We recently connected with Kristin Arndt and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was born with an abundance of creative gifts. I could effortlessly draw and paint from the age of 2 & it’s never been in question that I’d spend a lifetime surrounded by the various elements. I often convey what I mean to say or get across with a sketch !Design, architecture, fine art, sketching, portraiture, photography have always been the blueprint of my story & some form of each, continue to inspire me everyday…..

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born and raised in Santa Monica, California (A third generation believe it or not & ) I came out of the womb drawing/sketching & painting….Early on it was very clear I was artistic . My mother started compiling my drawings starting at age 2 & they were already very descriptive & overly detailed for the average 2 year old! I could often be found drawing in my room or outside for hours. Charcoal was and is still my favorite medium but I would experiment with combining it with other mediums as oil and acrylic. Once I found canvas, I was in heaven & loved blending those elements together on it. After winning several art awards through out my adolescence & teenage years various teachers would present art school as a future goal for college so I started to research & learn of the various areas of study which interested me. I had always loved clothes as well as architecture & design so as college age approached I knew I had to have a plan.
I knew with out a doubt that I wanted to study at the iconic Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design (Back then the two schools were merged at the downtown LA campus). When I approached my parents about the possibility of going, my father was less than enthusiastic. Though I wasn’t yet certain of which area in the industry I’d pursue for my degree, the schools first year program gave all incoming freshmen the first year to essentially decide. They honed in on developing our overall skill set across all areas of specialized design, fine art, anatomy, life drawing, art history, form & space, illustration, graphic design etc. & along with the required liberal studies one was armed with a firm understanding of each department & its focus of study. My foundation teachers promoted my talent for Fine Art & illustration but when I approached my parents with the notion I’d major in fine art, dad said “No way! You’d better pick something corporate so you can earn a solid living!” I was a little dejected but not discouraged. My next alternative was Fashion Illustration but even then, I knew enough to anticipate it was sadly, a dying art form. Expressing myself through Art was what made me , ME. I’d never known a time in my entire life that I was n’t with sketch book in hand or an unfinished canvas in my studio, so I figured I could pick something “corporate “ & still continue indulging in my innate passions on the side. That was never in question back then…
I chose a Fashion Design/Illustration major and four years later earned my Bachelor’s of Fine Art Degree in the field (BFA).. after a summer trip to Paris with some of my fellow graduating friends from Otis/Parsons I came back ready to embark on my career in fashion. I won’t bore you with ALL the details but I was so fortunate to land my first job as an Assistant Designer with the prestigious Irvine, California based St. John Knits. I quickly rose to Senior Designer & worked along side a n amazing team of designers. I got to travel to Europe for industry textile shows, got to manage a team of my own of incredibly talented up and coming designers & as I’d always wanted, I continued to sketch, paint and even teach art on the side. I also continued to land an occasional interior design job too so I was constantly surrounded by all aspects of design and art. I never felt more alive & thriving as I did those first ten years of my professional career. I loved the company, its culture, the product we designed, my team. We were designing for a luxury market & for celebrities & where budget was no object, manufacturing beautiful pieces of wearable art with little to no restraints in cost. The process was in our hands conceptually from start to finish …It was Camelot.
13 years after being hired, the company was bought out & after the initial blow, the team were all left a bit uncertain as to what the next venture would hold. I hustled for a year doing freelance, teaching art, working with fashion show production companies calling shows from back stage, you name it. It was the first time in my adult life I was presented with uncertainty but it was also the first time I was “adulting” with out my parents help so I knew I had to persevere. Still, it was daunting and I hated the feeling.
About a year later, with literally almost depleted resources, I got a call from the then Alumni Director at Otis who referred me to Guess, Inc. as she knew of a position there that was opening up there as a Head Designer to come in & essentially oversee the hiring of the design team & start up a new division there overseeing the YC (Young Contemporary) division of the line.. G by Guess was to be the “Little Sister/brother “ of the main line. After a whirlwind interview process I was hired and with in a year, we were up and running with both, a YC & a Young Men’s team in place.
My 7 years at Guess were very different than my years at St. John. It was VERY “corporate fashion”, very fast paced & definitely less creative, more merchant driven, which for a true creative/designer, is a hard pill to take every day. While I loved my team, the fabulous shopping trips to Europe & even our work trips to our sister offices in Hong Kong, though long work days, we’re still so invigorating. Ultimately though, I started to feel unfulfilled creatively. By then I was the Director of Design so though I set the direction/mood/concept of the line my “hands on “ in the designing took on a different role. Because of time restraints, I wasn’t drawing, painting on the side either……I’d lost something of my true self in such a huge way,. In April 2013 I made the decision to leave. It was after a bad fall which resulted in emergency brain surgery that I believe my life’s path & creative journey were truly redesigned .
Laying in the hospital bed after literal near death, I asked myself, “What is it that you want for the second half??”. I knew two things for certain, Because of the grueling schedule & traveling demands of my “corporate “ career, my dreams of being a mom had been cast aside for so long & it was then too that I decided that if I could, I’d like to still do something definitely Creative but if still “Corporate”, with ME as the ultimate decision maker. ……
