Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaelen Felix.
Hi, Kaelen; we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for hosting me for this incredible opportunity, and I feel honored to share this passionate journey about my first upcoming children’s book, which will be published this fall! We will get into that later. For now, I will share the story behind the scenes of how this dream continues to unfold. My name is Kaelen Felix, and I began chasing my dream when I was two years old in the heart of Saint Louis, Missouri. After I told my family I wanted to pursue this passion to be an artist, my family immediately wanted the best for me, so I knew I needed to make them proud. When I said that, I didn’t want to disappoint them, no matter how many struggles there would be since they believed in me! As a child, I was interested in reading any book, and around age seven, I would practice reading every day. I would study the exterior and interior design and structure, which is very similar to what I do. Then, I started creating kids’ stories that I would read to my classmates. Ironically, I recently found my first drawings from when I was a young girl, creating these cute, fun, and playful” mock-ups” of children’s books. Looking through those memories brought back tears of joy to know this is where it all started. I can proudly say this is what I am called to do. Even though I am a four-time published illustrator, and I keep illustrating for a client, Carol Gravante, I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue my publishing dream of publishing a book for my nieces.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Now, why did I wait to publish my book? This journey was never easy, and that’s just the circle of life. In 2017, while I was completing undergrad, I started to draw these magnificent art pieces, and then I thought about writing the story using alliterations. Though exciting fact, I used to despise figurative language. However, I changed my heart through this growth period because I knew I could do it. During my final semester, I sent my writing to publishers; I kept getting declines. Then again, I knew it wasn’t personal. Then, I decided to complete my final art thesis without worrying about publishing my children’s book because I didn’t need to be more mentally ready to put my work out there without feeling prepared. Six years ago this month, I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Memphis College of Art in 2018. Of course, after graduation, I had to put aside my dream to make sure I could make ends meet all the time. At one point, I almost stopped writing, but not illustrating the story. Last summer, I went through a period of change and learned everything happens for a reason. Then again, my passion for art never faded, and while I went through a painful time, I decided to channel that emotional experience into my craft. By August, I began to write down every thought that came to mind in a formatted manuscript.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My artwork relates to the simple measures of kindness. I feel as though it is lost in the universe. I’m most known for being published in 2018 and have kept that dream alive. But now, I want to get my project out there. This has been my life-long dream; as I mentioned before, I didn’t want my family and peers down.
Now, here is what I am most proud of. I kept pondering the entire theme, and it was something I don’t see often in the universe anymore: kindness. I chose animals in college because they are beautiful creatures of nature. At the time, it didn’t dawn on me how adorable this story would be. The moral message behind this story was to be humbly gentle about this topic; I felt the need to redefine the gesture of kindness, so when I started combining the alliterations with a short story for the age groups I was targeting, it all came together. After many months of writing, editing, and sending it off to a couple of family members and friends, my first thought was to self-publish it through KDP or Lulu. Now, here is the scope of how my dream was achieved. On my Instagram page, which became verified, along with Facebook, I found out one of my followers, who watched me grow, was interested in reading my manuscript! At first, I hesitated since I kept getting declined, but I knew in my heart that I should not give up. I caved in and told myself, “This is the moment I have been waiting for.” After I had sent it, I waited a few days and pondered, was it worth it?
Then, one day. I GOT ACCEPTED! There were so many tears running down my face; the journey that started when I was only two started to become my reality. Thank you to my publisher, Lisa from Prolific Pulse Press LLC, for believing in these poetic tales I wrote! This is such an exciting journey and collaboration we have been on. Lisa is an angel and a blessing to work with; she is my editor, too! I am beyond thrilled she wants to publish my artwork, too! Her willingness to publish my book gave me more hope and encouragement. This is the first book in the ongoing poetic series. My first children’s book will be Wings & Whispers: Tales of Friendship (Volume I). I tend not to think about what sets me apart from others since I want to be more mindfully humble about my dream. I’d rather be remembered for being so considerate, kind, and humble for all the good deeds I hope this upcoming book will bring to the children.
What does success mean to you?
One of the biggest questions I am always asked, Kaelen, so what is your most significant key to success? I always stress that you should start drawing from imagination and let creativity inspire you, the artist. Take any inspiration, channel the energy you feel, and pour any artistic emotion on the canvas. Often, I tell many people, especially young artists, to check out local galleries; sometimes, a refreshing look at another artist” is a crucial factor. Never be afraid to showcase yourself fearlessly on social media; keeping your audience’s attention can be helpful. One of the newest factors I will keep working on is creating beautiful videos of the in-progress work on my craft. The determination, commitment, and drive I use daily with my social media keeps my artistry blossoming.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaelenfelix.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaelix_fx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaelen.felix/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaex_fx
Image Credits
All rights reserved 2024. Kaelen Felix ©
