Episode 129: Kellie Day on Shadow Careers and Creating from the Spirit

“If you are sitting around waiting to be inspired, you won’t get a lot of painting done,” says mixed-media artist Kellie Day. In this episode, we talk about finding inspiration, a practice of showing up, the difference between creating from the head vs. creating from the spirit, how “shadow careers” can be an attempt to get closer to our passion, the miracles that can come from mistakes, and working through self-judgment, and how to “open to greater creativity.”

Kellie Day is mixed-media artist whose paintings hold serendipitous treasures including Sufi poems, stenciled spray paint, handmade stamps and bold drips of acrylic paint applied with a paint syringe, creating rich textured layers of collage and acrylics. This unconventional approach has caught the eye of major brands like Trader Joe's, The North Face, and Alpinist Magazine who have featured her work in their collections. She’s also worked as a US Forest Service Ranger, firefighter, and graphic designer, and brings both structure and great freedom to her role as an International Art Mentor, helping women discover their artistic voices and explore their own creativity.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emergingform.substack.com/subscribe