Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Larkin.
Hi Kelly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
While I have been a transplant who has called California home for five years now, I have moved frequently throughout my life due to my mother’s work. While I was born in Connecticut, I have lived in South Africa, England, Thailand, and across a number of U.S. states as well. I have learned a lot from my travels, and I think that my ability to see so many places and interact with many different people has helped me become who I am today. No matter where I lived, I have always been very interested in the arts. I have been lucky enough to have family who have been very supportive of my need to create and were open with the direction that it took. I went to school in Savannah, Georgia, and ended up studying animation. For a long time, I wasn’t sure what my career choice would be or what it would look like. To be honest, I still don’t. I have been a wedding photography assistant, a painting teacher, a motion graphics artist, an animator, a compositor, and a million other things. All of these things have been roughly tied together with my desire to collaborate with others and inject my vision into what I’m working on.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When it comes to being creative, there is always a challenge in transitioning from a child who loves to draw to an adult who is drawing for money. Turning anything you love into a job comes with a considerable risk to continue to find what drew you to that skill set in the first place. I’ve heard the quote “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”, and I personally disagree strongly with this notion. There will always be a distinct difference in creating for yourself and creating for a career. When you make something a career, you are inviting in other factors, you will have coworkers, more meetings, an office space, and plenty of paperwork that would otherwise not exist alongside your passion. These things can become very draining, and it takes time and patience to figure out the right balance. In addition, my mental health has always been a push-and-pull force that has taken time, dedication, and relying on others to truly work through. While I am not always doing amazingly, I have a support system who can help me through it, and that’s the most important part!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an animator, illustrator, and photographer. Some would consider me a generalist. My overarching goal with my work is to connect with exciting people and collaborate with them to figure out how we can best solve their problems.
While most of my recent work has been with companies like DreamWorks Animation, Titmouse, and Apartment D, I have a range of experience in different fields and am always looking for new ways to challenge myself. I have always been known for keeping busy- working on new projects of all different mediums. Right now, I am working on a hybrid stop motion and 2D animated piece for myself. However, I am always looking to apply my visuals and expertise to anyone who has an interesting project for me!
I am also very passionate about photography. I started off taking photos as a wedding photographer’s assistant and have now started taking the camera out to develop my own vision. My subject matter is typically California native plants, people on the picket lines/at protests, and portraiture. Photography has been a great pursuit of mine, as it is a way to rest my drawing hand but still use many of the core skillsets that I use in art every day.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe there are a number of factors that have led me to where I am today. I am lucky to have a rock-solid support system of people who have been there to lift me up and encourage me. I would also like to thank my continual need to stay busy and learn new skills. Having a variety of interests has kept me able to adapt to different projects and also meet new people I would have never had the opportunity to encounter before. Overall, I am grateful for the life I have, the people I share it with, and the beautiful planet I find myself on.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://kellylarkinart.com AND http://kellylarkinphotos.com
- Instagram: @kellylarkinart
- Twitter: @kellylarkinart
Image Credits
All images created and shot by Kelly Larkin
