Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Cripe.
Kelly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Language and cartoons are my favorite sources of silliness. While I always loved doodling and sketching, art unfortunately felt impractical for me. I thought drawing was fun, but something I could never do for real. Then, one day I watched a YouTube video of one of my favorite comedians, Demetri Martin, telling jokes and stories with simple line drawings. I was mesmerized with his minimalistic, lighthearted approach to creative storytelling through black and white, easy to consume images. I realized that while these little drawings were not necessarily beautiful or detailed, they evoked such positive emotions and lingered in my mind. After that day, I began shifting my definition of art, relieving myself of the burden that every drawing needs to be colorful and beautiful or have heavy meaning or that I need more training. I got a black pen and some paper and I started doodling out the puns stuck in my head and the things I saw around me. I eventually worked my way up to getting some better materials and experimenting with/fine tuning my cartoon style.
In order to practice turning a hobby into a craft, I gave myself the challenge to draw one cartoon a day for one year. It has been about 11 months so far and I’m proud to say I have not missed a single day yet! I started an Instagram where I post my daily drawings and it has been met with such kindness. I receive messages and suggestions from strangers around the world. After taking my art more seriously and designing a business plan for myself, I have sold prints, designed custom logos and drawn numerous commissions. However, I was most proud to release my first zine. It is called “20 Flowers 20 Strangers” and is based off of true anecdotes from the day I asked 20 strangers for the best advice they ever received in exchange for a flower. The zines sold out in one day (I have since restocked!) and I was blown away with the support. I’m continuing my daily cartoons as well as illustrating a variety of other projects like calendars, coloring books and more! I’m so excited to make more products and collaborate with other artists/businesses, but my goal is primarily always just to keep practicing, learning, improving and spreading a little humor each day.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have found most of my roadblocks to come from my own self-doubt. Growing up with talented, colorful artists in my family kickstarted an early onset imposter syndrome. I thought that since I didn’t use color or know proper techniques or because my art was more silly than deep, posting my work would just be embarrassing. However, once I was able to rid myself of the false notion that art is one thing, I was able to be so much more creative and free with my own style. Because my art started as more of a personal, progress based goal, I did not feel an initial, urgent pressure to monetize my work. Instead, I worked on building a consistent, daily brand. I adjusted my idea of success to mean creative growth and making at least one person smile or laugh every day. Now that I have a supportive base of people that can anticipate my daily drawings and projects, I am eager to produce and sell more physical products. Sometimes it is hard to factor in drawing time every single day, but I make it a priority and always find a way. As I am still early in my business development, I am fortunate to have had a pretty steady journey thus far, but I am ready for the future and any challenges/opportunities it may hold!
Please tell us more about your art.
On Instagram, I am known for posting my daily cartoons. Each cartoon is typically a wordplay/pun based on a movie, actor, musician, object, phrase, etc. My style is very approachable as I utilize minimalist black and white pen line drawings within a consistent format. In addition to my daily cartoons on Instagram, I have released a zine, sold prints and designed custom logos and commissions. I have quite a few more projects in development, including some children’s books, more zines, coloring books, calendars and more! I feel honored to help cartoon-ize people’s puns and ideas into my own personal style. I hope that each cartoon brings a little joy and encourages others to make their own art too. It means the world to me when people tell me they look forward to seeing a new cartoon every day. I think I have formed a unique cartoon style that resonates nicely and positively with others. The format also allows my followers to come up with their own puns and be included within the art process. I strive for my art and humor to be inclusive, accessible and welcoming to all.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel immensely grateful to be living amongst other creatives here in Highland Park. I constantly feel motivated and inspired. LA is an amazing environment to practice and hone your craft. It is fairly easy to find nearby artists and support each other’s work. Early support and collaboration among aspiring creatives can be key to creating successful brands, platforms and businesses. Sometimes it can be intimidating to grapple with how many people want to pursue similar things that you do, but if you can learn to drop your ego and doubt, be happy for others’ successes and stay focused on your own goals, hopefully you will be open to so much more opportunity.
Pricing:
- “20 Flowers 20 Strangers” Zine – $20
- Individual Prints – $15
- Custom Logos – $50+
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kelcripe.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelcripe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelcripe/
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