We recently connected with Kyra Kupetsky and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kyra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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 wouldn’t trade being a creative for anything other job in the world! It’s the most fulfilling aspect of work for me. Even within my career field, having a job where it was purely managerial and involved no drawing on my end, I wouldn’t take it. I just enjoy the hands-on, drawing part of it far too much.
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.
I’ve knew I wanted to be an animator since the beginning of high school, I’d been drawing my entire life. I moved out to Burbank, California in 2016 after graduating the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, NY in 2015. It was a bit of a dry spell during that first year in regards to breaking into an industry job. I did freelance up until I applied for a job listing for an animator in 2017 for BuzzFeed. I didn’t know what to expect but it turned out to be such a gift! I started out adapting popular BuzzFeed comics into animated format and we struck success with Loryn Brantz’s The Good Advice Cupcake. I animated and voiced Good Advice Cupcake from 2017 to beginning of 2020 until I was asked if I wanted to pitch my own show. I came up with Chikn Nuggit, a short-form animated series about a cute dog and his similarly fast-food-named friends. Thankfully the show was a hit and I’m showrunning, animating and voicing that show to this day!
I love creating uplifting work that encourages young creatives and puts people in a good mood. Even if it’s just a quick laugh! My favorite thing to draw is cute little animal characters so I’d love to continue doing that for many years to come.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I always created content based on things I love. Things that make me happy. I think regardless of what you enjoy making, there will always be an audience who feels the same and will love your work. But in regards to really building a big social media following, it helps to look at what people find relatable. Cute things, funny things, specific but common daily frustrations. Relatability is a big factor in audiences being attached to your characters and story.
Short-form content is a great way to break in. Making 10 second long youtube shorts to popular and funny audio can absolutely help you build an audience. Fan art of popular franchises you enjoy is a big way a lot of artists attain followings initially. But ultimately you need to do what makes you happy, don’t pursue paths that you find no joy in. Do trial and error until you find something that works for you that you also enjoy.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
It’s still something I’m unlearning but being a people pleaser to the point that you sacrifice your own mental and physical health and wellbeing. I love the rewarding feeling of getting work done but I’ve run into many, many instances where I overwork and overextend myself to make others happy. Taking on too many projects and such. I’m learning to say no more. That it’s ok to have boundaries and it doesn’t make me a bad person.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyrakupetsky/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KyraKupetsky
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chiknnuggit