We had the good fortune of connecting with K’era Morgan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi K’era, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Like most individuals, I was brought up to believe that a risk will either generate a big win or a major loss. When thinking about a risk we are programmed to think about the outcome however, as I’ve moved through my life and career I’ve had to look at risk on a deeper level and what I’ve learned is that regardless of the intended outcome, there is always something to gain, to learn, to understand. Some might say, going to art school or switching careers and leaving behind a well-paid, stable salaried job in corporate America to become a creative or moving to a foreign country where I barely spoke the language were all risks but through it all I was propelled by my gut. That is not to say I wasn’t scared or things were easy but I always circled back to my intuition. I also realized and have to constantly remind myself is that what others may see as risks are simply choices that buck conventional wisdom and suite my needs and my journey.
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’m an intuitive artist and use a mixture of collage, painting and mark-making in my abstract work. I love the idea of taking pieces from the world around me, altering and deconstructing them and then rebuilding all of those bits and pieces into a new visual story. Some might say I have a paper-hording problem and I have friends that enable it by bringing me boxes of old magazines and books! However, the up-side is that most of it finds it way into my work. It also the basis of my home textile collection which currently consists of woven blankets, pillows and tapestries. The journey, which is still in progress, to get where I am today has been an adventure which includes, leaving a corporate job, starting a creative-based business with a former partner that I later decided to leave and focus purely on developing a studio art practice. I branched out from there wanting to explore how my work would change visually and physically when I removed it from a static image on paper to a woven textile that could be experienced through the sense of touch. That is how my home textile collection was born. Has it been easy? No. I’ve had to dig into my weaknesses and find confidence in areas of running my business that I would rather someone else handle. But, that’s been good for me because there is this constant growth and learning that is happening. We often romanticize working for ourselves. I know I dreamt of spending endless days painting or customers magically flocking to my website to buy loads of throw pillows, etc. but that isn’t reality. The reality is it all takes work but work that I find fulfilling and provides me with the opportunity to do what I love and share that with others.
Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
I would definitely go to Marina del Rey and rent a boat that you can captain yourself and cruise north along the coast for a few hours. It would definitely include provisions like a great bottle of wine and some sandwiches from Gjusta while docked at sea for a while. An afternoon spent gallery hopping in the Culver City Arts District. Then a casual early dinner/carb load at Robertas for divine pizza which is located in the mini-outdoor mall, The Platform. If feeling the need to walk off a calzone, we can peruse the Visit the Last Bookstore and peruse the literary goodies. Pick up a book to read and head over to Soho House Warehouse and spend the day reading your new book, and lounging by the rooftop pool. Then dinner at Bestia downtown. Take a tour of the Stahl House, dine at Laurel hardware and hike Runyon Canyon. Take a drive up the PCH all the way to County Line. Surf and then have lunch with a gang of bikers at Neptunes Net. If there isn’t any surf then find a patch of sand at El Matador and have a beach day. Wind down with a sound-bath at Hallowed Ground.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Luis Goyanes, my husband. He has been one of my biggest supporters as I shifted careers and throughout my journey as creative entrepreneur. Truth be told, without him, this would be a lot harder as his financial support and his faith in me and my talent has provided a solid foundation for me to feel free to explore and charge forward. He has challenged me when I needed it even though in the moment, I may have disliked it and he has been beyond generous in sharing his insight and knowledge when it comes to simple basics of running a business. I’m truly grateful for having such a solid and reliable partner in my corner.
Website: www.k-apostrophe.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k_apostrophe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kapostrophe
Image Credits
Headshot is by David A. Land.