Disability Talks: Don't Dis My Ability
Disability Talks: Don't Dis My Ability
A Life in the Arts with Katherine Klimitas
Katherine Klimitas is an artist, public speaker, blog writer, designer, painter, author, YouTuber, advocate, and more. Nothing has stopped her from achieving these incredible accolades--not even osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare disease that severely increases the fragility of one's bones.
Listen as Katherine talks about her life with this disease and how her creative capacities blossomed into a professional career with no signs of slowing down.
Website: kakartnola.com / https://linktr.ee/kakartnola
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KakArtNola?s=20
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katherine.klimitas / https://www.facebook.com/kakartnola/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kakartnola/
Want to be a guest on our show? Connect with us at:
Website
Facebook
LinkedIn
X
Instagram
Welcome to Disability Talks, a podcast produced by Abilities in Motion. I'm your host, Ed Granger. Join us to encounter unique perspectives on accessibility and independence, and to hear stories from everyday people living their most independent, everyday lives; where essential conversations find their place. Let's talk.
Ed:Very excited about the opportunity to talk to today's guest. Katherine Klimitas is many things. She is an artist, a public speaker, a blog writer, a designer, a painter of watercolors, an animal lover, a book author, a YouTuber, and an advocate, and probably some other things she will share with us. So Katherine, welcome to Disability Talks.
Katherine:Thank you.
Ed:So I guess out of all the places we could start with all the various hats that you wear, kind of the obvious places maybe to start with your book, which is titled Looking Up. So could you share a little bit about, uh, how the book came about and that's where you share a, you know, a lot of your personal journey as well as your artistic inclinations?
Katherine:Sure. So Looking Up is a coffee table book I designed and wrote about me and my story and about the disease I have. So I have a genetic bone disease called osteogenesis imperfecta, and it basically means that my bones break easily and grow abnormally. I'm 2' 7". I use an electric wheelchair for mobility. People ask me how many bones I've broken and I tell them that we stopped counting around 500 when I was 10. And I'm now 32, almost 33. So, uh, a lot<laugh> is the easy answer to that. And, um, anyway, yeah, the book came about, I majored in graphic design in college and for our senior thesis, we were given our assignment basically was to create a project that we could present at the end of the semester that no one else could do. I mean, that was literally, the only guideline was figure out something you can do that no one else can do. So I decided to write about me because you know, nobody else really can, um, like I can at least. And, um, it went through a lot of different developmental stages. I mean, originally it was gonna be an oversized book and then it was gonna be poster series. And anyway, it ended up being a coffee table book. And after I graduated local publisher picked it up. And so it's actually published and available online, which is pretty neat, but yeah, it's about me and about how I, I live with the disease I live with. And, uh, it's got some funny stories in it about what strangers have said to me in public and, um, some information about some of my worst injuries and stuff like that.
Ed:And obviously you have a sense of humor. So can you share a little about how humor factors into your story and how you navigate your life?
Katherine:Well, I mean, I, you know, people say you can either laugh or cry kind of thing, you know? And so I usually advocate laughing because I mean it's better than crying, right?<laugh> unless you have broken ribs, then, then not so much, uh,<laugh> not so much for either actually. Uh, but my parents have always had a good sense of humor and they've always been very positive people and they've always pushed me to do everything I can do. And um, so, you know, I think, I think it just comes from that too.
Ed:And your parents, if I recall correctly actually got you started on the pathway to being an artist. So can you talk a little bit about that? Yes.
