Meet Kayla Ferraro: Creative Leader

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

Hi Kayla, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
Success comes when we add value to ourselves and we add significance to someone else. How many people are better off because you lived?

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.
Art has been a part of my life since i was a kid. I would draw on everything. I would even take chalk to the wood on my wall just because i loved the way the material felt gliding across the smooth grain. I remember in elementary, i would be the only one in the book section while others were playing house with the plastic play sets that were covered with dried boogers and fake burgers. I spent my time building book walls around me, flipping through every page, and taking mental screenshots from all the art i had seen. That’s when i found Dr. Seuss. I fell in love with the art and learned how to read from the nonsensical rhymes and riddles. When school was over, i would take my Lisa Frank notebooks and folders to my baby sitters and spend the day watching Tim burton and Disney movies. Art was all around me. I was inspired by all of the colors, the stories and how whimsical these artists were. They would suck me into their worlds where i could escape from the trauma i was going through as a child. It didn’t take long before i lost myself somewhere in my mind, battling through thoughts that creep around the corners of my haunted brain. Traveling through the chaos of my imagination, i pick through feelings and ideas and transport them to a surface that creates a narrative world. A tale makes residence in ones soul through the relation to ones experience. An image is louder than a spoken word and i have found that it has been a way that i can communicate with the world. My story and how it has shaped me to be the artist i am today is what sets me a part from others and what i am most proud of. I have been through many challenges and experienced a lot of trauma as a kid but i never used that as an excuse. A lesson i have learned from all of it is you can either go through it or grow through it. You can’t be a victim and be victorious. The situation you live in doesn’t have to live in you. What lies behind us and before us doesn’t compare to what l ies within us. My life is my message and i tell my story in hopes it inspires others. Don’t give up! Stay focused and take action. I’ve learned that our background and our circumstances may have influenced who we are but we are responsible for who we become.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
I’m still a little new to the area but a few places i have been are incredible. I recommend checking out Amicalola Falls state park, Stone Mountain, little 5 points, art museums and just taking random adventures around the city. There is so much good food here. I would check out slutty vegan, plant based pizza, the juicy crab, milk and honey, Jim and nicks bbq. I know i am missing a lot of cool places so i would go out there and explore.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It would take more than this paragraph to thank each and every person who has impacted my life. I’m thankful for every individual i have encountered whether it was a good experience or not. I’ve learned so much from everyone and I’m grateful for the lessons I’ve learned along the way. My first shoutout would be to God for always giving me unconditional love, support and strength. Who has guided me through every step, every breath and every decision I’ve made. Shoutout to all the single moms out there who do their best to provide for their kids. I love you mom. Shoutout to my step dad for standing up and taking the role to be an incredible father and for taking good care of my mom. Shoutout to my high school art teacher who always believed in me before i ever started believing in myself, who opened doors of many opportunities and treated me like one of his own daughters. Shoutout to my best friends from Ohio (you all know who you are) for leaving me with unforgettable memories and who constantly check up on me. Shoutout to my boyfriend and his family for treating me like i am family. For always being supportive, loving and helping when times have been tough. I’m so thankful for all of you. Shout out to Marie who was my first manager at my job when i was in college. You treated me like one of your daughters and taught me so much about life and being a confident women. I will never forget you. Shoutout to all the professors and friends i met during my college days. Shoutout to my current mentors Amanda and Carlos for being such badass people. I can’t even find the words…you both are incredible, passionate, loving, selfless people who consistently add value to others. I will always be grateful for your time you have given me. I am so honored to be coached by the both of you and appreciate how much you have pushed me to do more and have already changed my life. Shoutout to Tony and Frances pappalardo!!!! You both are incredible, loving people. Thank you for your wisdom and for paving the way so others can customize their own life. Thank you to everyone who was not mentioned. You are not forgotten. I appreciate all of you. Shoutout to the authors of all the books i have read and built around me. These are important friends who have helped me get through life and i can turn to them again and again. Shoutout to the planet for giving me the resources to be able to survive in a world like this.