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

Kristin J., thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I knew I was an artist as soon as I gained a sense of self. Both of my parents are artists, and at the time, I was surrounded by art, literature, and philosophy. My artistic journey is much like breathing. I do not exist without it.

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?

For those who don’t know me, I would describe myself as a modern Renaissance woman. I dabble in many forms of art, but primarily, I focus on alternative film photography and collodion processes. My main passion, however, is literature. I just published my third book of poetry last week, and I plan on continuing to write as much as possible in order to memorialize my life and experiences, much like what I do with photography. My career path is in Anthropology and Forensic Archaeology. My interests seem to hop around a lot, and I am aware of that, but in all honesty, they do connect. I have always been obsessed with nostalgia, and all of my interests involve a connection to that feeling.

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

Unlearning to be a people-pleaser has saved my career and my integrity. Do not make art for others. Make it for yourself.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Buy their work! Go to their openings. Share their creations on social media. Donate.

Contact Info:

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

Image Credits
Photo of Kristin J. Thompson taken by Kyle Alexander. All other photos belong to Kristin J. Thompson.