Kenly Craighill
Kenly Craighill
Visual Artist / Writer / Designer
Richmond, VA / Los Angeles, CA
www.kenlycraighill.com
instagram @kenlycraighill
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I do mostly things that make me feel closer to the person I want to be, or already am.”
I do a lot of reading and a lot of writing, I’ve done a whole lot of painting, I do question asking and answer sharing. I do a lot of things I want to do, but don’t have to; and I do a lot of things I don’t want to do, but do have to.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
I got where I am now by taking lots of steps forward and lots of steps back. I trusted my instincts, and allowed myself the freedom to change my mind if I didn’t feel like I was being honest with myself and the things I truly wanted to do. I spent the first year of undergrad undeclared, wandering around hoping a future would fall from the sky. Instead of taking steps towards the future I wanted, I stayed still and listened to what other people thought I should be doing. It wasn’t until I followed my gut and formally pursued an arts education; that I really started taking steps in the right direction. Only we know what steps we need to take, and only we can put one foot in front of the other.
How do you stand out in your field?
It’s not easy to stand out in a field where everyone stands out. I really had to shift the way I thought about originality as a whole to feel sure of my own. Standing out, originality, uniqueness, the X factor, whatever you want to call it—it’s not external. It’s not a goal to work towards, it’s something we already are. So, I do my best to stay totally authentic to myself, my tastes, and my interests. They’re not going to be the same as the person next to me, and they’re my most honest form of individuality.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Life-wise, I’m working on making the transition between undergrad and a creative career. This involves a lot of not so exciting things, like saving up money and paying close attention to what the professionals I admire have done. I’m working on taking better care of my body and mind. Art-wise, I’m editing some creative writing I did as an artist in residence at the Laboratory of Neo-feminism. I’m also working on some goofy digital illustrations.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My personal work style is still evolving into its final form. I trust that even though I might feel like I have a defined style right now, nothing stays the same. Instead, here are some pieces that use stylistic devices I’m consistently drawn to.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
Really, I wish I could focus on ALL of them more. This weird post grad transitional time has filled my days with whatever work I can get my hands on, forcing me to be pretty selective about where my free time goes. If I had to pick one, though, it would be the performing arts. I used to be heavily involved in theatre and was naturally inclined to direct, but this has taken the back burner the last few years as I focused on my degree in painting/printmaking.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
I hate feeling like I’m not where I want to be in my career. My sense of urgency is wearing my patience thin! I know exactly what I’m capable of and I want the opportunity to do all of those things right away. But I also know that it takes a lot of time to grow into life. I’m frustrated by my own desire to skip the line, so to speak, and get to the top of the mountain without climbing it.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
$20 an hour is more than I get paid at my day job. Can I keep the money?
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
Besides the obvious life savers (maybe DON’T try to sing Billy Joel’s “Vienna” on karaoke night? Avoid sitting on glass tables? Seriously, don’t share drinks, mono sucks?) I’d tell myself to stop talking myself out of things I want. Chasing your own tail isn’t productive and road blocking yourself isn’t going to make you happier in the end.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I want to talk to someone who’s an expert at the thing they always wanted to be an expert at. How’d you stick to it, through the failures, without beating yourself up? Does it feel the way you thought it would? Do you really feel like an expert, or does that imposter syndrome never go away?
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I’m looking for opportunities that will expand my horizons, give me valuable experience, and connect me to other creatives.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I’m looking for a job that values originality and an eagerness to engage, and would work best alongside a creative team fishing for new and surprising ideas.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
For individual/freelance/collaborative projects, rates would vary depending on time, content, research, and materials. For salaried positions, I’m looking for a position paying a minimum $35,000 a year depending on location.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email me! Find me on Instagram! Slide into my DMs! Call me! I don’t care how you go about it, I want to hear from you. What do you want to work on? What are you making? How can we help each other?
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Stop feeling embarrassed, about anything, ever.
This member profile was originally published in October 2018.