We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Stuck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I am happy being a creative, and like anything I think the happiness comes in waves. There are moments that I can’t imagine doing anything else, truly. Being an artist feels so right, but there’s a balance I’m trying to keep…
I can’t believe I get to draw for a living. I have the privilege to capture memories, to celebrate creatures that we hold so dear in our hearts, to use my hands in a way that is fulfilling to me. It’s lead to the interactions I love to have; the joys of clients and customers sharing incredible stories of what my work reminds them of and even how it adds to their own happiness, by capturing their furry family members or favorite animal. I get to bring ‘back to life’ their first dog and see the reveal in video from a friend who knew they needed some support. I get to capture their kitty that helped them through some serious ups and downs in their life. I get to hear about someone’s journey to India when they were a child and how they got to see fruit bats in person and they’re so tearful remembering them and thinking about how I captured their spirit so beautifully that they had to have the original piece. But while I am so grateful for this heartfelt story and I want to stay in that moment, I’m also thinking about how grateful I am for the money that will help me pay bills and continue to fuel this journey of mine on this slow show day…
And so, this leads me to some of the low moments when I look at loved ones and think maybe I’d be happier with something more stable, maybe it’d be easier to follow a more conventional career. I’ve gone weeks before without a sale, and I’ve had some people ask why bother drawing something so realistic when a picture would do just fine. I’ve had a lot of doubts, and on top of that, I spent a lot of time and money on a degree that I’m not currently using while my peers are. Their jobs have benefits and a seemingly easier navigation to follow career wise, so I can get a little jealous. My job is me, it’s incredibly personal even though anyone can fall into bringing the work home with them or feel stuck in a slow period. But, I have to actively work and think about the next steps because it never ends. I am the boss, the marketing agent, the graphic designer, the team, the employer, the employee, all while still being the artist. It’s a lot of responsibility. I can’t just clock out when my business is so new and if I do I could lose business. But then a friend reminds me that they are actually jealous of me, and how I get to do what I love, that I have a gift that they don’t, that I got to have a choice to do this…
It’s easy to spiral, easy to overthink. But the comparison game will kill you, kill the joy, kill the exceptionally happy moments. In the end, I focus on the why and remember that not everyone gets to do what I do. It’s an incredible privilege, although it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Not everyone gets to do something that they love from the safety of their home. I’m lucky to have the support I have, I’m lucky to feel the joy, I’m lucky to have a skill I could grow, to have the choice, and it’s a privilege I am determined not to waste.
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?
While a cute play on my last name, I created stück in the studio in 2019 to find comfort in a space I lost touch with. Art has always been a huge part of my life, from sketching as a kid, to sewing and crocheting, to redecorating my parent’s house, to painting a mural for my sister’s bedroom, to sketching anatomy in my first semester of nursing school, to ceramics after a stressful major switch, to sculpture, and finally to drawing that brought me back to the art world. After I graduated college I didn’t touch art for over a year, I felt so burnt out trying to graduate on time and create work that fulfilled a grade requirement that I lost a huge piece of myself. So, I started rendering pet portraits for loved ones and experimenting with other art forms to help find my inspiration again and fuel that creative fire.
Today, I create mindfully hand drawn works of pencil and pen celebrating the extraordinary everyday animals in our lives. I absolutely love experimenting with different textures, while playing around with how these critters interact with the negative space within a piece. My work ranges from stickers to prints to notecards, all which reference my original illustrations honoring creatures from both land and sea.
I look forward to continue sharing and growing stück in the studio; not only with patrons but other artists who, in the best way, may feel a little stuck in the studio, too.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
As humans, we are naturally creative beings. Music, dancing, theatre, art; it has been with us for almost our entire existence no matter the culture or society. Art as a whole is so important to us, and it’s used in our everyday lives more than people think in our day to day. It’s a huge part of who we are and it’s a shame that so much of that energy has been exploited solely for profit.
Why can’t people make art for the sake of it? Why does it need to look a certain way? Why are artists today both laughed at for thinking they can make it while a select few are highly prized? It feels like there’s a lack of support because of all the inconsistencies, and of course the answers vary from culture to culture. But in the US in particular, I think it goes back to the cliche of quantity over quality. So much is mass produced nowadays, and it feels fake and empty. We’re overstimulated, we’re rushing to make deadlines, and we’re feeling trapped in a hustle culture. Because of that, a lot of art feels the same when creatives aren’t given the time to make. We aren’t allowed to take years to just create a few pieces or even make art that may not appeal to the masses, while still try to make a living.
Of course the problem is more complex than a simple answer, but what can help is simply supporting creatives. Shop small, shop local, shop in your community, support your neighbors. The more creative programs and opportunities that keep getting cut, the more we lose. We need to support the arts, so do what you can, when you can, and we’ll see the growth slowly but surely.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Everything I have done, any success that I have accumulated, did not happen overnight. I have been told before that my pieces are as good as they are because I already have some natural artistic abilities. Although that may be true in some regards, that isn’t the whole truth. I won’t lie that those kinds of comments used to get to me, even when I knew it was coming from a place of admiration and respect. I had to remember that not everyone sees what I do everyday, let alone what I’ve done over the last four plus years. When a piece is not exactly how I want it to be, I have to start over even when that means losing hours of work. I pour myself into every piece and it can feel absolutely devastating when I have to abandon one. Not only am I losing time, but money too. However, it also means I continued to practice and hone in on skills I’m really proud of. I have made hundreds of pieces and I believe that each one has helped me become a better artist.
Practice makes progress, and it will look different for every creative. For some, it may come more easily while others require more time and experimentation. That doesn’t mean it’s any more or less impressive, only that we’re all different and will have diverse artistic journeys. Don’t give up, we all have something to offer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stuckinthestudio.com
- Instagram: @stuckinthestudio
- Facebook: @stuckinthestudio
Image Credits
Emma D’Arpino – https://www.emmadarpino.com/ @emmadarpino