Katherine:My parents, um, are veterinarians. Um, my dad actually passed away several years ago, but my mom is still a practicing veterinarian. And so I grew up around animals and, um, my mom, when I was little, was constantly trying to find things that I could do because, you know, obviously I went to a mainstream school and I couldn't go out with my friends and play baseball or soccer or softball or whatever. And so, you know, at the times when I couldn't go be with them, I was bored and I was smart and I was driving my mother completely insane. And so, um, you know, she was constantly trying to teach me things. We did a lot of hooked on phonics for the nineties kids. I'm sure you all remember hooked on phonics. It was torture and I hated it. Uh, but uh, I did a lot of that. And then my mom gave me art supplies and when I was five, she gave me my first watercolor set, which was just a cheap watercolor set that you would normally give a five year old. You know, it was, I'm sure 10 bucks at, you know, Michael's or whatever. And I got kind of hooked. Like I, I loved it and it turned out I was actually pretty good at it even for a five year old. And so my parents got me into different classes. I mean, of course I took art in school, but then, um, I had private classes and I had like summer camps, you know, so I got to do all kinds of work with all kinds of medium. Um, I did, I mean, I even got to do some glass blowing one summer, which was super fun, but kind of dangerous.<laugh> super fun though. Um, I did, I, you know, I've done acrylic in oil and pastel and sculpture and I mean everything, but I've always kind of come back to watercolor. Um, I think just because it was the, maybe the first thing I learned and then also it, um, you know, you can do it in a small space, which is nice. Uh, and for me, I can't move around a whole lot. So to be able to do something in a small space, relatively neatly, uh, is, is good. And, and I started painting animals because my parents would take me to work with them on Saturdays. And so I grew up, you know, in a vet clinic essentially. And so while I was there, I'd bring my paints. And while I was just hanging out in the front, the clients would say, oh, could you paint my dog? You know? And I would, while they were waiting, sit there and paint their dog and, or, or they'd give me pictures and I'd paint it later or whatever. But as like a young teenager, they were starting to just pay me to paint their animals. And so, you know, that's pretty cool as a young teenager to be making 40 bucks or whatever, you know, a, um, and of course those paintings were not nearly as involved as my paintings are today, but, um, that's kind of how I got started.
Ed:So share a little bit about how you developed your, your process and your technique is a little bit different from anybody else's, I'm aware of. So how did, how did you, how did you make those adaptations?
Katherine:It is. So for me, it's hard for me to sit up for a long period of time because it is really hard on my back. It's also hard for me. Like if I am sitting up to hold my arm up to do something for any length of time. And so I do a lot of, a lot of my daily activities laying down on my side. So, I mean, and I've always done that just, I mean, since I was a child, you know, I've always, I learned to eat on my side. I learned to drink and, you know, type and write and everything on my side. Uh, and so I want, I obviously was drawing and painting on my side as well. The problem I is that when you look at something laying down, it looks very different than when you look at it when you're sitting up. So for a long time, when I was young, everything would just kind of be a little off, like just a little crooked. Um, and so, and, you know, as a kid it's like, oh, it's whimsical and it's a child's drawing and you know, it's fine, but as a professional, unless you're doing that on purpose for a reason, like purposely in the painting, it's not great to have everything crooked. So I had a, uh, professor who taught me privately a college professor who taught me privately in high school every weekend, I would do a couple hour lesson with her and she actually laid on the floor with me and helped me figure out my perspective and what I needed to do to compensate for it. And yeah, and I mean, it, I mean, I learned more from her than from anybody, you know, because she said everybody has a process. Every artist has a process. You just have to figure out what yours is and what works for you. And so that's what she helped me figure out is, you know, what my process would be. And, um, I mean, that was invaluable. I mean, that's when, like that's when I learned to draw, you know, I had been drawing for a long time, but that's when I learned how<laugh>, you know, the right way. And, and that's when I really started thinking, okay, yeah, this is gonna be a career choice for me.
Ed:And I think your animal paintings are amazing and they're, they're very remarkable. And almost, I think probably people would say photo realistic or something close to that. And yet they also still reflect who you are as an artist. So how do you navigate that? Uh, how do you balance those two things?
Katherine:Um, I mean, I think they are kind of photo realistic, but I always try to put some of my personality in each one. Um, I mean, you know, it's, it's still a painting no matter what. So, I mean, there are still brush strokes and there's still, um, that artsy flare, I guess you could say, I mean, it's, it's not a photo. Like it's never going to be a photo. Uh, it's still a painting. So, you know, I, I usually work from photos. You know, I usually look at a photo when I'm working and I take some artistic license as we like to say, you know, like I, if it's somebody's pet, obviously I don't change much except maybe the background, um, because it's, somebody's pet, right. You know, they want, they want a painting of their pet. So it has to look like they're a pet. Right? Um, but when I'm doing a wild animal or a bird or something like that, you know, I, I take some artistic license and I kind of do what I want, which is more fun, um, than doing pet portraits. But I mean, I have a line of pet portraits right now, still from Christmas that I have just, it's a lot<laugh>
Ed:I think you've mentioned on your blog that, uh, you know, you grew up with animals and you know, that each animal has its own personality. And for you in your family, you had a tarantula and a Maltese and a cockatiel. So some things that maybe other people haven't grown up with and they each have their own personality. So you started with pets that you knew their personality, what's the challenge of capturing that personality when you only have a photo to work with?
