Meet Kris Kidd

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

Hi Kris, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I didn’t really think about “risks” at all when I first started writing. I was a teenager, so… very young and reckless, I guess. Writing for me– and all art really– has always been a means of catharsis. A way to express what I’m feeling and try to get it out of me, so to speak. I know that sounds cheesy, but whatever. That being said, I do think that writing candidly about my issues with substance abuse and addiction came with a whole bunch of risks I wasn’t anticipating or even aware of in the beginning. Writing about abusing drugs and alcohol when you’re not actively in recovery really throws people off, and it gives them a lot of room to judge you. I used to hear the word “shameless” a lot in regards to my writing, and it’s funny, because I never really even considered being ashamed of what I was doing back then.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
To be totally honest, my entire creative process is kind of in flux at the moment. I got sober two years ago and it’s taken me a while to get back into writing. I finally found the inspiration to write again just recently, and I’ve been revisiting a few projects that had fallen to the wayside pre-sobriety as well as working on some new ones, but the thing that got me through that two-year creative dryspell weirdly ended up being painting. I’ve always loved to paint, but during the initial shock of early sobriety, I had no idea what to do with my hands and had absolutely zero motivation to write, so I just started painting like a maniac. That became cathartic in its own way. So even now that I’m finally getting back into writing again, I feel like this creative outlet is going to be one I continue to carry with me and work on. I’ve actually been working on a series of paintings for the past six months or so that I’m very excited to finish. So, until that’s done, that will remain creative priority number one.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Stories Books & Cafe is hands down the best bookstore in Los Angeles. Definitely a place I recommend to anyone visiting or new to LA. Also love the Vista Theater in Los Feliz for a movie. Bar Seco in Silverlake is a very chic little wine bar / daytime café that’s a great place to hang day or night. But you haven’t really visited Los Angeles until you’ve been to Jumbo’s Clown Room in Hollywood. I’m a huge fan of strip clubs and there’s literally nothing else in the world like it. The girls are incredible, the vibe is immaculate, and it’s just the most fun. I got married in January and my husband and I had our joint bachelor party there. Second best night of my life.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely have to shout out The UCLA Extension Writers’ Program– and more specifically their instructors Tempany Deckert and Tony Dushane. I hit a wall back in 2017 where I had gotten bored of writing about myself and wanted to try and make the move into fiction. I was so nervous because I am not at all an academic and I still didn’t feel like I was a “real” writer. Their courses were incredible, those instructors were unbelievably supportive, and I learned so much from the whole experience. I highly encourage anyone interested in writing to check out the Extension Program.

Website: https://www.iamkriskidd.com

Instagram: @kriskidd

Image Credits
1 – Aubrey Rotino / Photogenics LA
2 – The Altar Collective
3-6 – @kriskidd
7 – Dane Peterson / These Days LA
8 – Aubrey Rotino / Photogenics LA