Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Anderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Have you ever seen the entertainer guy with the trampoline and a pair of stairs next to them? You can probably find it on YouTube. The gentlemen bounces up and down the stairs in a fluid motion. Sometimes he bounces up a few the falls down one bounces up four, falls down five, bounces up 2, falls down and bounces back to the same spot. Ultimately fluidly moving up and down the stairs visually representing the natural progression of life and hard work. We all have times where things are great, fluid and growing. Other times we fall, we bounce, we try to walk back up, but get stuck in a falling pattern. This is just part of the process. I am a serial entrepreneur, especially when it comes to creativity.

I remember the day I choose to be a full-time creative. The weather was just starting to become cool, as Fall was approaching. I was in a deep state of depression that I had been struggling with for nearly two years by this time. I felt alone, unworthy and ultimately unsure of why I even existed. My life was changing partly due to me and also due to choices being made by others. I had been sick with an autoimmune disease for approximately 5 years at this time and my daily activities often felt unbearable. I was exhausted, overwhelmed and lonely in many ways. Those closest to me were unaware of the internal struggles I had been facing and I was not about to broadcast ALL those feelings. I trusted no one, was lost and felt buried in my own mind. In that darkness I had one thing that landed me feeling a sense of peace. It was Art. As things happened that I could not control, I started to create. It was no longer an option to keep it zipped inside. I exploded at the seams of all my baggage. Instead of talking, instead of trying to connect, I created. Each piece of work became a visual to an emotion I was feeling. As I started to share my work, others started to thank me. This was my why, my reason at the time I choose to be full-time creative.

I said chose, I don’t know if you noticed that. I no longer allowed myself excuses or even sought after the false comfort of a paycheck. I focused on a different perspective. The one that meant I was not living up to my full potential if I did not try, put every thought, choice and action into myself, how could I expect anyone else to love me? That moment is the exact moment I remember. From there climbing, falling and bouncing started.

Everyday I spent at least 15 minutes applying to calls, following up on leads, suggesting ideas to strangers. This was the start and something I should have done sooner. Consistent and steady behavior. It took me until I was a patient at Mayo’s wellness center to understand why this was important. In 2020 I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia on top of my autoimmune disease. During the classes there I learned a story that will help you understand my reasoning to why this is important. It was the start of the pandemic March of 2020 with six feet in between each of the 4 total students in the room. We were all wearing masks, no snacks or beverages were allowed, hand sanitizer at each desk and many breaks to allow us to stay focused. It was a two instructor type of class and one stood with a bunch of test tubes filled with colorful liquid. As mesmerizing as it was, I could only focus on the words that were being spoken by the other instructor. She mentioned daily activities and each time water moved from one test tube to another. The story went something like this; One day you wake up and you feel magnificent. You started cleaning, then you organize your books, go grocery shopping, do laundry, cook dinner and even entertain friends. (During all these activities, liquid is being poured into other test tubes but some leaks out each time.) The next day you wake up, and you don’t quite feel as good. You are exhausted, extremely sore and soon realize that much will not get accomplished today. The third day you feel still tired, sore and again can not really do many physical activities. The instructor then takes the tubes from the other teacher and pours the liquid into one glass setting it to the side. She then restarts her demonstration. Let’s try this she says; Start by waking one day feeling great and you slowly accomplish a max of three things off your list. You wake up the next day and finish three more items of the list. (Liquid is slowly moved from one test tube to another as she speaks.). The third day repeats as the first two. Once she is done she pours ALL the liquid that was slowly moved from one test to to the other into a single glass. The glass is then out next to the tubes from the first example. The fluid and activities moved faster in the first example. When you compare the two glasses the first had less liquid then the second glass. The reason why is the huge amounts of activity, went faster, but more spilled. Ultimately she created a visual showing that faster is not always more. Slow, consistent progress goes further. This was a huge lesson for me in my creative business. It helped me to accomplish a few things at a time and never putting myself into a position of feeling overwhelmed and overworked. If only I had known that strategy sooner.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Crayon Kelly started as a way to market myself as an artist that utilized a very unique medium to create art. Melted crayons. I wanted to be different so I taught myself to create animals on canvas while drawing directly on the canvas as I melted the wax. My strong hand controlled the heat and I drew with my less dominant hand. The art is often mistaken for a lower level acrylic painting. It isn’t until I point out that is is crayon that the faces change to an expression of amazement.

Let’s get back to the brand. It was not until this year that I realized I do not need to be labeled as JUST an artist, or to be restricted to only one medium. This is ultimately when I learned that my brand can combine my businesses and skills by looking through a different lens.

