We recently had the chance to connect with Kaelen FElix and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kaelen, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
The most recent moment in my life that made me feel super proud was being featured in a podcast! JoAnn Dickinson from “Beyond the Book” interviewed me about my children’s book, “Wings and Whispers: Tales of Friendship (Volume 1),” and I discuss why I wrote it and how it changed my life. This was a proud moment for me. Not only did my interview get published on social media, but it was featured on YouTube, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.
I had the opportunity to share my talent and the future with everyone through children’s book literature. I couldn’t believe what a huge advantage this was for my career, and being able to make the most of my talent by sharing my internal struggles and overcoming those hurdles was truly remarkable.
There were funny moments on the podcast, but I am proud of this accomplishment because it helps put one foot in front of the other. I wanted to show the world that being different is okay, and nothing is wrong with being abnormal in a lot of aspects. Overall, I enjoyed my talk with JoAnn; it was fun and a joy to get to know her.
I recently learned that my children’s book is available online at Target. That was a complete dream come true, and I couldn’t believe it. I almost cried. It was already available at Walmart and many others. But…TARGET? That is one of the hardest places to get my book into! I’ll link all the locations where my book is available below.
https://www.target.com/p/wings-and-whispers-tales-of-friendship-by-kaelen-felix-hardcover/-/A-1004582780#lnk=sametab
https://www.target.com/p/wings-and-whispers-tales-of-friendship-large-print-by-kaelen-felix-paperback/-/A-1004580014#lnk=sametab
https://www.prolificpulse.com/kaelenfelix
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Of course, allow me to first say…I humbly accept this honor and would like to thank you all for interviewing me today. This is one of my best accomplishments to date. Now, the world gets to hear more about my journey, not just as an artist, but as a newly published author! Being an author is my best achievement to date.
My name is Kaelen Felix. I am a children’s book author, illustrator, and graphic artist of my first children’s book, Wings and Whispers: Tales of Friendship (Volume 1), and I have been working on my craft in publishing freelance-wise in this organization for almost eleven years. That just doesn’t seem possible at all. I have been doing art since I was only two years old.
After I told my family, “I want to be an artist, and I know it won’t be easy at all. But I know I can do it!” right after I said that, I was so afraid of what the outcome would be. Their response was, “WE believe in you, we trust you, and we know you can do it, Kaelen.” My worry was I would have to pursue something else, like many would think…I was wrong.
My brand is always going to remain as my name for now: Kaelen Felix.
Everyone who knows or knew me as a little girl continues to call me “Kaelen Felix, the artist.” So, that is why I kept my brand title, because people would forget who I am if I were to change to my book title.
You might wonder… what makes my artistic style so fascinating? The style itself is an original technique I came up with. I am so moved by the word “whimsical” because a lot of it reminds me of my favorite artists’ movement called Art Nouveau. I think that is a special part of my work; it feels magical and beautifully amazing. The fluidity of the structural work from that period inspires me so much. Like the beauty of transforming the organic style of bending the tree branches differently is so unique to my style, along with the way I draw water, too.
A lot of my work in Wings and Whispers was about using figurative language, which I used to not enjoy writing that kind of stuff. The most unique part about this book is that it is about spreading kindness in the universe when you least expect the universe to be nice in return. It’s about finding the courage that binds the power of forging friendships and being gentle to everyone. From a unique perspective, the pandemic taught me a lot. It was teaching me that there is no kindness. The moral values are gone, and they need to come back. It is time to be nicer and kinder to one another! It even features my nieces as characters!
Although this project took me nine years to achieve, accomplish, and publish. I struggled to write for 25 years. Then, at age 29, I managed to overcome that hurdle. Let me tell you a secret: as a special needs kid, my internal struggles were difficult. But I never allowed the trauma of those shadows to define my past into the future, to the present. Instead, I took every canvas or sheet of paper and drew whatever I wanted the world to see from my whimsical mind and visual craft of storytelling.
How did I finalize the final draft for my children’s book? So, since my brand is Kaelen Felix, I said to myself, this is something I must prove to myself that I am worthy of doing.
A couple of summers ago, I was shocked to learn my goals and dreams were falling apart. There were times I didn’t want to get out of bed, and I kept lying on it for days. I managed to get up a couple of times, but otherwise, I didn’t want to function.
One day I just heard…Kaelen. Get up. It’s time to write one more time. I thought to myself, What? Why? What good does it do? The next words were, I am the light, the truth, and the way, so trust me and do as I say. This is your moment.
