Meet Kayte Demont: Artist + Community Builder

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

Hi Kayte, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
Believing in myself. Easier said than done, and trust me I have my fair share of panic attacks and break-downs, but I’ve never lost sight of my end goal and how I will feel when I reach it. On the days when everything feels out of control, choosing to believe in what I’m doing and trusting my gut are paramount.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I describe myself as an intuitive artist. It doesn’t matter the medium, I’ve always been one to follow a feeling over a shot list or a creative brief. This has generally boded well for me as the mediums I am most passionate about are performative. Dance was my first love, followed by an intense passion for musical theater. Singing followed suit but it wasn’t until photography joined the party that I was really lit on fire in a studio setting.

The majority of my adult career has been focused on photography and content creation for corporate brands and individuals. While learning the business and marketing side of things was a fun challenge, a decade later I’m finding myself searching for missing pieces through studio art again. Photographing for others led to burnout. The joy was completely gone.

After soul searching and coming to terms with myself and my sexuality during quarantine, I’ve been able to realize that the reason why I felt incomplete was because I lost sight of my true passions along the way. The things that bring me the most joy were cast into boxes labeled “hobbies for a rainy day,” not things that I should focus on that would bring me joy and also make me a living. I started painting and dancing again.

Now, I find myself 4 years sober from cocaine and alcohol, proudly out to my friends, family and the public; I’m putting myself and my art as the top priority for the first time ever. I’m tapping back into that intuitive space and channeling it as part of my creative process. I can’t help but dance around the canvas while I paint, looking down to realize how many experiences are pouring out of me onto the canvas, like colorful, subconscious therapy.

I create to remind myself that I’m okay. I create to remind myself that I’m worthy.

I create to reach out to others in hopes that they feel less alone. I create to give space for empathy and understanding.

I create because life is an insane journey and sometimes creating is the only thing that makes sense.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I spend the majority of my time in Maine lately but Los Angeles just hits a spot for me that nowhere else does. I think my favorite place is the arts district downtown, tied with The Platform in Culver City. Alchemy Works is a favorite store of mine and if you told me I could only go to one spot in the city ever again, I’d choose Platform because it’s always rotating, supporting small businesses, and there’s food… duh. 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?
My girlfriend Kristy – she’s also an entrepreneur/ artist (DJ, spin instructor, motivator, the list goes on) and without her constant love and support, I would not be where I am today. She constantly goes out of her way to hype me up and she never makes me feel as though my fears or feelings are inivalid. I feel extremely lucky to have a partner like her (her music taste is okay too 😉 hehe).

@djkristyjade on IG and TikTok

Website: https://wckdcollective.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/kaytedemont

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaytedemont/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaytedemont

Other: instagram.com/wckdcollective – my vintage + art shop 🙂

Image Credits
all by me