Creative OF The Month:
-Hailey Kinsey-
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you consider yourself a Creative.
Hi, I’m Hailey. I’m an artist, preschool teacher, and owner of my art business and Etsy shop, ‘Hailey Creative’. I live in Utah with my husband, Jake, and among art and teaching, I love photography, spending time outdoors, adventuring with my hubby usually in the mountains or on road trips, going to art galleries, and eating good food! I fell in love with art at a very young age, and ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an artist and had a desire to be creative. Art has always been a huge part of who I am and has been a way for me to express myself and bring my ideas to life by creating something that’s never been created before!
2. What was your favorite art class or were you self-taught?
When I was in high school, my mom signed me up for art lessons with an artist named Amy Everhart who had opened an art gallery in our town. I would walk there after school once a week and paint with her for a few hours. She introduced me to oil painting and to artists including Monet and Steve Hanks whose work I have fallen in love with. She helped me find opportunities to share my work, taught me techniques I will never forget, and has ultimately become a lifelong friend. Through painting with Amy, I not only learned a great deal of skill but also learned a lot about myself and the love and talent I had for art.
3. Who inspires you the most?
I’m inspired by the work of Monet. The first oil painting I had ever done was inspired by his series of water lilies. He is well-known for being a plein air painter and for his leading role in impressionism, which was concerned with capturing light in its natural forms. I’m inspired by his fascination with nature, and am drawn to his use of bright, bold colors.
4. What would be your biggest and wildest dream concerning your creative talent?
My dream is to be a professional oil painter and have my paintings in galleries, to illustrate my own book, and to teach art out of my home or at my own art gallery one day! My wildest dream concerning art would be to travel across Europe as a plein air painter. I’d love to leave the four walls of my studio and experience painting in the landscape. I’ve always wanted to go to Europe and the thought of painting on the foothills of Tuscany or painting the canals of Venice would be a dream come true.
5. If you were a plant what would you be?
If I were a plant, I would be a poppy flower. Poppies have become my favorite flower since visiting a poppy field last summer. It was right after I had gone in for my second surgery (out of four) for my eye, this time after a retinal detachment. My sweet husband told me that once I began to recover, we would go find the prettiest view for my eyes to enjoy. As we drove up to the poppy field, I was in awe at how vibrant the colors were! They were all shades of red and orange and reached past our waists as we walked through them. It was straight out of a dream! I looked up the meaning of poppies and learned that they have a lot of symbolism. Poppies represent peace and recovery which was really meaningful to me at the time. They also symbolize love, success, and a lively imagination!
6. Describe your ideal creative work space?
My ideal work space would be a large room with lots of windows and natural light with a view of the countryside. Really colorful and kind of messy with paint stains on the floor, lots of plants, my paintings and inspiration photos hung on every wall, and tons and tons of art supplies.
7. Do you listen to music while you create? If so, what type?
Yes, always! My favorite genres to listen to while I paint are indie rock and alternative. I love the relaxed mood they get me in and help me to be inspired and stay engaged. Some artists you’d find on my painting playlist are a whole lot of John Mayer, The Head and the Heart, Novo Amor, Kodaline, SYML, The Lumineers, Lord Huron; the list could go on and on.
8. What makes your heart beat? What do you really believe in, stand for, and want to tell others about?
What makes my heart beat.. that feeling of being done with a painting and accepting it as complete. Each painting is like putting a piece of myself out into the world. From the energy, love, and time I put into making it, to adding the final details, I feel a sense of accomplishment with each piece I complete.
I believe in being kind to others and to ourselves. I’ve always known the importance of showing kindness to others because it was something my parents taught often, but have really had to learn how to be kind to myself, and am still working at it everyday. But from what I know about kindness is that it’s showing genuine concern for other’s well being without expecting anything in return. It’s celebrating them in their successes and empathizing with them in times of struggle with the intention to make them feel loved. And in turn, showing kindness to ourselves when we fall short, realizing that we are doing our best and acknowledging that we are enough. We’re all human and all deserve kindness, especially from ourselves. I honestly believe that genuine kindness is the mark of a truly strong person.
My advice to others is to not be afraid to create your own path. Your life is yours which means you have the freedom to go after whatever you want and to be whoever you want to be. It can be nerve-racking to do something different from the norm, but if you let yourself take chances, get involved in experiences that help you get closer to reaching your goal, and do what interests you, you will be happier knowing you’re creating a life that is uniquely yours.
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