We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Maryanski a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Before I took the leap to became a full-time freelancer / entrepreneur / permanently anxiety-ridden creature (just kidding about that last one), I held my fair share of part-time jobs. I was performing at night, rehearsing nighttime/some day times, and working a handful of part-time jobs. Granted, these positions were adjacent to what I was doing in my freelance creative life; makeup artist, upscale fashion sales associate, museum assistant, dance teacher. One day, in the middle of my shift I just decided…. that is it. With nothing solely lined up in front of me, I was going to quit this “muggle” job. And I did, without anything to fall back on. And honestly, every time I trust my intuition, even with nothing “realistic” to line up, the universe always finds a way to line up everything in place. It is always when I do NOT listen to my intuition that everything crumbles. Trust your gut. When it is time, you will know. Build close friend circles and if you lift other creatives up around you they will do the same.
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?
Hi! I’m Kelly Maryanski – I am a Los Angeles based movement artist (aerialist, dancer, ex-musical theatre actor) and illustrator (specializing in live event illustration/midcentury fashion illustration and style.) I grew up drawing everything and dancing everywhere. I also grew up a pre-professional child competitive athlete and started illustrating for a publishing company as a teenager. I cannot imagine life without creating, without music, without art, or without movement. My work (both visual and performative) is whimsical, nostalgic, and playful. Details are often the most important, and my favorite quote is one by William Blake:
“A sincere wish that anything is so, will make it so.”
Circus/Performer Instagram: @Lyskei
Illustrator Instagram: @KellyPaintsWithWater
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
It took some time to realize this, but receiving an education from a liberal arts college was one of the most important aspects that have impacted me as an entrepreneur. I received a BFA in studio art and dance from Denison University and still maintain connections with classmates and professors. The variety offered at a liberal arts schools is fundamental to figuring out who and what you are and can be.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
Honestly, I am so old fashioned I have little to no thoughts about NFTs. I will always choose handwriting notes to typing them out on a computer, and in that regard, hand painting over digital art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thisiskellymaryanski.com / www.Kelly-Maryanski.com
- Instagram: @lyskei / @kellypaintswithwater
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-maryanski
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc8YUOl2WT7x2qNEEeeN9jQ
Image Credits
Max Damian Eddo Photography Anna Ciccone