Meet Kayla Allen | Artist

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

Hi Kayla, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I first started The Colorful Kayak I thought I would only sell paintings to people who knew me. My sophomore year of college, I had gotten back into art and I had some friends asking me to create works for their dorms. The joy that came from seeing my work hanging on people’s walls in their ACTUAL apartments inspired me to expand my reach. I did the only thing I knew how to at the time and created an Instagram for my work. There was no business planning in the beginning— I hardly even knew what to price my pieces. (At one point I was selling medium sized acrylic pieces on canvas for fifteen dollars… I wasn’t even covering my costs!) BUT I was having a great time not only with creating the artwork, but creating the content for my Instagram page. I soon started dabbling in the business side of my operation. I don’t actually remember even consciously deciding to make a business plan, I kind of just fell in love with the art of owning a business. I started putting a lot of effort into growing The Colorful Kayak the way one would with a plant. I don’t want to make it seem like it was easy because it wasn’t, and it still isn’t; but I think a big part of my thought process behind starting my business was just falling in love with my business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One look at my portfolio and one would see I am ALL over the place. I have tried everything from realistic oil paintings to abstract digital art and almost everything in between. I am constantly moving and switching mediums and styles and while this makes for a messy Instagram feed, the lessons I learn out weigh my desire for a clean feed. I feel that excitement and a curiosity for the art is what keeps an artist going. Once the excitement is gone and the chase is won, a lot of artists burn out. While switching mediums is not all artist’s cup of tea, trying new forms and styles is what keeps my excitement bubbling. I think my biggest challenge so far has been accepting that I don’t have to settle for one style. It’s so tempting for me to fall into this idea that an artist should specialize, but once I started embracing the fact that I don’t have to choose and there are no rules, I saw a fantastic change in myself and my art. I believe this curiosity and excitement is the same force that drove me to teaching. I have a love for the art of learning and passing knowledge along to others. While I am no longer teaching in schools, I view my brand and business as a classroom. I want to be a source of knowledge but also learn from my community and customers, allowing my online space to be a hub of information, positivity, and a safe space for learning.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
While there are SO many people I feel have greatly contributed to my success as an artist and businesswoman, I want to reserve this shoutout for my family. I would never have created or thought up the ideas for The Colorful Kayak without the help and support from my family and especially my parents. My sophomore year of college I was at a crossroads —as most people are during the first few years of college— and I had no idea where to turn. I was on a path headed towards the medical field and to put things plainly, I was miserable. I remember a phone call home to my parents in which my dad said “When you picture yourself happy… what are you doing?” My mom chimed in and added “What ever it is… do that.” I clearly remember the night their words entered my head. It was like someone had lifted a fog from in front of me and all the weight in the world came off of my shoulders. It was that simple. However, it couldn’t have been that simple had my parents not been so supportive in whatever my heart desired. I have been fortunate enough to have this same support from my entire family. My grandparents, my aunts, uncles, sisters, and cousins have always supported me from the beginning. I have been incredibly fortunate to have a continuously loving and supportive family and all of my success is and will be a direct reflection of them.

Instagram: @thecolorfulkayak

Twitter: @thecolorfulkay1

Youtube: The Colorful Kayak