We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristina Sharp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kristina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I have always had a creative spark in me with a love for cultivating experiences. As a child, my favorite pastime was drawing cartoons and comic books with elaborate characters. I created volumes of stories but wished I could add another dimension to bring them off the page. Then I discovered my family’s video camera– suddenly I took on the role of director, actor, and editor of silly short films. Now, I could add music cues with dramatic timing, choose camera angles, hear voice inflections in the spoken dialogue, and share a finished product that evoked various emotions! This excitement for storytelling developed into a deeper passion for the arts during grade school where I was heavily involved in show choir and community theatre. All the things I loved about comic strips and home videos were amplified by the ultimate reward: performing for a live audience with real-time reactions of glee. By the end of high school, I had decided my college degree HAD to be focused on music… or performance… or maybe film making, or… graphic design?
Like many creatives, I struggled to narrow down my interests into a career choice. Were any of these passions even feasible for making a living? Whenever trying to pick one focus to declare my major I would experience extreme impostor syndrome. I felt like a jack of all trades but master of none. All I really cared about was making people happy through art, but I was directionless. Eventually, I decided on pursuing a degree in Music Business and Vocal Performance, adding the business component as a safety net (or fallback, if needed). Toward the end of college, I was hired as a character performer at a party entertainment company. It began as a fun job for weekends and summer break, but it quickly became so much more.
The joy of spreading magical moments to children and adults while advocating for the arts struck a chord with me. The longer I stayed with the company the more I got to work hands-on behind the scenes on the administrative side. Through this and many other experiences, I learned the world of event coordination within the entertainment industry. I loved everything about it. Over the years I went on to work full time jobs with The Grand Ole Opry, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Publishing Group, all while continuing to get my greatest fulfillment from being a part-time character performer.
I ignored my instinct at first, but after about five years I was finally starting to piece things together. I was thriving most as a character performer because I was able to use all my tools, both professional skillsets and inherent talents, to share the most special kind of storytelling: an interactive, transformative experience that leaves a lasting positive influence. And I was surprisingly good at it. In fact, there were things I wanted to do differently, reinvent, expand upon, and manage in my own way! I saw untapped potential in collaborating with talented friends and small businesses to offer new opportunities locally. For the first time, I felt excited and confident that I could be successful in this field because I had a clear, genuine mission coupled with the know-how to handle details. I unknowingly always had a drive to create *something* entertaining for others to enjoy, but I could finally see how to use this to positively impact my community.
In early 2021, Special K Princess officially launched as my own fully owned and independently operating freelance party princess business. I get to do it all, from designing logos and graphics that represent my brand to curating music playlists for singalongs that perfectly set the atmosphere to implementing my personal high standard of customer service with every client interaction– the complete experience utilizing my “too many interests.” What I thought was my greatest hindrance is now the most valuable asset to running my business. Special K Princess transcends my enjoyment of bringing art to life through performing; it is about touching lives through meaningful encounters beyond the imagination.
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
Special K Princess provides character-based interactions for parties and special events, offering unique versions of popular princess characters. Packages are customizable to bring your magical vision to life with a variety of activities designed to entertain all ages for the entire duration of the appearance. After performing several years in the party princess entertainment industry, I’ve taken the things that work really well and amended the things that don’t work so well in order to create the best possible experience.
It’s important for me that people know that when they choose to book a Special K Princess, what they get is nothing short of *magic* — from a performer who has over 10 years of acting experience and vocal training to stunning gowns that have been custom made and hair that is perfectly in place. Each character has a specific set of attributes that are never compromised: personality traits, demeanor, posture, makeup, voice, jewelry… even down to the signature she autographs! Hundreds and thousands have been invested into costuming and obtaining the appropriate elements for the individual princesses. These details do not go unnoticed and truly make the difference! Character integrity is of upmost importance, and my clients deserve the very best for their investment.
At the end of the day, the intention behind everything relating to Special K Princesses is genuine kindness and love: love for people, love for the arts, and a love for exceeding expectations. I am devoted to giving nothing less than the highest quality character entertainment while making sure people feel valued. I entrust myself and my craft fully to anyone who invests in it, and I take that commitment very seriously. It’s honestly a vulnerable thing to pour my heart wholly into an experience shared with strangers, and that’s why the combination of love, integrity, talent, professionalism, and mutual trust is critical to creating cherished memories. I carry each interaction with me personally and treat each party or event as an opportunity to make the world a brighter place.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Three main points: 1. Networking, 2. Algorithm, and 3. Genuineness.
My primary and most successful audience was grown from Instagram, so I will mostly refer to this platform when explaining my experience. I wouldn’t say I have anywhere near perfected social media, and I still have quite a ways to go in terms of improving/growing audience. But it began as following and interacting with those in my same field (character entertainers and cosplayers). When you show others support, you build support– not because you’re scoping them out as a potential client. The social media world is all about hyping up content. If you build a foundation of supporters instead of putting up walls between competitors, it will start you off on the correct path. Then you can begin networking with people and businesses that could become partners or clients. As someone who hates to self promote, this can feel incredibly uncomfortable. But there are casual, low-stakes ways to introduce yourself and let someone know what you offer… just start by saying hi! Again, support is best achieved when it’s mutually given, so be sure to bless others with the same kind of interactions you hope to receive.
Unfortunately, the algorithm is king when it comes to social media. Particularly with the rise of video content, TikTok and Reels on Instagram can really make or break your reach. I have thankfully found a way to enjoy working this system by letting Reels become another creative outlet, different from the usual more formal business content I post. There are also other factors to consider, such as the time of day you post, tags used, trending topics, etc. You can choose to really exploit all these details to your advantage and grow exponentially very quickly.
Above all, though, I think you need to be true to yourself and your brand, otherwise, none of the above matters. If you aren’t genuine in your interactions with other creators or if the person you’re reaching out to can sense it’s a forced conversation, it becomes irrelevant. If the content you’re regularly posting doesn’t feel authentic, people won’t want to see it. Do what makes the most sense for you and to represent your work!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Confidence is a complicated thing, especially when the product/service you’re offering is as subjective as performing arts. Creatives are usually their own worst critics. I may not always have the same level of confidence in myself each day, but when I step back to look at my mission and truly believe what I provide serves a greater good, I’m reminded of purpose-driven confidence that overcome superficial doubts.
Most of the challenges as marketing oneself as a creative are internally self-inflicted. Every reason I could conjure kept me from pursuing my passion: it’s an unwise financial investment, people won’t see me as legitimate, there are too many risks, I’m not [fill in the blank] enough. It wasn’t until my husband firmly told me “No more excuses. You are doing this,” that I was pushed beyond my fears to start putting my dreams into action. It may not be an issue exclusively unique to creatives, but it’s particularly difficult to overcome hesitancy to invest in the idea of yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.specialkprincess.com/
- Instagram: @special.k.princess
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialKPrincessParty
Image Credits
Sarah Davenport Photography Caroline Grace Photography