Image credit: June Jacobsen
Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaycee Krieg Wysaski.
So, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
If I’m starting at the beginning, I would have to talk about my former career first. It has truly led me to where I am now. I had a very successful near-20 year career in wardrobe. Starting as a stylist assistant, then a stylist–when I became tired of dealing with all the personalities I was always trying to please– a tailor assistant, and finally, a costume builder and red-carpet tailor. I loved the freedom of working mostly at home with my own hours and the problem-solving aspects of making complicated pieces.
I enjoyed it, but I was keeping a secret. Sewing was taking a toll on my body and my mental health. Years of bending over a sewing machine at all hours of the day and night resulted in chronic pain that eventually forced me to quit the only career to which I felt qualfied. Searching for a new career, and limited by tendonitis and other health issues, I focused on what CAN I do. What do I even like? Who am I? These are likely the many questions people are asking themselves now during quarantine. They don’t want to be without their jobs, they just are. And will these jobs come back? Unfortunately, some won’t and others may look very different. What I learned from my “forced pause” is not to fight it. Instead, to accept it and turn it into something beautiful and new.
In my search, I found two things that make my body feel better: roller skating and the ocean. My skating abilities were recognized at the local roller rink and I began booking live performances, films, and commercials. This brought me joy. I had also begun regularly swimming in the ocean; I was drawn to the feeling of weightlessness and how it relieved my joint pain. I felt like the saltwater washed away my allergies!! It was magical! Also, I just love the ocean and all of it’s creatures. When snorkeling, I feel like I’m exploring a distant planet that feels so alien; but also like home.
During this period of self-discovery, I realized I need to live somewhere with clean air and water. I started looking for places that were un-polluted and not overly developed. I focused my search in the Americas but more distant places as well. I found that everything was polluted! Water, air, noise, light pollution are everywhere. Yikes! I asked myself, ‘what have we been doing?’
Ok, now I saw a new life trajectory–helping with these problems. I talked to marine biologists and followed leads given by friends. The more people I met the more leads I had. I started building a network of amazing people all over the world with unique perspectives and approaches to solve these problems.
The most common approach I’ve seen has been is pursing legislation. This is very important, but it is not my path. I realized my path was to bridge the gap between public and private sectors, they don’t always play well together. One person bridging this gap is Alex Widman, She is marine biologist in the Galapagos Islands, and all around awesome woman! She leads a project in which she and a team retrieve abandoned fishing nets and recycle the materials into swimsuit fabric. She then designs a line of swimsuits and produces them locally on the island. What an awesome project uniting the two worlds I know and love! Fashion and conservation!
Because of my background in sewing, Alex invited me to come to the Galapagos to teach local women swimsuit construction of her designs. I can’t sew anymore, but i can teach, help the ocean, and a community at the same time! This is exactly the kind of project I was seeking. Can you believe?! I found a marine biologist moving into fashion, and I am a designer moving into marine ecology. This happened because I set sail on a new course that I knew was right and could not fail. It couldn’t! I had nothing to go back to and there was a deep sense that it was right.
Since my time in Galapagos, I have done a couple other ocean programs, met more amazing women and am starting to see my opportunities snowball into a full-blown career. It took some time, but I am excited to finally have a new path that I am passionate about.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, honestly my career change has been quite difficult. At the end of my costuming career, I was in pain almost every day; some days more than others. I have one of those umbrella diagnoses of Fibromyalgia. It doesn’t really mean anything other than your muscles hurt. But it really means a lot more. There are like 100 different diseases ranging from Autoimmune to PTSD and a lot of thyroid conditions that have an overlapping diagnosis, if you have a doctor with a lot of time on their hands who is truly invested they could help narrow down these diseases to get you the help you need. I have not found this doctor. I believe I got this “diagnosis” when I was 22 and I’m now 38.
My symptoms are only manageable through having a semi-flexible schedule where I could take time between gigs to rest. Also revamping my diet helped a great deal as well. I’ve also concluded that a lack of sleep or looking at screens too long makes my nerves feel like they are on fire and everything hurts. I had told myself for a long time, if it’s just nerves I can push through the pain because it’s not really real. Sewing is very intense hand/arm work, especially the bulky pieces I built. I started having bad wrist pain that lasted a year. I just ignored it everyday as I had my other nerve pains. But this was different. It was lasting outside the Fibromyalgia “flare ups.” I had so much work and “so many people counting on me”, that I felt I couldn’t take a break. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLUE, but no. I continued to ignore the pain until I reached my breaking point.
It was PAINFUL. More than just physically, MENTALLY. I had wrapped up all my self-worth into my productivity. Everyone knew me for this art medium. I had made most of my friends in the wardrobe world. It was suddenly all over just like that. I had a pile of things I wanted to make for myself and now I couldn’t. I spent a lot of years sacrificing my time and body to build other people’s visions. I made a good income, but it wasn’t worth the pain and losing my ability to make art. For two years I was unable to work. I had always worked with my hands. “I’m not super qualified to do much else,” I thought. I tried a lot of different rehabilitation programs, rest, alternative therapies. After fighting against my body for so long trying to “fix it”, I decided to work with my body. That is when things started turning around for me. I was able to focus on what I love and what I can do, and that mindset has been invaluable.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My career in ocean preservation is still crystallizing. I am still learning and taking every opportunity that comes my way. Beyond the recycled swimsuit program I mentioned earlier, I worked as a volunteer at the Long Beach Aquarium as an education volunteer. I have also assisted with coral and sea turtle conservation programs. I am especially interested in preserving and restoring coral reefs. They are VERY responsible for the oxygen in our atmosphere, making them imperative to save. A program in Cayman Islands taught me to plant coral farms and to help this vital ecosystem recover from rising sea temperatures. The most important thing I learned in coral work is we can replant: It may be in new places, it may look different, but the coral will still thrive. I think this lesson will help us as we transition to our post-Corona life. I am most proud that the work I am doing is having a visible, positive impact on our environment. I have a unique ability to bridge the worlds of art and science – and I am finding how to best serve the ocean in this role.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I feel there are many opportunities women today! The best way to ensure the growth of opportunities is for women to support one another. When I was in commercial costuming, I brought female friends onto jobs and mentored younger women in the business as well, because it helps everyone as a community. I don’t see scarcity, there is enough work to go around. If you have more people on a project, you can do bigger and better things.
I believe women generally are more likely to work out issues in creative ways and are better suited for collaborative problem solving. Its the medicine we can bring to the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mailchi.mp/d8b997080dad/kayceesjourney
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hooray4polyester/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hooray4kaycee
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