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

Kelly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you 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?

Yes! I am reminded constantly how lucky I am to do this.

I think the two biggest reasons I have what I have is 1. Being fearless and a “go-getter” and 2. Having community that believes in me.

I have spent a lot of my life creating things I believe in. I have also spent a lot of my life building community and relationships. I fully believe I have a lot of what I have because of the support system behind me. My studio runs well because of my ambition to make it happen for others and because of the VERY GENEROUS donations from other people around me who believe in what I do. I have also invested in the same area and region for a long time which helps with people knowing you, connecting you with jobs, respecting you, etc.

When I hit obstacles, I don’t spend a lot of time worrying, I just fix it. I don’t think everyone is lucky enough to be able to do this. Part of the reason I can usually solve the problem is because I reach out to people and they help me find solutions. So, I guess I am also not afraid to ask for help when I need it.

I’m all over the place and definitely have my moments of panic and stress…but I have ambition and passion and a support system. These three things to me are three of the keys to success.

Kelly, 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 run a performing arts studio, KD STUDIOS that trains actors to be competitive in the performing industry. I train actors, singers, and dancers in the craft but also prepare them for the business side of the industry. We are “audition only” so that we are only training people who really care about their craft and who want to pursue this as their job.

We run Actor’s Forums as well which are small groups for actors. In these groups we talk about life, relationships, mental and physical health, etc. We believe the only way to succeed is to be a healthy and well rounded individual who loves others well.

I got into this by being an actor and performer myself. I thrived and struggled often. That is the game of this craft. There are so many ups and downs and you have to learn how to be tough and have a backbone while also staying soft and open to the world. I would book gigs so fast and then go a couple years without any work. I hated this and really struggled with staying happy and “up” during the low times so I decided to create my own work so that I could still LOVE my life during the in betweens of gigs and acting jobs.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think a lot of people look at art and creatives as a hobby and put artists in a box. A lot of parents of students I have trained always want their kids to have a “Plan B.” I think it SHOULD be a hobby for a lot of people because it’s dangerous to make it a job and risk not loving it anymore because it becomes stressful and about money.. But, when people view it that way for us out there that ARE making it a living for ourselves, I like to remind them that the movies, music, and shows they watch are because some of us decided to risk a lot to do this. Artists are resilient people. Emotional? YES, ABSOLUTELY. Dramatic? Some of us, yes. But also resilient with a lot of heart.

Music, tv shows, movies, etc would not exist without a lot of resilience and heart from creatives. We create these things because we believe it will impact the lives of humans around us. I want to change the world through the art I share and I believe in doing this one person and one story at a time.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes. I so deeply believe in storytelling to change lives. I love getting off the stage and hearing from someone that they connected to my character’s story on stage. I love seeing people in pain become hopeful after watching one of my student’s sing. Its all because that artist was willing to share a part of their story and be vulnerable. I believe in the gift of sharing in similar struggles and joys. Acting and performing and teaching allow me to do this.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kdperformingstudios.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kd_studios_/
• Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/kdstudios

Image Credits
The costumed and performance photos of students on stage: (2 total) Facebook: Tony Nguyen Photography Instagram: @tonynguyenphoto Outdoor professional photos: Insta: @skygreene. Other platforms just use his name: Skyler Greene 2 other photos can just be posted with no credits.