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

Krista, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

Going to school to become an art therapist looks very similar to other medical fields. You complete a Masters degree, then 1-2 years of internships, then you can apply for your license long board where you begin another 2 years of supervised work. Now, as a creative and neurodivergent person, I barely made it though high school. I struggled with academics my whole life and never thought I would go to school for a masters until I found the field of Art Therapy. It felt like a culmination in everything I was good at; being creative, and helping others move through emotions.
When I had finally gotten to the point of applying for internships in my masters program, I had written dozens of stories in my head about how I wouldn’t be good enough to actually find this dream job of being an art therapist.
One day, I was lucky enough to get a call back for an interview at a residential treatment program for eating disorders, The Emily Program. I was THRILLED. Not only because it was a nationally renowned center for healing but because when I was about 10 years old, I had a vivid experience and the memory has stuck with me. My mom and I were riding in the car, driving down the highway and as we drove past a large billboard sign advertising The Emily Program, I said, “ I’m going to work there someday and help people.”
I was shocked when I was offered the position the same day that the interview took place. It truly felt like divine plan.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an Art Therapist and Artist. My love for art has always informed my life and in-turn, my career. I offer individual therapy for folks looking for support with life changes, career, identity, or relationship changes, self-esteem issues or food and body relationships, creative professionals who feels overwhelmed or stuck, ADHD or neurodiverse lifestyle management, or personal liberation, spiritual guidance and finding meaning or purpose in your life.
I offer spiritual guidance in the form of readings; oracle art archetype readings, life path readings, and personalized altarpiece design.
I also offering group workshops and classes for Intuitive Art Journaling, Process Painting, Art Ritual, and more.
I believe art is a way to know yourself. I teach ways to connect you with your art and life from an intuitive and curious mindset that questions and challenges normative ways of living to help you find your authentic voice and life path. Art is the language of spirit and the unconscious and when you can allow it to be created in a free flowing unplanned manner, it will show you who you are. It will guide you to your truths. When art is created intuitively, it can’t help but become meaningful because everything you create means something to you and comes from something in you.
I am a trauma informed, racial justice and community oriented, systems thinker, fat positive and believe health and at all sizes, poly/kink and LQBTQIA+ affirming and safe.
And of course as a creative and artist I am always creating new seasonal collections inspired by the elements that I sell at a few local shops in Minnesota.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My resilience has been a big part of how I got into my career. As a child, I grew up in a home where a parent lived with severe and u diagnosed personality disorder that created an abusive atmosphere. Because of this, I spent much of my time growing up with my head and hands busy in art or curled up hiding in a closet with my notebook as a companion to have a safe place to release difficult emotions. This practice of tending to myself through art because a way of survive and existing. It was part of how I processed my life. As I grew up I felt lost in college looking for a career. I know only two things; I loved art, and people. A long winding path eventually led me to finding the world of art therapy and everything clicked and started to make sense for me that maybe I had learned something in my surviving, that could help others. That maybe, my most painful moments could become a helpful key to my purpose.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

In the worlds of art and therapy, both rely on your relationships and ability to build authentic, genuine connections with all kinds of different humans. This doesn’t mean you need to come into the field with many pre-established connections. It means you have to know who you are, and be willing to put yourself out there to make me memorable impressions on the people who feel like they are your audience and who you truly have something beneficial to offer them, and believe it will enhance their life. You cannot see your work as unimportant in any way and the more you can catch yourself in that mindset and challenge yourself to see it differently, the more successful you will be. You have to believe your work is important before anyone else will. Your passion for the work will pull your audience in like a magnet. The energy you put out is the energy coming in.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KristaZeiter.com
• Instagram: @kristazeiter