I listened every closely, I pulled out my desk, opened up my MacBook Pro, and started to feel adrenaline right away. Something took over me. I couldn’t stop! I would be up until 11 pm CST writing. I just couldn’t help myself. There were times I didn’t stop for hours. Around October of 2023, I completed Wings and Whispers: Tales of Friendship. December 6, 2023, I got signed with Prolific Pulse Press LLC!!
In 2024, I focused all my energy and time on illustrating my book. I spent practically a year and a half wrapping up all the illustrations, designing every chapter, and sending it off for press by January of 2025. We managed to get it done closer. But, for publishing purposes, I wanted to keep it on the date.
For once, I felt I did something I felt proud of and successful. Instead of following my dream, I walked away from what I loved and what mattered to me. I walked away…but going through this really massive hardship allowed me to fall apart, and rise back up like the phoenix.
I proved to anyone who didn’t understand my vision, my passion, my creative craft, and my story that I COULD DO THIS. I even landed on a local NBC affiliate news station on channel 5. It is aired on March 23, 2025. It was on KSDK-5 Today in STL. A dream. An accomplishment I will never forget. And I am grateful…
What happens next?
After the first book of Wings and Whispers got completed, I am currently in the process of wrapping up a client book, and…Wings and Whispers: Tales of Friendship Volume 2 is set to be released sometime in the spring of 2026!! Also, the first book was a FINALIST for a children’s book award of it only been out for 5 WEEKS!!! I am still amazed by it. I look back at my book, and think…I made this, and I did it.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
The earliest memories were from when I would sit down at the family room table and start illustrating. It didn’t even have to be a crayon, a marker, or paint. What mattered to me was…I was enjoying myself, I felt motivated, powerful, and unstoppable in a way! And, I still do feel that every time I am doing a creative piece. It just never wavers from me. Every ounce of my creativity oozes out of me, entirely.
For months, I couldn’t stop coloring, shading, and painting…then one day came when I felt it was time to tell my family…what my dream was. I can still remember the nerves, but I knew I had it in me.
I even still kept the funny and adorable little kids’ stories I made since I was five years old. It feels amazing and weird to go back and look at those, but it is also a great reminder of why I started. The best memory…was being able to illustrate everything from my mind on paper. I had a line of kids waiting for me in preschool to draw something for each classmate, and that is something I will never forget.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The most defining wounds of my life… were learning to tell myself, no one knows my artistic craft better than ME. Many doubted me, or laughed at me, but I showed myself to myself, and anyone who said that I wouldn’t make it this far…that I always had the tenacity and burning desire to keep going. It goes back to two things: it starts with the story you tell yourself, and life is precious, and it is worth mastering the beauty to overcome obstacles.
Looking at what I am now, “Wings and Whispers” helped me heal from my traumatic past, the inner pain, and the emotional burdens that almost made me give up. I ALMOST scrapped the book entirely. Until I stuck with my gut, and listened to the words, “It is time to write one more time,” I couldn’t fathom where my life would be now…if I didn’t start writing again.
I think writing in a way helped me escape, but defined the deeper wounds I needed to heal from while I learned the process of how easily resilient I became.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, absolutely! I am a raw and authentic person. Always have been. I don’t mind what people think; we can always agree to disagree. It doesn’t change or redefine who I am. I am not going to change for others.
I would prefer to be accepted as who I am. I have always been told, “You cannot pretend to be someone you aren’t.”
To me, that is beyond true. It speaks volumes to why I walked away from following my personal passions and dreams.
I am Kaelen Feix, and anyone or everyone in the STL, Memphis, and more who knows me, or has run across me, has followed my publishing journey. All of my peers would be able to understand and see how far I have come.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am completely doing what I was born to do since day one. I never wavered away from creativity. It stuck with me since I was a little girl, and I never shy away from it, either. I always wanted to be an artist, and while many were concerned about my worth and work ethic, I believe my hard work has managed to prove a point.
In college, I figured out I wanted to work in children’s literature and publishing, which is really hard to get into. In a way, I feel like I am living proof that anything is possible if you work hard, believe, and feel determined to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaelenfelix.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaelix_fx/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelen-felix-360591124/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaelen.felix/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mowhqL9LFNg
Image Credits
First Image — Kane Peters (for the headshot)
KSDK image — Tracy Frank Hinson
Remainder of images — Kaelen Felix
