Meet Kennedy Lindsay: Artist

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

Hi Kennedy, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
How to know whether to keep going or to give up?

When it comes to making and creating artwork I’ve learned that a piece or project is done when you first think you’re done but more ideas keep coming, I’ve ruined pieces by listening to those impulses, I think most work tells you what it needs you just have to listen to it and not to yourself.
But the harder question is how do you know when to give up pursuing a career in art? And I don’t know if I know the answer to that, I’ve been making work and trying to sell it my whole life, this is all I’ve ever wanted and the last year or so I’ve reconsidered a million times if this is what I want.
its hard to be an artist, there’s an eternal struggle between making work that people love and making work that you love, the two don’t always coincide, monetizing your creativity and passion isn’t as easy as it sounds. We live in a world that needs and wants art but never wants to pay for it. And its hard to figure out how to profit off your work to begin with, as its not something anyone can teach you, I went to college for art, and there isn’t much modern advice about how to make a career out of your creativity.

Frankly its all overwhelming .

But I still haven’t answered the question of how to know when to give up or keep going. I think I can answer that question by telling a story, my brother started boxing a few years ago and fell in love with it, he’s only had a few fights and has won every one so he was excited to grow his potential career some more, but when COVID hit he obviously could book anymore fights, so all he could do was train all day in his own house, when your passion is reliant on interactions with others it can be hard to maintain, COVID made it so he wasn’t comfortable going back to his own gym, I asked him that, since he wouldn’t be able to fight anyone for the foreseeable future if he would still want to keep boxing, he told me that “even if I never fought anyone again I’ll always box because I love it more than anything”
And that’s the key I think, you need to figure out how passionate you are about this, if you would do this for a million dollars or for free, if you’re into this because of the money it could make you or if its because of the love you have for it. I realized that this is the only thing I’ve ever thought I was good at and the only thing that makes me close to happy, when I think about quitting, I can’t imagine what would replace it, that’s not to say that you can’t have those days or those feelings, sometimes you need a break and to stop and reflect, try engaging with your work and your favorite artists work and just like when you’re creating, listen to what it has to say, it’ll tell you how to move forward.

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.
One of the homies and I were taking about art and our artistic practices a few weeks ago, and more specifically the disrespect people have for the culture. people play with it like its a game. and im not talking about the kid who likes to paint, sing etc. but rather people who try to pimp and prostitute the work for financial gain, who don’t study their history or spend time with what they’re trying to make, this is not something to be played with, for some people its the difference between them living and dying, its their therapy. its literally how they support themselves and their families. If you do this, if you wanna make this your career you gotta take it seriously, and treat it with respect.

and I say all this to say that I take this seriously, I’m a student of it, and a lot of people think its just comics with me but I make whatever I want, you can dig through the Instagram for the evidence. I study everyone from Wu-tang to Cy Twombly to Moebius, this is what I do, its all I’ve ever been good at.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
being from Denver, my city is growing at an immense rate, gentrification is on the rise so lots of small businesses are struggling, and COVID did nothing to help that. so supporting them is maybe more important than ever.

I would probably start at Mutiny Cafe, its a coffee shop/bookstore/Comicbook shop/ record shop off of South Broadway i always get either rasberry iced tea or iced coffee, its a cool place to chill and browse, some other places i love to go are Twist and Shout Record store, Mile high Comics, MCA (museum of Contemporary Art) or Denver Botanic Gardens.

for lunch i suggest either Sexy Pizza or Piehole, or DPDough but if you’re not into calzones or even pizza (I dont know why you wouldnt be?…) id suggest either Santiagos, Brothers Barbecue or Good Times, all dope local franchises. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I always jokingly say ” I just do this for the homies” in fact I think its my Instagram bio, but really my friends are one of my main influences, I’ve been blessed to know some of the best artists in the world, they keep me inspired and motivated, even at the times I doubt myself and my skills revisiting their work gives me a goal to reach toward. whether that goal is competitive, or some form of friendly healthy validation, it feels good when someone you care about takes an interest in something you made.

but to shoutout specific people
shoutout to The Beer Salts crew, Kent Washington, Womens Art Wednesday, Mark McNally
Conner Tierney, Eric Ramirez, Grace Kennision, Blake McDaniel and everyone else in the “Worst Generation” and too many other people to name,
all of these are people who shape who I am and the work I make

Instagram: @kennedylindsayart

Facebook: Art of Kennedy Lindsay