We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristin Roberts a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kristin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
This moment occurred for me pretty recently, actually. While I’ve always loved art and creating, I didn’t start regularly drawing and painting until the pandemic hit. I had much more time at home and started on an illustration project to keep myself busy. I went through some of my favorite Aesop’s Fables and illustrated the stories – mostly because I enjoyed how unsettling and macabre many of them were and because they usually employed animal protagonists (my favorite subjects). This practice ended up being very helpful in my growth as an artist, because in school I had always struggled with appreciating my naturally illustrative style. I was jealous of others who could draw ultra-realistic subjects because in my own mind I had made that the standard for “fine” art. Working on these pieces allowed me to really open myself up to my own style, and from that point on I’ve tried to push myself harder in that direction. After completing The Fables project, I also realized I couldn’t go back to a life without consistent artmaking. It had become my favorite pursuit and allowed me to express all my different interests in one place. I continued to draw and paint, usually with folklore or other media as references, when I thought, I may try to illustrate my own book. I started following many inspiring illustrators on Instagram, as well as many publishing companies and illustration societies. One group advertised a small drawing contest with the simple prompt of “drama.” I immediately had a vision of foxes doing a school play and created the piece within a week. I didn’t win the contest, but I was very pleased with what I had come up with. It felt natural to make something that was cute and funny, and it was received very well when I had the opportunity to show it at a local art exhibition. It was with that piece that I finally realized that I could make becoming a professional illustrator a realistic goal. Making that type of work felt so true to me and my interests, made me feel good about myself, and seemed to make others feel good too; and I knew I needed to continue to feed that instinct.
Kristin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Kristin Roberts and I’m an artist and illustrator. I’m currently based in Athens, Georgia, but I was born in Michigan and have spent most of my adult life in the northeast. I still feel very much like a Midwesterner at heart. I’ve been drawing since I was about three-years-old, and have always been strongly influenced by animals and nature. I was so fascinated by animals as a child that I was convinced I would be a zoologist. I still love animals and dream of working in a natural history museum if I don’t end up making a living as a professional illustrator. In an earlier answer, I mentioned that my illustration career really got kicked off during the pandemic, but I’ve always drawn and painted. I was very dedicated to art during elementary school, and then fell off somewhat in middle school and high school until I got overwhelmed my senior year and decided to take an Art 001 class for fun. That one class completely changed my college plan, and I ended up studying art history and studio art at the University of Vermont. While in college, I became very interested in portraiture, and worked on darker, “edgier” subjects like serial killers, cult leaders, and dictators. I remember scaring a group of my classmates with a particular piece that I painted based on the likeness of Rasputin. However, once I graduated and moved on from my college work, I found my way back to my original favorite subject: animals. I opted to make slightly more positive pieces, some still with a darker story reference underneath, but overall, less provocative works in favor of more pleasant subjects that gave me a lot of personal joy. I’ve now fully leapt into the realm of children’s illustration and it feels very right.
Currently I’m working on some commissions, as well as illustrating for a small non-profit; but I mostly create for myself and am working to build my children’s illustration portfolio. I’ve only just gotten to a point where I’m happy with my style and how it’s evolving, so you should see a lot more from me soon in this area! I plan to spend at least the next few years really bolstering up my portfolio before I try branching out and contacting agents or publishing companies.
As far as what sets me apart from others, I like to think that I combine some seemingly incongruous subjects into fun, cute works of art. For instance, right now I’m starting a series based on small animals (right now it’s raccoons) engaging in Spiritualist activities like seances and reading tarot cards. I’m having the best time with these since they pull together cute animals and a spooky subject that I find super interesting. It’s one of my favorite things about art: that I have the ability to bring together cute and creepy, funny and strange, and bring viewers into these worlds I create.
For what I’m most proud of, I think right now I’m really pleased with how far I’ve come in my career as an artist, and that I feel like I’ve finally found my niche. I’m having much more fun with art than I think I ever have in the past – experimenting with styles and materials and trying to make each piece just as enjoyable for me as I’d like it to be for my clients and followers. In the end, that’s really what I’m looking for: to make things that make others happy but that also make me happy. It’s what I find truly fulfilling and meaningful.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I think the single most influential book I’ve read, as related to my personal life, is Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. For anyone who hasn’t read it, it details a young woman’s breakdown and return to her family home. Franny, the young woman, couldn’t handle the members of her theater program who only cared about making it big and becoming “someone.” She clings to the idea that actors should act because it is their passion and it’s how they best express themselves. She becomes encumbered with the knowledge that most people don’t view the world in the way she does, so she leaves her program and retreats to a simpler, more spiritual life. However, after a meaningful conversation with her brother, she finally realizes that she should act for herself because it is her true purpose in life, and not to be concerned with fame or fortune or those going for that. This book was extremely helpful to me during high school, and prompted me to take my first art class in years. I collect copies of Franny and Zooey from different places I go – I probably have about ten copies. It continues to inspire me every day, and reminds me that I can illustrate just for myself because it fulfills me, and “have the courage to be an absolute nobody.”
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think a lot of people in my generation were encouraged as children to be creative and pursue whatever they wanted, only to be met with the reality that having a creative career can make it difficult to maintain a stable income. I graduated college with a Studio Art and Art History degree, a lot of student loan debt, and uncertainty about where to go next; so I was hesitant to immediately go into a master’s program. At that time, I certainly would never have dreamed of pursuing an MFA, because I was convinced I’d never be able to take care of myself with such an unpredictable career. So instead, I went a more traditional route, working multiple part-time jobs until I was able to land a salaried and benefitted position in an administrative role. I’ve continued this work to the present day, and I’m now in a full-time human resources management position. At age 33, I’ve finally realized not only that I can be a professional illustrator AND have a “regular” job, but also that my steady paycheck does not make me any less of an artist. I think in the United States we’re very focused on careers and we connect individual’s personalities to the jobs they hold, when more often we should be paying attention to passions and interests to truly know someone. This is something I’ve definitely had to unlearn but I’m so glad I did. I’ve also realized while just beginning my move towards professional illustration, that being a professional illustrator doesn’t mean that I need to be making a certain amount of money from it or that I need to have a certain level of recognition. My ultimate goal is to be able to earn my living from illustration full-time, and I think this is very realistic. For me, I don’t need to be the next Eric Carle or Maurice Sendak to feel fulfilled (though one can aspire!) All I want is to be able to spend more time on what I love doing and continue to evolve my work and style.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kristinrobertsart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinrobertsart/
Image Credits
Photos taken by Aidan and Kristin Roberts.