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

Hi Kailyn, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Giving up has never been an option for me. Art is something I could never stop doing, it’s a form of therapy to me. It does get hard sometimes when I don’t get that many sales at markets or not as many likes on an Instagram post, but I know that what I made is from my heart and spirit. I don’t consider these failures because sometimes even the item I created that I don’t really love is cherished by some individuals. Plus every mistake is a lesson learned right? I truly believe that. That’s why I’ll never stop creating. Even if no one loves my work, I do! I’ll keep going because it comes from me and I can only learn and grown from my experiences.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started art as therapy during the pandemic while I was working as a registered nurse at a large community hospital. I had a death in the family and shortly after that Covid hit and many people I cared for started dying. It became a lot to handle and not long after that I was diagnosed as bipolar. I stayed in nursing until 2022 when I quit and became a full time artist to reduce some stressors in my life, which I needed to do due to my disorder. With me not working I’ve definitely faced many financial obstacles, but my family comes together and helps support each other. It hasn’t been easy, but I am so glad to have many supportive people in my life. I’ve learned so much from my time as a nurse and artist. I’m still starting out in my art and I’ve made a massive amount of mistakes but the mistakes are starting to slow down now. One major part of my brand that I’m so excited about is upcycling! I love taking old book pages or thrift store finds and repurposing them. I love the idea of taking something people might find to be ‘trash’ into a piece of art. I find doing my art on book pages to be very enjoyable and gives it a fun vintage look.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a nature lover so I would definitely take them to some of our state parks in the area or the Houston Zoo. Even if it’s blazing hot outside I still love romping around in nature! Nothing beats a picnic in the park.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to give a big shout out to my husband and two kids! They have supported me all the way. Also my aunt, Anne, who has invested time, advice, and money into helping me achieve my goals. Thank you guys all so much for helping me get where I am today!

Website: Www.Kaimurrart.com

Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/Kai.murr_art/

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