We caught up with the brilliant and insightful K’Shana Hall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
K’Shana, appreciate you joining us today. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed.
As an artist/creative you’re going to experience failures. Sometimes that’s on a daily basis. It can be a small as a new medium not working out the way you planned or something a little more crushing like not getting into a certain show or fellowship program. Keep in mind that the scale of importance often shifts. Pouring all of your hope, time and efforts into a new medium… it can be devastating when it doesn’t work the way you envisioned it. I feel like when you create work and share it with the world you open yourself up to rejection. It’s kinda par for the course in this profession.
K’Shana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Sure! My name is K’Shana Hall. I am a mixed media artist and photographer. I also serve as Vice President of an amazing grass roots nonprofit organization called the Black creatives Circle of North Louisiana. We work to create safe spaces and opportunities for local black creatives of all disciplines and provide free to low cost art supplies, workshops and community events. I am also co host of A daydreamer’s podcast with my good friend Erin Davenport. you can find us on any platform that hosts podcast. As for visual art, I mainly work on canvas or create small works on paper, but I am exploring other methods. I’m a little newer to photography than painting. Most of my photography is client portrait based, but I am interested in all forms of it. Most of my work is based on some sort of emotion or personal message I’m trying to convey through the canvas. My latest series “It Shouldn’t Be Revolutionary: An exploration of of rest and taking care of black women” is based on the care and keeping of black women and rest as resistance. Sometimes people get it and sometimes they don’t. I’ve had to learn to be OK with it either way. I think the thing I’m most proud of at this moment is the feedback I’ve received from students. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super proud that my work is in spaces that they’re able to see it, but hearing that I’ve served as a form of inspiration in any way is always amazing. You can view part of the series (I’m currently extending it) from my participation in a group show with 3 other dope artists here: https://masurmuseum. wixsite.com/manyrooms
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I think continuing to create is a form of resiliency in and of itself. Continuing to create despite the rejection letters, failure to sell, gallery rejections, museum rejections and despite what might be deemed popular or not being as “booked and busy” as we takes a good amount of resiliency. There can be slow seasons as an artist that will have you questioning yourself if you’re not careful. Use that down time wisely to learn a new medium or sharpen your skills. The thing about it is that creatives don’t have a choice. They have to create. It’s like a reflex. We can’t suppress it.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Whew, I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that heroes are people too. I’m not at liberty to give specific details but, I will say that it’s ok to admire people who are doing well in your field, but they are people too. No one is perfect. Be careful who you put on a pedestal. Those people can definitely teach what to do, but they can also serve as an example of what not to do and show you who you don’t want to be. Eat the meat and spit out the bones.
Contact Info:
- Website: Khdstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khdstudios/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/khdstudios/
- Other: BCCNL: https://linktr.ee/blackcreativecirclenl Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-daydreamers-podcast/id1290465131
Image Credits
K’Shana Hall
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