Katherine:Yeah, that, that is hard. Um, I mean, I feel like I've done it so much that it just kind of happens now, but that being said, I mean, I do often tell people I need another photo, you know, or I, you know, I need more than one, you know, to try to get an idea of this animal's personality, because sometimes it just doesn't work. I mean, you know, sometimes I, like, I have a client right now, her son wants a painting of his girlfriend's dog and she's probably sent me eight photos and all, I was like, no, no, no,<laugh> until, until finally we got one that I was like, okay, I, I can work with this. You know? Um, the challenge, the most challenging is when the animal has passed away and the owner doesn't have any more photos and that can be challenging. Um, it is, it's not as bad if it's a purebred dog and, you know, they're all kind of a standard, um, look, you know, and, and that kind of helps because I can go on Google and cheat a little bit and find, you know, like, like a Maltese, you know, a lot of Maltese look the same. I mean, obviously not exactly the same, you know, and, and they may have a different look on their face, but as far as like their hair and their color and the basic shape of their bodies, you know, their essentially the same. But when we, whenever I get a dog that is a mixed breed that is already died, that has already died. And then I only have one or two kind of okay photos. That's, that's a little challenging.<laugh> um, so far though, I've managed to make everybody happy. So, so far so good.
Ed:Well, and part of the challenge, I guess, uh, for you is you love painting obviously, and you have a fine arts, uh, creative talent, but you also have to make a living from what you do. And so share a little bit about the challenge of how you sort of learn to monetize your work. And I know you have a very strong work ethic from your parents. You've shared that. So how, how have you managed to, uh, to make it into something that, you know, can be sustainable as a career?
Katherine:Yeah. Um, I honestly, so I've had my business officially now for almost 11 years. Um, I started it right outta college and I mean, of course I had been working before that, but like for real, legally with a business name and an LLC, you know, right out of college. And I feel like just now that I'm finally at a point where I am making money on my paintings. Um, so I know that's probably not what new business owners wanna hear because it's been 11 years, but, you know, you can only charge so much when you don't have the experience, you know, and, and, and, and, and for a piece of art, you can only charge so much period. You know, it's, it's a piece of art. Like there's only so much somebody's gonna pay for that. And so I've, over the years, I've just inched my prices up, you know, as I've gotten, you know, more articles written about me or, or more news spots or whatever, as I've, my work has become a little more known, you know, I've inched my prices up to a point now where, um, I'm still getting plenty of work, so that's not an issue, but I actually feel like I'm making money on them, which is wonderful. And the other thing I do is for my wild animal paintings, not so much the pet portraits, but the wild animal paintings, I put my paintings on products and sell those products. So, you know, I don't necessarily make a ton of money off of each product because of course I have to pay for the product. Right? And then I sell it. So it's not like, you know, if it's a$30 pillow, I'm not making 30 dollars, I'm making five, you know, or whatever, or a little more than that, but let's just go with five. Um, so, uh, you know, that, that is nice because even though I'm not making as much money per product, I'm also not doing any work really, you know, except process the order, essentially, you know, so that, that's a good source of income. And I'm actually, this year, one of my main goals is to start actually licensing my work professionally to companies, for them to put it on their products. Um, so like, if you see, I don't know, like a, a mug in Target, you know, I, my goal is to contact manufacturers who make those mugs, have them agree to put one of my paintings on a mug and then sell it in all of their, you know, all their retail outlets. And then I would get a royalty on each item they sell, essentially that's called art licensing. Um, it's a little more complicated than that, but that's it in a nutshell. And, uh, so that's something I'm looking into seriously this year, trying to kind of start because it's a lot of work in the beginning, but then once these contracts are set up and these deals were set up, it's, I don't have to do anything, you know, which is fabulous. Well, and then the other thing is I majored in graphic design in college. I, when I went, when I started college, I thought I was gonna major in fine art. Then I realized how much work I would have to put out physically to make enough money to survive as a fine artist. And physically there was no way that there was just, there was no way that was gonna happen. And so I decided to switch my major about halfway through my freshman year, maybe to graphic design. And so I am like technically trained as a graphic designer. So I also do logos and business cards and invitations and websites and that kind of thing too. So that's kind of supplemented my art.
