We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kaylin Anderson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kaylin below.

Hi Kaylin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents did an exceptional job at guiding me to explore creative expression. They kept me busy in soul-fulfilling ways like dancing, tumbling, and artmaking. Exploring these forms of creative expression at an early age equipped me with essential skills I still carry and use today. Visual art and dance allowed me to build strong discernment, healthy confidence, and a sense of purpose. One day during ballet class, recruiters from the Tumbling Team entered and mentioned auditions for the team were happening. Once I heard this, my heart started racing, and I knew I had to audition. There were two problems, though. First, I only took one tumbling class before auditions, but I knew I loved tumbling. Second, I didn’t ask my parents if it would be okay to audition. So, I left it up to my intuition and decided to audition anyway. Ultimately, I killed my audition and made the team, but I was worried about sharing the news with my parents. I remember the shakiness in my voice when I told my mom I auditioned. To my surprise, her face showed nothing but pure excitement and “proud mom!” Later, I broke it down to my dad, and he couldn’t be prouder of me. Knowing they supported my spontaneous endeavor filled my heart with satisfaction and relief. This experience taught me to be straightforward in my decision-making and to trust my intuition.
Expanding my visual art skills in late elementary school advanced my creative thinking and allowed me to solve problems more easily in challenging times. I became aware that solutions will always exist within me, and my instinct will guide me there. Receiving training for my art in years of school prepared me for the art world as an adult. They taught me the necessities of the art world, like how to showcase my artwork professionally, build craftsmanship, and be a distinctive artist.
As a result, I’m now a strong artist and active entrepreneur, thanks to my parents’ decisions to feed my creative soul. Strengthening my connection to my intuitive thoughts through all forms of creativity has helped me the most in life. I believe learning to think like an artist at an early age is a great advantage, and I’m grateful for its influence on my life and career. Professionally speaking, had I not built healthy confidence in my artistic abilities, I would’ve never taken it seriously enough to continue as an adult and further my artistic career.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a visual artist, currently living in Atlanta but born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana. I attend Kennesaw State University, where I study Fine Art with a concentration in Graphic Communications. Art became an integral part of my life as early as I can remember. I grew up drawing on walls, sketching in class, and making gifts for those I love. I attended a performing arts high school in Georgia, where I advanced my artistic abilities and prepared to enter the art world as an adult. Some of the services I offer now are; illustrated portraits, collages, drawings, impasto paintings, graphic design, and photography. Collaborating with clients is a joy to me. My favorite part is developing a unique connection with clients and using that to create something significant for them. Now, although portraits are mostly everyone’s favorites, I would love to explore more abstract or non-portrait commissions. Recently, I’ve fallen in love with drawing from observation and would love to take it further with my potential clients. I’m up for a challenge and more exploration! One of my proudest moments is hosting my first solo exhibition in February 2022. The artwork stayed up for a month at a lovely gallery downtown, Gallery R, in Lafayette, LA. Observing people’s reactions to my art was the best part of my experience at the showcase. To know that people are moved and amazed at my creations makes my heart full! Creating and sharing my work is equally satisfying to my soul.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

A rewarding aspect of being an artist is sleeping peacefully at night, knowing that I’m living my soul’s purpose. Because of this, I never have to convince myself of my happiness to make it through the week. I don’t feel burdened by the weight of possibly missing out on my life’s calling or pondering “what ifs.” As an artist, I trust that my creative thinking and intuition will back me up in challenging situations. Viewing my life as a piece of art reframed my mind to embrace change rather than run away from it. I can identify what is not working, make changes, and take a step back to reflect. That, to me, is the greatest reward.

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 feel that some non-creatives may not fully understand the importance of authenticity. As a creative, I strive to be as authentic as possible and steer clear of all that does not genuinely give me joy. As a non-creative, that importance can become a blur, and it’s easy to get stuck on autopilot. It’s essential as a human being, in the creative field or not, to live authentically. Without doing so, you won’t fully know what you want in life, and it can feel like someone else is in control of your life and decisions. Always speak from the heart and stay true to your instincts. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kaylinnicolette.com
• Instagram: @kaylinnicolette.art