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

Kristin, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am happy as an artist. Do I wish I made more? Sure. Do I struggle with wondering if I’m doing enough? Absolutely! I’ve had the “regular” jobs. In the past, I was a hairstylist, a teacher, and a software engineer. All of them left me wanting to be more creative. I wanted to create. Yes, in each of those regular jobs I had to be creative when solving problems, but I was working toward someone else’s goals. It didn’t make me happy.

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.

In 2015, I went to a Paint Nite class with a couple of friends. I found that I loved the relaxing effect watching the piece come together on the blank canvas. A few years later, I found myself struggling with anxiety and depression. I knew something was missing from my life, so I decided to take a painting class. I was hooked. At first it was a hobby, but when we moved back to the Phoenix area in October 2018, I decided I didn’t want to look for another job. I wanted to make art, so I just went for it. I worked as a Paint NIte host with Yaymaker for a bit during Covid. I loved using my education background and chatting with others who wanted to learn to paint.
Later, when I decided to leave Yaymaker, I wanted to focus on my own art practice. I use acrylic paint or digital painting methods. I applied to numerous art shows and popup events around the valley and got accepted.
Currently, I am a regular vendor at the Gilbert Art Walk (Gilbert, AZ), 2nd Sundays on Mill (Tempe, AZ), and Roosevelt Row’s Phoenix First Friday (Phoenix, AZ).
My biggest differentiator lately is that I don’t take art too seriously. In the past six months, I’ve started making a lot of gamer related artwork, and people seem to love it. My son has a lot of video game plushies, so I like to incorporate them into still life paintings. My “Yoshi’s Controller Collection” has been very popular. It has a plush Yoshi and a variety of retro and modern Nintendo controllers.
I know there’s a mindset among artists and collectors that art has to be a certain way, but I try not to take art so seriously. I try to make it fun and whimsical. Society has to be serious a lot, so I think it’s time we brought a little fun back into our lives.
My best selling item for the past few years is my Lighted Ceramic Cactus. The nostalgia is a big factor there. People always seem to remember having a light up pine tree when they were younger. My cacti are a fun modern twist – and more Arizona appropriate.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

At the end of 2019, I had signed up with Yaymaker to be a Paint NIte host. I scheduled my first events for March 2020, and that was thwarted by Covid. I had a technical background so swapping to virtual events was a no-brainer. I filled my calendar with events. I kept two days off per week for myself, but literally every other day had an event scheduled. By summer, I had led over 130 virtual classes. Once the restrictions were lifted and people started going out more, I decided to leave Yaymaker to focus on my own artwork. Occasionally, I still add a painting class to my calendar.

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

The most rewarding part of being an artist is the conversations I have with people when they walk into my booth at events. I love watching the reactions people have to my art as they walk by. Like I said before, I try to keep my art fun and whimsical. There’s enough artists doing the “serious” and gritty art. Plus, after Covid, I think we could all use some fun in our daily lives. Why should the kids get to do all the playing?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paintpourium.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintpouriumartworks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paintpourium/

Image Credits
Kristin Dragos