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

Hi Kirsten, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I don’t think I ever felt I could do anything but pursue a creative career. It was just part of my DNA, the desire to create and explore my world through different mediums. I began with a career in writing and public relations and allowed my love of the written word and event planning to serve as vehicles for my creativity. Eventually, I knew I need a more visceral form of expressing myself, and I turned to painting. It is a job, therapy, and way of life for me now and I can’t imagine doing anything else!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think I began creating out of a deep and profound sadness, which sounds weird and a little depressing. Let me explain. My 2-year-old daughter passed away after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. Her life was brief and riddled with pain. My heart was irreparably changed, broken in ways it can’t heal. So I searched for ways to find joy in daily life, and took photos, wrote journals, painted to remember those things. I feel on some level, each of us have a story in our lives, that has brought us profound sadness – and I just want to honor that in everyone through my art by saying “Yes, I see and feel the sadness too, and there is beauty in the ashes”. I would say my brand is creating beauty and inspiration out of the ever-changing kaleidoscope of life.

My art has evolved over the years and boy have I learned A LOT! I cringe a bit when I look at my first art show, but I also feel proud of how far I have come. There is no short cut to experience, and most of my lessons come from failures. I am always challenging myself to try new things and some work out and some are total crap! I have a pile of ‘crap art’ in my studio! It is evidence I am always working to make better art!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Having grown up as a military brat my entire life, and attending 13 schools in 12 years, I have been fortunate to develop many tight-knit, lifelong friendships with other “brats” who have encouraged and supported me throughout the years, and other friends I have worked alongside who inspire me to pursue new challenges. My network of military brat friends is vast and always so intriguing to me, because we are all so different, yet we connect over shared life experiences. Of course, my husband, my kids and my brother are also my personal cheerleaders and have rallied behind me when the self-doubt and “imposter syndrome” creep in.

Instagram: @ArtByKirstenKoza

Facebook: Art By Kirsten Koza

Image Credits
Jacqueline Ward Chris Lowery Meagan Koza

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