That was 2014, I set out to start the adoption process & set my own creative reset into motion. But life often doesn’t go as planned. I was diagnosed with cancer. Again, I won’t go into ALL the details but the last ten years have been a constant with my new “companion”(cancer) coming in and out of my life. It was learned I have a genetic condition where my body can’t fight off certain cancers ……. Cancer changes a person. It’s sounds cliche but wow, everything is looked at from such different perspective……..Countless surgeries, chemo, radiation & four years later , cancer free, I was determined to adopt my baby AND now more than ever find something to do that made me truly happy & fulfilled creatively. My baby girl came in June of 2018 & I was chosen by her birth parents to be her mama. Dream number 1, LONG awaited was checked off, now into Dream 2 because I was alive and thriving & READY.
I’d done consulting for start ups a lot after leaving Guess, as well as amping up my interior designing jobs & did some commissions portraits but though I knew I was enjoying the time to do it,, there was no solid business plan in place for the long haul. I knew it was close though…..
I’d started making creative story boards like a vision board but more like a connect the dots of all aspects of the creative industry I’d learned and experiences first hand for 25 years………a starting board for something new…
Then, COVID & all that entailed hit us & as we all know, set the world on fire. During the quarantine period, I was sketching A LOT, taking various creative on line courses , bought every crafty thing on Amazon & kept busy….As my daughter got older, we would bead together, make cute little bracelets, dog & cat collars for our pets & the time spent doing that, gave me a peace & a familiar excitability would arise in me……Then, literally in almost an instant it hit me, “What are you doing with little plastic beads and trinkets???—-Get your ARSE to the bead and gem store in Santa Monica & buy some REAL stuff to work with”……..& from that moment I couldn’t stop.
Almost instantly, my path was cleared, the signs lit up & my Brand , Amethyst & Pearl- by KARNDTDESIGNS was born. With in days, it was as if every single aspect of my 25 years in Creative Corporate (& some really trying times in between health wise & otherwise ) had led me here. I was amazed at how quickly I had the vision of the brand in my head, the inspiration behind it was so clear & a business & marketing plan was put on paper. The whole time I kept hearing in my head, the words , “Why NOT me?”….THIS is you. THIS is what you know. It’s true to who I am, it is MY vision, My hands making it, so why not?? WHY not?
I started designing the pieces , one of a kind bracelet trios made of all natural gemstones & some semi precious stones. Inspired by my love of the 70’s, All things Luxe, a few iconic musicians style & the colors of the beautiful beaches I’ve seen along my travels all over the world . The name Amethyst & Pearl represents both, my daughter and my own birthstones. It’s for her that I’m even more inspired to do this.
That was mid August that it “clicked”. I launched the line in September & here two months later, keeping myself focused and clear on a path, my online store is up, I’m building a social media & marketing buzz around the brand and just signed with three stores . I aim to keep it exclusive to small coastal boutiques with the same vibe as the line so there are about 10 more I aim to target. Hopefully another “Camelot”.
I know that my journey these past ten years, though almost unbearable at times, has happened so that I was open to tapping in Thru introspection to THIS.
I’m certain that if each and every one of the hiccups hadn’t occurred, I wouldn’t have been guided to my epiphany.
I haven’t felt this creatively alive & driven in over ten years but there is a light, there is infinite possibility ahead & I’m excited now for what the second half playbook holds.
I often think of my beloved dad who has sadly, passed. his words, his concerns for me & my future….But with clarity I can say, that though “corporate” gave me a lot of perks, a lot of amazing accolades, money, knowledge & experience, my ultimate happiness & self worth after EVERYTHING I’ve endured, STILL came full circle in that I’m doing what I (underscore) love doing & not doing for anyone else.
I plan on teaching my daughter the same. That she can be anything she wants but that ultimately one’s happiness comes from being true to one’s own self, one’s own passions & if lucky, a little creative insight too.
Thank you for letting me share my creative journey with you.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I can’t speak for everyone’s journey but between my own and what I’ve observed or heard from maybe a dozen other creatives along the way is that once one feels they aren’t being true to themselves/sells him/herself out & starts to go against the grain of what are truly their own passions & spirit, they become numbed a bit. I know several creatives now whose creative success came AFTER leaving a long term “safety net” job or career which they’d become complacent in. Once they tapped in to what avenues they could use to build their OWN brand, company, platform etc. they thrived! I guess I’d just like to instill in any one the importance of making every day count !

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

When I can touch someone with my art…… To experience in person the moment say, that I give a portrait to someone that I’ve done of them & they have tears running down their face. That’s when I know I’ve captured their spirit in the portrait.
Or I make a piece of jewelry for someone with a symbolic piece attached that may represent a time or person in their lives & when I let them know it’s there, they are touched by its gesture.
Just painting with my daughter is such a beautiful thing ….watching a new generation experience what comes from being able to express herself with a paint brush and canvas , giggling & uninhibited. I reminisce about my own journey. So much beauty in the world …..

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amethystandpearlbyka.etsy.com/
• Instagram: Karndtdesigns
• Facebook: Kristin K. Arndt
• Linkedin: Kristin K. Arndt
• Other: https://amethystandpearlbyka.etsy.com/