Meet Kylie Shaw | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kylie Shaw and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kylie, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Before I started my business, my art was always a hobby that I did in collaboration. However, I’ve learned that every hobby has the potential to fuel a passion and while there are pros and cons, in today’s society we can turn those passions into businesses. That shift for me is something that I am still working through and setting boundaries has been a huge lesson for me, in my career and in my personal life, especially these past couple years. I think the most important thing I’ve had to learn is balance. With the waves of the creative industry, it is really hard to do this and it looks different for everyone. I have learned it is important for me to still make time for personal art and my other hobbies.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am fascinated by the amount of different ways art can be perceived. I love creating personal stories with drastic light and shadows and hearing the way others can relate similarly or differently. I think as creatives, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you need to make art that makes money. I’ve found myself too often pouring more into other people and what they thought than into myself and the stories I needed to tell. But that’s the beautiful thing about art, especially the visual arts, it is so universal. I love the way I am able to tell not only my story, others as well.

This year, I am working on creating more passion projects and making space for myself and others to share their work. Our voices, our stories are important, I hope to be a part of letting them be heard. What I am most excited about is trying new things and experimenting. I have taken some time to figure out my personal style and the kind of art I wanted to be making, so this year I plan to take that and expand.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
To start the day, we would go grab a coffee, of course. Fretboard is one of my favorite coffee spots and within the art district of downtown! With our coffee in hand, we would head to the iconic Ernie’s Breakfast. Our walk there would consist of looking through the windows of the art studios. I am a nature lover, even if I was going to a new place, I would prefer going to a national park than more of the “touristy” city things. My go – to spot to relax and maybe have a picnic is Capen Rock Park. The town has some good spots for live music, so after the day was done, we would definitely head back downtown to some venues like Blue Note or Rose Music Hall for some drinks and a performance.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am very lucky that my family allows me the time and space to figure out what I want to do. They always push me to try new things and to stick with what I love and leave behind what doesn’t suit me. I know I can always count on them to talk me through decisions and I love having them by my side through life’s ups and downs.

The amount of love and encouragement that pours from my friend’s hearts is overwhelming. I feel so lucky to have all of them in my life. My best friend, Sean and my partner, Justin, deserve a special shoutout. They never fail to believe in me and support me 100%.

There are also so many other talented creatives that I have had the blessing to work with. One of my favorite things is taking cover art. Blake Fontinel, Hana Canhasi, Savaiah, Jay Lottes, Sarai The Poet are some amazing musicians that I have worked with. All of which inspire me to go in that direction. I want to shoutout my stylists who help bring my vision to life – Brooke Christensen, Cortney Sims – both incredible models too. As well as other local creatives: Khaila and Lorien Stevens, Courtney Fitch, Adam Bilah, Mackenzie Muirhead – who all had a huge part in growing and expanding my art.

Website: www.kyliewshaw.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kyliewshaw

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kyliewshaw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kyliewshawphotovideo

Image Credits
Sean Garfias Kenny Marshall Tayler Gilbert