So, What is Crayon Kelly you ask? It is a FULL service creative agency that meets the client where they are in their business journey. The approach taken with the client is first to learn about the project, goals, budget and business or community involved. Once a strategy session is complete CrayonKelly develops a proposal and presents it to the client. Once the proposal is accepted the team implements the plan on a specific timeline that is agreed upon in advance. After the project is complete a follow up with results is documented and that is what we call a great start to a long term strategic partnership with our clients.

Next up is a little about me;
I am Kelly Anderson founder of Crayon Kelly and a creative strategist disguised as an international artist. I hold a very uncommon skill set that allows me to create Giant pictures and not just literally. I am a unicorn of innovation but also play many other roles in the business. These include but are not limited to;
Business Analyst
Creative
Leader
Facilitator
Entertainer
Speaker
Presenter
Collaborator
Storyteller
Innovator
Motivator
Emotional Connector
Problem Solver
And often the Money Finder.

I am considered to be a rare breed with an equal balance to creativity and business talent. There are NO ceilings or walls to what our businesses can create together.

It is not common to hear a business person referred to as highly decorated. This is important only to paint a picture. I have been recognized by many companies across many industries for top sales, top results, highest retention, charitable contributions and many others. I don’t mention these because I think others are not or can’t be decorated as well, but to help add validation of skills based on previous results.

I imagine things that others can’t even phantom until I paint the picture. This is a part of what I do as a leader at Crayon Kelly.

The agency model came about as I started to brainstorm for myself. I hold a fiscal sponsorship under Fractured Atlas as Kelly Anderson Projects. This is what is considered to be the start of our non profit arm. Under this entity we have partnered with other creatives to make a positive impact. A few projects we have completed are a kids color fashion show with Crayola Experience during Fall Fashion Week MN 2019. Chalk Murals around town in 2020 with over 20 artists and the Polaris Foundation. “We are not Extinct’ installation of dinosaur sculptures themed towards industries impacted by Covid in 2021.

I am just one piece of the puzzle and my goal as a leader is to help elevate as many as I can. I am most proud of the results of those around me. The people I cross paths with tend to accomplish a lot as they elevate their own brands and projects.

The Elevator Pitch
Crayon Kelly is an innovative Creative and Interactive Agency. We work with businesses of all sizes to solve problems via utilizing creativity as a tool. Anything from business operations, employees, to clients and how they all integrate is on the table. Once we find the problems we solve them by using tools and connections from our network. We break down barriers and change the way a problem is viewed or approached. Essentially we research, analyze, create, facilitate, design, organize, present, collaborate, innovate and storytelling our way to results of solving our clients problems.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

During Covid I had to pivot immensely to stay a float. Going from the two main avenues of revenue earned from being involved with in person interactive art experiences and outdoor juried art shows. Both completely halted during 2020. So what else was there to do but to invest in myself and find new ways to be creative. This is exactly what happened. I pivoted, created unique projects, learned new creative skills while my creativity was transformed.

In fact I want to share my most recent transformation. I have started to really learn and embrace technology. I am finding that many creatives want to incorporate digital art but they themselves don’t possess the skills to do it without collaboration. In the last few weeks I specifically started to retrain my design skills so that I can build from digital art to 2D animation and potentially 3D animation. Regardless if I do these things myself, I will also be able to lead and collaborate with others by learning the basics and understanding the tools needed to complete the artistic visions I have. I don’t know yet how deep this training will take my mind but I am open to the experience as I transition. I want to fully understand the technology and opportunities as they arise.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

NFT’s are a part of the future and this thing described as the MetaVerse. I do not understand NFT’s but I am working on it. Right now I get Augmented Reality and Crayon Kelly is focusing on this with our clients. In fact we launched our first AR mural in Hastings Minnesota Early September of 2022. Let me share the story of how this one developed. It was still winter of 2021. A brisk day as I walked onto the property of what would soon become my newest client. I originally met with the client whom had always dreamed of a giant sculpture. As a 25 year business owner and a decorated leader in her industry she was ready to incorporate her dream. We spent hours strategizing, I learned the goals and budget. I then drafted a proposal around the sculpture with a back up option knowing in advance that the budget for the sculpture my be too high. Even the new idea of an AR mural was high but I had a plan. We would build out a fundraiser under our fiscal sponsorship. The client loved the ideas, picked her vision and we starting planning for spring. Due to so many things the project was completed in the summer and unveiled in the early Fall. Since then we have used the same image to create future revenue streams opening up doors for future projects. I will leave it at that and if you are interested in learning more. I highly recommend scheduling a time to talk. Our agency has developed processes, procedures and partnerships to become leaders in this market for AR marketing indicatives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.CrayonKelly.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kellyanderson.art
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kelly.hewettanderson
• Linkedin: www.Linkedin..com/in/kellyanderson3
• Other: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/kelly-anderson-projects