We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kiyanna Lawrence. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kiyanna below.
Kiyanna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?
Right after COVID, I took a job at a daycare. I’ve always loved kids, and honestly, I’ve always seen myself as a big kid at heart. I love embracing my inner child, staying playful, doing crafts, and listening to their stories. So at the time, it felt like, yeah, this makes sense for me.
I worked there for about a year, and during that time, I connected deeply with the kids. I was always the teacher who listened, really listened — even to the quiet kids, the ones who stuttered, the ones adults sometimes get impatient with. I felt like part of my purpose was to give people (and especially children) the space to express themselves without judgment.
But the biggest lesson came from another teacher — someone who had been there for 12 or maybe 15 years. She told me she originally started working there in her twenties “just for a little while,” but she ended up staying much longer than she ever meant to. She said somewhere along the way she forgot her dreams, her personal path, and the version of herself she wanted to grow into.
Before she left, she pulled me aside and told me, “Don’t do what I did. Don’t forget your dreams.”
When she finally quit, I remember feeling happy for her, proud even, and also suddenly very aware of myself. I loved the kids, I loved being someone they trusted, but I realized this wasn’t where I was meant to root myself. Yes, part of my purpose is working with people, guiding them, hearing them, creating space… but not like this. Not in a daycare. Not in a way that pulled my creativity and calling to the side.
Leaving was hard because I had real bonds there, but the lesson was bigger than the job:
Don’t let comfort turn into a cage. Don’t stay somewhere so long that you slowly abandon the life you’re meant to build.
That moment pushed me toward my creative path, my entrepreneurship, and my mindful art practice, and it taught me to honor my dreams before they become something I “meant to get back to.”
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Kiyanna Lawrence, and I am a multidisciplinary artist and the founder of Agapè Arts, a brand centered around creativity, mindfulness, emotional expression, and feminine softness. My work lives at the intersection of art and self-discovery, and everything I create is designed to help people understand themselves on a deeper level.
Art has always been my go-to place to process emotions, find clarity, and reconnect with my imagination. Over time, I realized that I wanted to share that experience with others in a way that felt grounding, healing, and accessible. That is how Agapè Arts developed into the creative space it is today. My practice combines nature-inspired aesthetics, intuitive expression, and a soft yet strong feminine presence that is evident throughout my murals, silhouettes, workshops, and personal artwork.
Right now, my focus is on offering mindful painting workshops for teens, adults, and kids. These workshops are designed to help people learn how to express themselves in a healthy way, explore their emotions, or simply learn more about who they are through creativity. I also lead vision board workshops that support reflection, goal-setting, and inner clarity. All of my workshops create space for emotional awareness, mindfulness, and self-expression.
I also sell my original artwork, create custom pieces, and design murals and silhouette installations for businesses, community spaces, and personal clients. My artistic style is rooted in nature, femininity, softness, and emotional storytelling. Whether it is a mural, a canvas, or a silhouette, my work aims to create a sense of calm, connection, and introspection.
Community is an important part of my brand. I host events that bring together other creatives, offer opportunities to connect, and allow people to collaborate, share resources, and feel supported. These gatherings help build a network where artists and community members can inspire each other and grow together.
What sets my work apart is the intention behind it. My art is not only visual; it is emotional. It is meant to help people slow down, feel safe, and express the parts of themselves they may not always know how to speak about. The strong feminine presence in my work comes from a belief that softness can be powerful, sensitivity is strength, intuition can be grounding, and creativity can be a path to healing and self-understanding.
I am most proud of the impact my workshops and art have on people. When someone feels calmer after a mindful painting session, or when a teen gains confidence through creativity, or when a community comes together through art, it reminds me why I do what I do. I am proud that Agapè Arts has become a space where people feel seen, supported, and inspired.
What I want people to know is that Agapè Arts is more than a business. It is a mindful space rooted in creativity, emotional expression, feminine energy, and the beauty of slowing down. My goal is to help people connect with themselves through art and to remind them that creativity can be a form of healing and empowerment.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
A moment that illustrates my resilience actually goes all the way back to second grade, which was the first time I realized I felt things more deeply than most kids around me. One morning on the way to school, I saw a stray dog wandering alone. I didn’t know if he was abandoned or lost, but I remember feeling this overwhelming sadness for him. When I got to class, I cried so hard that my teacher had to pull me aside to ask what was wrong. When I explained, she looked confused, like she couldn’t understand why something so small affected me that much. But to me, it wasn’t small. It was compassion. That moment made me aware of how strongly I feel for others, even for animals.
That same year, I became close friends with a girl who was going through a very difficult home situation. I didn’t have the language for it back then, but I could tell she was being mistreated by the relative caring for her. I was the only one she confided in, and she begged me not to tell anyone because she was scared. Eventually, the mistreatment started affecting me too when I visited her, and even though I was just a child, I knew something wasn’t right. I had to make the difficult decision to tell my mom, and when the adults got involved, my friend stopped talking to me. She even began treating me unkindly because she felt I betrayed her, even though I was trying to protect both of us.
For a second grader, all of that was a lot to carry. I learned early what it meant to care deeply, to witness things beyond my age, to lose people I wanted to help, and to do the right thing even when it hurt. Those experiences didn’t harden me; they made me more compassionate, intuitive, and emotionally aware. They shaped the way I show up in my art today, especially the softness, feminine presence, and healing energy people feel in my workshops and paintings. They taught me that emotional depth is a strength and that creating safe, expressive spaces for others is part of my purpose.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The mission behind my creative journey is to help people reconnect with their imagination, their inner child, and the creative parts of themselves they often lose touch with as they grow older. I always say that when we are kids, the world feels so colorful and full of possibility, but as we get older, that color slowly fades. Through my art and workshops, I want to bring that color back for people, especially adults.
My goal is to create spaces where people can express themselves in a healthy, mindful, and playful way. Whether it’s through mindful painting or vision boards, I want people to feel safe enough to explore who they are, what they feel, and what they dream of. So many adults don’t realize how much they need creativity until they finally sit with a paintbrush and feel themselves soften and breathe for the first time in a long time.
A big vision for me is to eventually travel with my business. I don’t want Agapès Art to exist in just one physical space. I want to bring these workshops, murals, and creative experiences to different communities, different states, and different environments. There are so many people who could benefit from reconnecting with their inner child, and I want to reach them wherever they are.
My mission is rooted in emotional wellness, feminine softness, and creativity as a form of healing. If someone leaves one of my workshops feeling more grounded, more inspired, or like a little bit of their color came back, then I know I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kilaw3315.wixsite.com/a——-arts
- Instagram: artsofarielle
