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

Hi Kelli, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I do have a regular job. A good ole 9 to 5 job. I haven’t found a way to viably work as a full time creative to pay my bills. So, I pursue my art and filmmaking outside of my work hours. I do wish that I could do creative work full time, but I think that’s increasingly becoming more and more difficult for people as cost of living, materials, and access continue to go up.

Thankfully, I have a remote job that allows me to have time that would’ve otherwise been spent on a commute to work on my creative projects. I love being able to find time to feed my creative soul and work breaking into industries. However, it can be exhausting to always be working. I’ve been working on finding the balance between work, creative work, and having any sort of personal life – which is so important to have in order to be inspired for creative work and just be a human being.

Kelli, 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 am a filmmaker and an artist. I like to think that I pursue both of these equally!

As a filmmaker, I focus on writing and directing genre films – scifi and horror. I love creating stories that explore humanity through the lens of genre. It’s a great way to connect to emotions, ideas, and relationships without it feeling too specific or personal – everyone can relate to an aspect.

I’ve been making films since high school, but I really started pursuing it more seriously when I moved to Austin, TX in 2010. I wrote and produced my first feature film, Summer League, in 2012. It was amazing to see a story I wrote turn into a reality. Since then, I’ve worked on a variety of films and started directing my own short films. This is when I truly found my voice as a filmmaker. However, after a decade in Austin, I got burned out on the scene and wanted a more affordable place to live so I could concentrate on my creative endeavors. Now, living in Pittsburgh, I’ve found the space and inspiration (it’s such a creative and inspiring city) to breathe new life into my filmmaking.

My artwork is another method of storytelling. The medium I generally use is pyrography, but I like to play with paint, pen, ink, etc. I like exploring ideas such as death, dreams, and the private moments of people. Most recently, I’ve been working on a series called “A View From a Window” that either looks out onto the world from a window or into a building and scene. I love the idea of taking moments that people might consider to be mundane and giving it some fantasy.

With both my artwork and films, I want to share my voice. But I’m also passionate about supporting and collaborating with other creatives. I love giving notes, finding locations, helping fundraise, making connections – however I can encourage people to create and share their work with the world.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As creatives, there’s this image of the tortured artist who drinks or does drugs to either find inspiration or cope with their world view. It’s a romanticized view that, while accurate in some cases, is dangerous and 100% not a requirement to be an artist. I had to unlearn that idea. After years of drinking as I wrote or did artwork as a way to lubricate the process and let ideas flow, I quit. My reasons for getting sober aren’t completely based around my creative process (we all have personal reasons), but it did impact my process and the quality of my work. Not only is my mind clearer to focus on structure of a story or details of a piece of artwork, but by finally sitting with emotions rather than dampening them, I’ve been able to tap into an honesty that better showcases the type of art I want to create. I’m also in a healthier space both physically and mentally to pursue my creative passions.

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

The most rewarding part of being an artist is seeing a piece completed. No matter what the medium, seeing the final stage of what started as a concept will never not be satisfying. A story that was once just words on a computer is now visuals, music, emotions on a big (or small) screen. An image that was once just a sketch of an idea on your brain is now a fully finished, colorful, tangible piece of artwork that someone will hang in their home.

A close second is appreciation. I want people to enjoy my films, I love when someone connects to my artwork enough to purchase it. It makes an artist feel connected.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kellihoran.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromthepyres/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7cBkNYBP9clVyoQlAJAllg