Kyle Hollingsworth of Kyle Creative: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist
Keep showing up. Be consistent. Trust. Be patient. Persist. Stay authentic and real. It does pay off.
As a part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist” I had the pleasure of interviewing Kyle Hollingsworth.
Kyle is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary artist whose career spans nearly three decades. She is also the owner of Kyle Creative.
In her fine art, every brush stroke is an act of faith and boldness, to merge shape, texture, and form, creating layer upon layer with no sketch, no plan.
Her work explores color harmony, and often includes trademark circular shapes made of large colorful strokes and fine details of mark-making as well as illustrated components.
Kyle is a storyteller — through her words, illustrations, and fine art.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in rural Georgia, raised by my grandparents after the death of my mother when I was 8. I played outside in the dirt, wore handmade clothes, and every chance I got — I was drawing. My world was small, and my young life was riddled with abuse and trauma. Art carried me through it all, as I’d spend hours on end drawing and imagining. The wisdom and tools I gained through decades of healing work, coupled with all those years of practice inform everything I create, from painting or design to my written word.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’ve had an art & design career in Los Angeles for the past 27 years, and prior to COVID, was a Creative Director in the sports entertainment arena. That ended during the first 6 months of the pandemic, and suddenly I had to make a choice: go into another corporate job, or work independently with projects & clients I feel good about while launching my own business. I chose the latter. It’s my time.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Haha, that would be tough. I’ve had an interesting & colorful time of it. With regard strictly to my career as a painter, one story that comes to mind is when I was having a show in DTLA 2.5 years ago. I was on my way to the opening and had to stop first at a restaurant/bar for my company’s holiday party. I was sitting at the bar with my boss, and we were approached by two men in suits. They chatted us up, bought us a drink and asked what we had going on. I said I was leaving soon to go to my opening, and one of them asked, “Can I see the work you are showing?” I opened my phone and scrolled through the images. He said, “Stop! That one, I want to buy it, can I?” I was surprised but said, “Sure,” and gave him the price. He threw his AmEx down and paid for it on the spot, gave me his info and we went our separate ways after we shook hands and thanked each other. Cool, right?
Here’s the interesting part. I reached out to him to ask him where to ship the artwork. He told me to wait, as he was building houses in two cities and wasn’t yet sure. I reached out again in 3 months after not hearing from him. He said he still wasn’t ready for it. Nearly a year went by, and I called him to ask once more if he’d like a refund or for me to ship him the artwork. He then told me that I could keep the painting and that he’d buy something else when he was ready. I have had others want to buy the same piece, but it feels right to keep it, and it hangs in my entryway. I love the piece and still find it amazing that a person I’d never met gifted me that money. I wonder if I will hear from him again. ☺
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I currently have a few. I am creating new abstract work with a view to a live show in Spring of 2022; I am currently illustrating a children’s book in collaboration with another author; I am creating an oracle deck and book, and I’m designing fabrics and home décor, as well as paper products for release next year.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
To be honest, the single most interesting person I have ever directly interacted with was President Jimmy Carter, when I had the opportunity to create alongside him during a world leaders conference. I was drawing his and other leaders’ ideas on a huge mural in real-time. It was just amazing, as is he. What an honor.
Where do you draw inspiration from? Can you share a story about that?
Nature, my imagination, and concepts that come to me through meditation and writing. I have a morning ritual of stretching, playing with my dog, then meditating, praying, and journaling. Then I can create. Many of my ideas and inspiration come from spirit, from stillness and from being quiet.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I donate percentages of my art sales to various organizations I believe in and want to support. The most recent was the ACLU, where I gave 25% of proceeds from a show. I’d like to do more of that, as well as donate artwork to events and fundraisers.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- Don’t waste a moment trying to be what anyone else says or thinks you should. Be you, be original, unique, flawed, and REAL. The world needs what only YOU can offer, and it doesn’t need perfect.
- Do your own research. Well-meaning people will have advice for days and most of the time, you’ll end up doing what you yourself learned how to do.
- Ask questions. I have been brave and bold in my career, reaching out to people who were doing it better, longer, and more successfully than me, to ask for their guidance, input, and support. Of course, it’s not always a yes, but you might be surprised at how many people are more than willing to have a conversation and share some of their wisdom.
- Do not try to be everything to everyone or do “all the things” to attract more of an audience. I’ve been there. It’s exhausting and unnecessary. Trust yourself to focus and hone. You won’t be for everyone and that’s ok.
- Keep showing up. Be consistent. Trust. Be patient. Persist. Stay authentic and real. It does pay off.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I’d create a movement of radical self-love & self-expression. It’s the doorway to everything, I have found. I truly believe that so much of what harms us personally and as a society is our lack of love for ourselves and feelings of being unworthy. That, coupled with a belief that we are not enough, cripples many of us from living fully and with grace. It keeps us small, frustrated and not fully ourselves. Reflected outward, it causes that effect in everyone around us. It’s a vicious cycle, and we all need that healing.
It all starts with loving ourselves and accepting ourselves as we are. And giving ourselves the permission to share our gifts with the world. I’d like to help inspire others to live fully, love themselves fully, and express their truth.
We have been blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she just might see this.
Gosh, there are many. I think I’d be blown away if I could sit and have a meal or just a conversation with Morgan Freeman. I admire his path and his integrity and generosity so much. I’d love to have lunch with Brené Brown simply because I love her and her no-nonsense way to speaking and writing. I’d also like to sit down with artist Yayoi Kusama — I find her fascinating.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
www.instagram.com/kylecreative
www.facebook.com/kylecreativeart
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
It’s been a pleasure, thank you!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
At Sycamore Entertainment he specializes in print and advertising financing, marketing, acquisition and worldwide distribution of quality feature-length motion pictures, and is concerned with acquiring, producing and promoting films about equality, diversity and other thought provoking subject matter which will also include nonviolent storytelling.
