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

Hi Kendall, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I am one hundred percent self-taught when it comes to my art. Well…..except for the novel grade school art classes we all took. I am still at a loss of how I was able to learn what I do. I do know that I have always been a visual learner and excelled in school when I was able to actually “see” the subject at hand, rather than reading about it. I initially wanted to go to college for Art, however, I earned a scholarship to attend college for soccer……and as everyone knows…..college sports are extremely time-consuming…..you live, eat, and breathe the sport you play. This presented a conundrum as art also is extremely time-consuming and requires a lot of focus. I absolutely could not do both at the same time, so…..I unfortunately, had to choose a different major. Sometimes, I do look back and wonder if I had chosen to put art first…..where would I be?

Kendall, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Being a Stay-At-Home-Mom, I often found myself craving a creative outlet…and so…my blog, Darlin South, was born. On my website, I share all of my MANY interests including health, wellness, food (LOVE food), and artwork. I create custom art for clients and customers from Coast to Coast…I fly by the seat of my pants but somehow manage to create artwork that people want to buy. With this passion/job/hobby…I realize now more than ever that I was not meant to work a nine-to-five job. My Social Media presence (specifically, Instagram) has gained traction the past few months and (like my ever-changing life) my name has transitioned into an entire lifestyle brand involving fashion, travel, and more. I just CANNOT stick to only doing one thing in life…it has to be many things…overwhelming, but satisfying!

I work with acrylics and paint on pretty much anything! I advertise as a “custom” artist as I will rise to almost any request for clients in regards to painting. I paint on wood, clothing, canvas, windows, rocks…..really whatever you can think of. There is freedom in not limiting yourself…..it just takes believing in yourself and having confidence in your craft as an artist.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is…..being able to inspire and move people…..to change someone’s outlook, view or perception of what they originally thought in life. Being able to create endless possibilities through color sparks Hope deep in others when they least expect it…..but need it. To me, that is the good stuff in life. From a business perspective, being able to monetize my artwork is extremely rewarding; making money on my own terms.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Being a creative doesn’t just happen over night. Everyone is born with the ability to excel in certain areas of life that are their strong suit. I didn’t just wake up one day and have the skill to draw and paint masterpieces, ha. I’ve told so many that have asked, how do you do it? My answer is always…..I teach myself something new every time I paint. Each time I paint, by pure unfiltered happenstance, I paint this or that way and realize…..OH, THAT is how you make aspects look a certain way or serendipitously creating new angles with highlights and shadows that mimic real life feelings. This whole unknown, walking in the dark kind of painting used to be very overwhelming and intimidating, but now I just go for it, no questions asked. It just seems normal, like an extension of me now.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.darlinsouth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kendallrayewilliams/