We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Keleigh Rodriguez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Keleigh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I have been taking drawing seriously since I was around 11 years old. I drew everyday, always had a sketch book, etc,. I took every art class I could and volunteered for any kind of creative project at school or in my extra curriculars, because practice is everything when it comes to learning how to draw. After going to art school, I really wish I could go back to teenage me and really emphasize the need to just sit down and practice and not care if it looks good or bad. I think because of the rise of social media, lots of young artists feel the need for everything they create to always be amazing and aesthetically pleasing, but that’s not always going to be the case. Sometimes you have to make something that’s ugly, and that’s okay!
I think learning how to use materials to their full advantage would have gotten me way further earlier. I never really learned how to use oils or acrylics until I was in my second year of college, and wish I knew more as continue to pursue painting. There are so many amazing resources online that help you with foundational work and fundamentals that are extremely important in becoming a well rounded artist.
The ‘starving artist’ trope isn’t far from the truth; money and especially time is a huge obstacle for many of us, including myself. It’s hard to set aside time after work to be dedicated to your craft, but it will always be worth it in the end. It is something I am constantly reassuring myself on, but practice and experimentation is the most essential part to me for mastering your craft.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been a creative for most of my life. I loved to create stories and draw and collaborate on said things with my friends ever since I was a child, and found myself being called to the arts the older I got, in a way that was more than a hobby. I began attending Ball State University in 2018, originally studying animation. Although I still love and am very inspired by animation as a medium, it just wasn’t the right path for me. I was really connected to drawing and painting and the satisfaction is gave me. Drawing was my first outlet for creativity, and it was the one I wanted to take with me for the rest of my life.
I never worked that big until I was in college. Many of my drawing professors pushed for bigger pieces, and I never really got why until I did my first ever large-scale drawing. It was amazing. The size of my canvas never intimidated me and always motivated me. Feeling not just my hands but my entire arm, my entire body, drawing was something that I never could have imaged. It was addicting. Much of my art is narrative driven, and the scale helps show my audience the importance some of these stories and ideas have in my life and why I feel the need to share them.
I want my art to be used as a form of storytelling, whether those stories are my own or ones that have impacted me. Sometimes stories and ideas can impact me so much that I feel the need to put it out in the real world so it is there forever, and drawing is the way I can do that best. It feels more intimate and human, and the thought of something that leaves an impression on me can leave an impression on others makes it all worth it.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Seeing people talk about your work! I get such a thrill when I am in a show and catch a glimpse of people having a conversation over something that I have made. I used to think this was selfish or a little vain of me, but as I grow older, I think I just see it as the ultimate form of flattery because I don’t really care if the conversation is good or bad. I love hearing others interpretations of my work and I love when they connect it to something in their own lives. It makes me feel like I made something that meant something important, even for a second. Nothing can compare to it.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Show up and make space for art in your life. During my undergraduate gallery, I was really nervous about my open house. I was really scared the only people who would be there were my parents and maybe a few of my friends, but I was so wrong. Teachers, peers, and strangers were congratulating me. I remember even one of the lunch ladies I often saw came to my gallery, and hearing her say she was proud of my hard work almost made me cry.
Another time, I went to my high school to talk to the then-seniors about pursing fine art in college education, and afterwards, my old art teachers and one I had never met before sat me down and emphasized to me how important it was to keep going. Keep creating. Hearing that from other women really shook me and their voices still ring in my head.
Uplift your artist friends! Go to a first Friday! Say hello and compliment the artist you see, and support them in anyway you can, whether that is buying a print of just stopping by. Art is a foundational aspect to how our society is ran. I think there is this ongoing narrative that art isn’t important like some trades, but we would have nothing without it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: kele_rodrigross
