We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kellen Meyer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kellen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always created, so the start of my career is hard to track in that way. I can tell you when I learned to sew. When I learned to knit. When I wrote my first stories tucked in a corner of my room. When I did my first installation. My first underwater photography. My first knit wall sculpture. All of these skills have been led by the intuitive process that is Art and that’s hard to track. I believe that I’ve always been pursuing this path.

Though, an important turning point in my career was when I finally committed to having a dedicated space/studio to create within. In doing that, I acknowledged myself as an Artist. As a creative. As a business woman.

Now, I’m a Fiber Artist – Sculptor. I choose my career every day I show up at the studio. Every day I have a success or failure. Every day that I choose curiosity over fear.

Kellen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a Contemporary Artist focused on Large Scale Fiber Art Installations, Sculptures, and Collaborations with Galleries and Boutique Hotels.

My Art is Rooted in Nature and influenced by the colors, shapes and textures in the wild outdoors. This influence weaves a common thread throughout my work. I entwine a variety of natural fibers to create hand-woven fine art pieces that integrate knitting, crochet, and various weaving techniques. I utilize other natural materials including wool, fabric, cotton, wood, paper, willow, and reed. As I explore the natural world it allows me to nurture story within each piece. Each creation is a unique, one-of-a-kind work of Art.

Heavily influenced by how the afternoon light hits the water. Or a shadow passes along a wall. Or the way sand feels under my feet. Or the absolute quiet underwater. The ever watchful, contemplative artists process reminds me, yet again, that we are all connected with one another. No color, shape, language or distance can truly separate our human experience.

I encourage Art to be Inclusive and Magical and full of Hope. For we are all Entwined through Art and the beauty of the Natural World.

I’m based in Southern California and create in a studio overlooking a bird sanctuary.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I’ve always been a curious, creative person. Someone who created with nature, then fabric, then wool and paper- all those things combined into what I do now- Fiber Art and Sculpture. Every step, every workshop, every book taught me to trust my intuition and creative yearning. I’ve created dresses from sheets. Installations from old homework. Sweaters from sheep wool. All types of Fiber and Paper sculpted into shapes. All these skills collected over the years and tucked into my creative toolbox.

A toolbox that is now full of options, ideas and ways to troubleshoot many of the issues that arise when creating something from nothing. I love every new challenge because it allows me an opportunity to be a creative problem solver. Answering the question- what happens when I combine two totally different materials? Sometimes it works. Often it doesn’t. Though in each scenario, I learn something new. The new solution/tool that goes into the toolbox to be pulled out again when I need it.

Curiosity and learning to problem solve with new skills has been an unexpected reward within the artistic process.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience allows you to open yourself up to challenges, to learn new things, to be willing to ask questions and to be really bad at something. We can sit back and hope it all works or we can actively go out and try. Fail. Then try again. Resilience is what gets you to the next step and to do the work even when it’s hard. We never know what the outcome will be unless we Try. If determined effort is utilized to continue to learn, stretch, and grow, that is success. The decision to keep going when everyone else has gone home. When the twelve things you’ve tried haven’t worked and you stay to find that the 13th does. To me, it’s always been about hard work, goals, dedication, and curiosity.

Resilience allowed me to replace my fear with curiosity. The question of- “Will this work?” became, “Won’t this be exciting!” The question of- “Will I be good enough?” became, “How amazing to share my skills!” The question of- “Will I fail?” became, “Won’t it be an amazing adventure- success or failure!”

Life is a choice every day and I choose to live the adventure.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KellenMeyer.com
• Instagram: @KellenMeyer

Image Credits
Cecily Breeding Photography Sara Prince Vanessa Brack Kellen Meyer