Today we’d like to introduce you to Kitryn Marie.
Hi Kitryn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story, or the beginning chapter of this journey, has had so many twists, but it began with art- painting, to be exact- and an exploration of talents that lived deep within a version of me I never knew existed. Like any late boomer born in 1961, I grew up with the same adage: go to school, learn something viable, and go to work for someone else to chase a paycheck. I never agreed with that theory, and the theory never really aligned with my creativity. Expression can not be contained, hidden, or boxed in, especially if creativity is set at the forefront of self.
I could go back in my memory and tell you I loved art and color since I can remember; I have been able to draw and paint since my teens with no formal lessons, but something clicked when I was in my early 20s, and I have been absorbing and observing life since understanding “there are other ways to live” out loud in vivid expression.
Don’t get me wrong, in my early 30s, I did start conventionally in food and beverage, where personality and performance took center stage, and it afforded me an income, but it also allowed me to speak and learn the art of eloquence. Like any good actor, you learn to play a part, and characters come to life while talking you to death and force-feeding you. Still, in the back of my mind, this was not enough, and to become more, I would have to learn another version of what was hiding, still untapped.
Silently and secretly, I wrote little passages, small stories, letters that were never meant to be sent. I created verbiage with sentiment, as if a release of something that had been held in captivity. Years of pen-to-paper and emotions unleashed. It was alarming and unnerving that this form of vulnerability existed. This carried on for decades in between all the brushstrokes I formulated.
For Decades, I perfected the craft. I hoped, wished, and waited, not so patiently, that somehow a break would come and that some entity would recognize the being I was becoming. The numbing and dumbing down to suffice other people was deafening and maddening. Every time I tried to tell people what I was wanting to do and become, I was met with skepticism and laughter. It was when the economy crashed in 2009 and the beginning of the internet that I was able to make a slight turn, veering me into another form of life, and KM DESIGNS A WRITER’S MIND was born, umbrelled under the”Kitryn Marie” brand.
At that time, I applied and was accepted to write and monitor a series of segments for one of our news affiliates. A 12-week gig that allowed me to showcase my painting and my writing ability. This also offered me on-air time, painting, and marketing my instructional classes and custom work. Following came the economy crash and the pinnacle point of losing my event-coordinating position, so there was no better time than to pivot into the art and communication field.
I did several custom painting pieces and started teaching how to paint with acrylics. I started a blog and did photography. The bird’s-eye view and honing in on how life could look through the lens of a camera, and like they say, history was in the making. The years that came after were only met with more obstacles I was not prepared for. I developed sepsis, ended an 8-year abusive relationship, only to then be diagnosed with a form of leukemia. It was mind-boggling and heartbreaking. Somehow, though, I kept on and at it.
Trying to remain in clarity and still working for someone else in food and beverage, I studied life coaching (to better my form of teaching) and how to business coach (2014-2016) women who wanted to find their voice in the calamity of their own life so they could start a side hustle. I learned that using a vision board as a tool could better prepare people so they would understand what product of environment truly looked like. It became the anthem for cut-and-paste, art therapy, putting together the missing puzzle pieces in their own lives. (* DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, nor do I hold any big degree)
I had a functioning art and communication business up until 2021, and like so many other small businesses, it took a serious dive, and once again, I needed to pivot back into food and beverage, to my dismay. I taught a few classes after, but nothing to brag about. With much time on my hands, I really contemplated turning my words into a book. A fictional piece that women could understand what narcissistic abuse looks like. The storyline I had in my head for almost 10 years, and finally, after painstaking and diligent effort, I sat down to write “WHEN HE HAD HER.” It was published last July and is available on Amazon. https://a.co/d/0ez0d52c. I am in the process of writing my second book, “SEASIDE SHORE”
No path is easy, and no story is interesting unless there is intrigue, I suppose. I keep at it. I keep marketing and utilizing all social media platforms, branding my identity and promoting “Kitryn Marie” because it is me and it is my brand. I am continuing to search for entities to instruct my art and communication classes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been easy. Many want to criticize and knock a person down for wanting a different way of life. Naysayers are everywhere, and the opposition is people who are committed to misunderstanding the vision you have in your mind for your life. The mass public needs to be told how to make a living. Those individuals need someone to take them by the hand and give them direction and orders so they can earn a paycheck.
It takes real guts to forge your own money and earn accordingly, where there isn’t a ceiling cap on dollars or talent. Independent people, who have a vision and a self-guided direction, always come up against obstacles because we are innovative thinkers with a brain that thinks differently, which typically does not follow any rule of thumb to begin with.
If you are going to tell me my worth, I am not interested. My value is worth more, and how I choose to apply my abilities is a priceless endeavor. And that is where the issue lies… the challenge… the obstacle.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist, writer, speaker, life and business coach who teaches art and communication classes. I am also a published author.
I am known for teaching: This is what I specialize in.
“The Art of Acrylic Painting”: Perception and perspective based on imagery and brush stroke.
“How to Put a Vision Board Together” based on life coaching. Learning to understand the product of environment, influences, character awareness, and behavior, etc., so you may live a better life towards higher goals.
“Business Coaching” for creative-minded women who want to veer out of 9-5 and start a side hustle, learning to monetize their hobbies
“Write The Book” Character development; The who, what, where, when, and how in developing a storyline
*I am proud of all my achievements. Having my book published last year was the crème de la crème. Possibly the only thing that sets me apart from everyone, I don’t give up despite any adversity. I refuse to give up on my dreams!
Conformist, I am not!
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
That’s a loaded question. I love being alone with my thoughts. Having a quiet mind makes life work so much better. I like me, and I like my own company!
Too many people need to be surrounded by noise and its distractions. I love tranquility, peace, and aesthetics that are good for my soul!
Being outdoors surrounded by nature and water… it does my soul good. Therefore, it allows me to think creatively! I am a happy person when there is calm, and my nervous system says… “I am safe”
Pricing:
- Painting Class $48.00 per (group min 12)
- Vision Board/Life Coaching $65.00 per
- Business Coaching $95.00 per
- Write The Book $95.00 per
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kitryn-marie.weebly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KitrynMarie
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kitrynmarie
- Other: Tiktok @kitryn_magic.maker
