Meet Kathy S. “WhiteBear” Copsey | Contemporary Artist, Native-themed Artwork

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kathy S. “WhiteBear” Copsey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kathy S. “WhiteBear”, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has definitely changed quite a bit over the last few years. For a long time I worked long hours everyday, whether it was working 2 or 3 jobs at a time or just working almost every hour of every day for 1 job. Before that, I worked in addition to school, starting at 13 years old with my own businesses. The past few years I have slowed down quite a bit. After I was able to move back home and switch to being an artist full-time instead of part-time, I have been able to slow down to my current pace, something that was very much needed. While I already had health challenges even before I started working an insane amount of hours most of the time, working so much was very detrimental to my health, despite being a necessity at the time, and I’m truly grateful to have the option to work at the pace I need to now.

While you don’t want to be on the flip side of always being lazy and unmotivated, the problem with the other extreme of only constantly working, whether it’s necessary or not, so much that you aren’t in balance with the rest of your life is that it takes a major toll on you, whether it be physically, mentally, or even emotionally. I tend to listen to my body more now instead of pushing as hard as I used to. So, if the pain starts to become too much or I’m starting to feel too tired or mentally fried from putting so much energy into a piece for me to focus clearly on my artwork, then I will stop for the day, even if I didn’t get as far as I would have liked. Not only does this mean I feel better physically, but also emotionally and mentally because I am not battling or overloading myself nearly so much anymore. While there are times we must push through things that make us uncomfortable, there are also times we must learn to pull back and let ourselves heal so we can reach our greatest potential instead of stifling it, and this is the balance we must all learn in life.

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 have explored several areas with my art, mainly focusing on animals along the way, and now I primarily concentrate on Native American themed artwork featuring Natives and wildlife, primarily as acrylic paintings with texture. For many years I worked with almost entirely pencil, and I started getting back into painting about 4 1/2 years ago. About 2 1/2 years ago, I started adding texture in my paintings, something that has shaped my style more distinctly and inspired even more ideas.

While I have come a long ways in my art and style, I still have a ways to go to reach my goals and dreams. It took a long time to go from my art being something on the side to being a full-time artist, and I have yet to reach the level of success needed to live off my art career. There have been many challenges along the way, including physical and health challenges as well as financial ones, but each of these challenges help me grow and influences where I go with my art. We all have the choice to stay stuck where we are presently in life and give in to the challenges we are currently facing, or we can use them to drive us forwards. Because I have known financial hardship and health challenges for so many years, I have a perspective of what that kind of challenge these issues bring. This in turn influences me to not only wanting to have plenty of success so I can donate money to help animals and all those in need, but also for me to keep the prices of many of my pieces lower so they are more obtainable because they are more affordable because it’s important to me for someone to have a piece of my artwork and the positive influence and messages each piece brings.

For many Natives, we chose to give more rather than we take, and it’s important what you choose to put out into the world. What you give is what you shall receive for everything works in a circle. If you are generous and kind to others, that is what you will receive in turn, even if takes time to come back and it comes in a different version from what you sent out. I am very grateful to have reached a point in my journey where most of my pieces come from visions and/or dreams, and with each piece comes a message. Sometimes these messages are for me, but often they are also meant for those who see or own my artwork, even if the piece has a slightly different meaning for them than they may for myself. It’s important to me to help create a positive influence on as many as I can, whether it be financially or by receiving the blessings of my artwork in their journeys.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many who come into our lives that help us reach our goals and help inspire us to keep going even through the toughest of times. It is impossible to list everyone who has impacted my life this way because in a sense, everyone you ever meet has some kind of influence on your life even when you’re not aware of it at the time. There is one person that I am extremely grateful to have in my life, my friend Linda. She has been a great guide to me as well as an inspiration, and I have seen her battle through her own challenges, coming out stronger than ever. Whether I’m dealing with a particularly difficult challenge or am merely seeking advice, she always helps guide me along my way, even if it’s merely to spark the beginning of an idea that I must pursue to make into a reality. I wish to thank her truly for everything she has ever done for me, as well as all those I encounter in my journey because regardless if something is unpleasant or inspiring, every single experience helps me grow and get closer to my goals and dreams.

Website: www.kathycopsey.com

Instagram: @kathycopsey

Twitter: @KathyCopsey_

Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitebearnativeart/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTvNYizj2DvoH4tVsS2DvDA

Other: https://www.musero.app/users/kathycopsey