it’s expression and a matter of consistency to keep climbing levels of skill.

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.

Growing up, I spent most of my time creating worlds of my own. I played alone often—always on an adventure, always imagining elaborate lives for my dolls. When I was nine, my mom taught me how to sew. I would sit at her feet for hours, watching her hands move with such care. The clothes she made felt magical to me, and I couldn’t wait to make my own.

Soon my Barbies had the prettiest dresses in town—ball gowns, date-night outfits, anything I could dream up. I never liked using paper patterns; instead, I pictured the dress in my mind and stitched it from memory. After years of making doll clothes, I decided to sew my own wardrobe for school. With my mom’s guidance, I created my entire sixth‑grade closet.

In school, I was painfully shy. I don’t think anyone knew I could sew, but everyone knew I loved art. I spent every afternoon in the art room with my teacher, drawing until it was time to go home. Being overweight, I was teased constantly, and I didn’t feel like I had many friends. Art became the friend who never judged me, and my art teacher became the safe place where I could breathe.

High school wasn’t much different—still shy, still different, still picked on. But my art skills had grown, and again, I found refuge with my art teachers. I truly believe they kept me from dropping out during some of the hardest years, at least until I finally met a few wonderful friends.

My senior year, I applied for an art scholarship at the local college. Two other talented students applied as well. They both received full scholarships. I didn’t. And in that moment, I convinced myself that maybe art wasn’t meant to be my career. So I studied Early Childhood Development instead, earned my degree, and taught preschool for years before eventually switching careers to work in insurance.

Then everything changed in 2001.

A house fire took everything—including my two babies, my dog, and my cat. Losing them was the deepest heartbreak I had ever known. The stress and grief were overwhelming, and I needed something—anything—to help me breathe again. So I pulled out my sewing machine.

I began creating large pictorial fabric murals—pieces that told stories in cloth and color. One day, some of them went missing. I later learned my sister had been showing them around town. That led to my first gallery show. People’s reactions were emotional, heartfelt, encouraging. In that moment, I knew: I wanted to be a full‑time artist.

Shortly after, I gained exposure from a National TV Show on HGTV called, “That’s Clever”. Then, many newspaper articles and local TV soon to follow.

I moved from Indiana to Texas with my sister after I got laid off at the insurance company I worked for and started attending more and more Art Events, Exhibitions and Art Shows to share my works full-time.

Later, while exploring fabrics again, I discovered a completely new way of creating—rope art. It opened an entirely new world for me, different from anything I had done before. It changed everything again.

Art has always been my friend. It’s the one thing that has always come naturally to me, the one thing I’ve loved like nothing else. It carried me through loneliness, through loss, through reinvention. And it continues to lead me into new worlds of creativity.

I help people through my art feeling seen and to know there is a world of possibilities that can be discovered with an open heart and mind.

The art that I create in the studio is filled with allot of care, patience and love. That is why my slogan is “Love is in the Art”

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

In my experience, one thing people sometimes struggle with when they see my creative journey is understanding that not everyone’s path looks the same — and it doesn’t need to. Along the way, I’ve met many well‑meaning people who offer suggestions, comments, or advice about taking a “day job,” usually because that’s the world they know.

But the truth is, not everyone is built for corporate life, and that’s okay. What helps a creative person more than anything is support — real, simple support. Giving a heart on a post, sharing their work, telling a friend about it… these small gestures make a huge difference in helping an artist make a living.

And when you’re looking for a gift, choosing something from a local artist instead of a big chain store brings beauty into the world in a way mass‑produced items can’t. Original art comes in many price ranges, and it’s a meaningful gift that keeps giving long after it’s received.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to create art the world hasn’t seen yet. Every artist carries a story shaped by their own eyes, and mine is meant to spark joy, curiosity, and that feeling of discovering something new — the kind of feeling that reminds people anything is possible. What drives me in my creative journey is knowing that, in my own way, I’m adding a little more beauty, brightness, and hope to the world than when I first arrived in it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katrinagormandesigns.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrinagormandesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatrinaGormanDesigns
• Other: Tik Tok

  www.tiktok.com/katrinagormandesigns