We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kennedy Kuo Harris a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kennedy, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

One of my biggest hurdles so far has been monetizing my work. I was commissioned to do my first mural in 2022, and was subsequently asked for my going rate. I bounced some ballpark numbers around with my friends + family, and was surprised to discover nearly every person I consulted thought that my initial pricing was far too low. It was nerve wracking to ask for a total payment that, at the time, felt like an unreasonably high bill — what if they scoffed at the number and I lose the opportunity? But one piece of advice that helped me tremendously was to think of how I want my work to be recieved. If I lowball, I might read as more approachable, affordable, and / or potentially just starting out. Or…I could price my work in a range that places me in a more premium category. Neither is wrong or right, but this mindset helped me to see the value in my work just as much as those around me do.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Kennedy Kuo Harris and I am a muralist based in Los Angeles. I painted my first piece in 2021 at my friend’s place, just for the fun of it. It was so low stakes that I could genuinely do whatever I felt like, and after the first one I was just itching for the next. I have a background in drawing, but this mural unlocked a new view of my own creative expression. I am inspired daily by animation and the ability for humans to build entire worlds from scratch, and discovered murals as an outlet to do that in my own way. I especially love getting to know my clients to understand ways in which I can bring their identities into the worlds I create.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think everyone is an artist – everyone is inherently creative. But it’s a privilege to be able to share your art with the world, whether it be on a large or small scale, and be seen. I am grateful to be able to create for myself and for others. The most rewarding aspect of my work has to be seeing others take my art in and understand. Of course components will always be interpreted differently, and that is a beauty in itself. But to feel the inspiration incited in my clients and fellow art lovers who step into a space I’ve created is priceless. I can see the wheels turning, the light switching on in people’s minds, and that’s a feeling I want to hold onto forever. Art connects us, and to be a conduit for connection is a huge blessing.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Residual effects of an eternity of misogyny have led me to constantly downplay myself and my successes. Virtually every time I’ve been proud of an accomplishment, someone had something negative or invalidating to say. Which is fine! Haters are gonna hate, always. But I’ve worked hard to unlearn the notion that that is my fault. Anyone who tries to dim our shine or downplay our success is projecting their own insecurity and self doubt. It’s not my responsibility to make myself smaller so that others feel comfortable. I am a constant work in progress, but I’m very proud of my progression towards self love and assurance. And luckily, art is subjective, so a little delusion doesn’t hurt. Shine as brightly as you feel, and the world will feel it too.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennodemus/?hl=en

Image Credits
Sydney Snyder Malik Tune