Ed:So Katherine, you shared about, uh, your graphic design part of, uh, who you are and your work, and you actually majored in graphic design. And I don't know that our listeners are aware that that was a big part of your book. Project was actually the, the design part of it, as much as it was a chance to tell your story, but you also had an interesting encounter with a fairly well known, uh, musical artist. And I know you're a music fan. So can you talk a little bit about, uh, that encounter? I think you probably know the one.
Katherine:I'm talking about. Yeah. So I, I love live music. That's my hobby, you know, people say, oh, but you are an artist. Art is your hobby. Art is really not my hobby anymore. Um, it used to be, but now that it is my job,<laugh>, it is no longer my hobby. Um, I still love it, but not it's, it's just not a hobby anymore. So my, my hobby is going to see live music. And we have a festival here in New Orleans called Jazz Fest. Um, I'm sure there are several people on here that have heard of Jazz Fest, cuz it's very well known. Um, and I go as many days, every year as I possibly can. I love Jazz Fest and one year, I guess, three or four years ago now, um, Rod Stewart was there and he actually wasn't supposed to be there. It was supposed to be Aretha Franklin. Um, but she was sick and he ended up being like a last minute fill in and my friend and I were excited, uh, you know, but I didn't, I knew him through my parents, you know, like I, I knew him because my parents used to listen to his music and it's not like, it's not like I knew his music super, super well, you know, I knew the big ones, but I didn't know it all anyway, but I was excited. So we went and we, uh, at Jazz Fest, you kind of have to secure a spot really early in the day and then just sit there all day. So, you know, we camped out at 11 o'clock right when the gates opened. So he came four, four or five and um, he kept singing to me cuz of course we were in the front and I don't know why he just did. And um, I tried to fake that I knew the one because of course I didn't. Right? Um, at least for the most part. And I guess I did a good job because at the end of his set, he looked at me and he looked at my friend and he pointed at me and said, you do you wanna come backstage? And I was like, okay. So he finishes the show, security takes us backstage. Um, and they were having a party back there because it was one of his backup girls's last performances with him. Uh, she had taken a spot on Broadway. And so this was her last show with them so they had cake and wine. Um, and he, you know,"come on back, come have some cake, come have some wine, you know, would you like a shot at tequila?" I'm like,"no," we've been standing out in a hundred degrees for eight hours and I've had chocolate covered strawberries today as far as food goes. So no think I'll pass on the tequila. Um<laugh> but, uh, anyway, we started talking with him and my friend, um, was, I mean that, you know, she was on it. I was still kind of in shock. Right? And she was like, Hey, you know, Katherine is a graphic designer and she loves to design for the music industry. If you ever need something, here's her card, you know, ha ha ha you know, rod Stewart, you know, world renowned artist, right. Here's her card. And he goes,"well, actually I have an album coming out in September." This was may."So in September and I don't have album art for it. Do you wanna give it a go?" And I was just like, uh, okay. So, uh, he, I met with his manager and she emailed me the spec the next week for the album art, which, I mean, I couldn't believe like it actually happened, you know, because, you know, I, I was just like, okay, yeah, she'll email me to specs next week we'll see. But I mean, she did. And, and I went back and forth with him through her over the next couple months about what he liked and what he didn't like and being an artist, of course he had no idea what he, what he wanted. Um, and, uh, it came apparently from what I understand, it came down to two designs. One was mine and one was somebody else's and unfortunately he went with somebody else's, but that's totally fine. Um, it was an incredible experience to work with him because I mean, like who gets to work with Rod Stewart, you know, like that was crazy. And, um, he did pay me for my time, which was wonderful. And he invited us back to a show that year and we had backstage passes and all that stuff again. So we got to hang out with him again and his family and, um, it was great. And he is a great guy. I mean, he is so nice. So down to earth, just, I mean all around great guy. So that was a pretty cool deal.
Ed:So you never know where you're gonna find your next gig, right? It could be almost anywhere.
Katherine:You never know. Yeah. You never know it's, you know, it's right place, right time.
Ed:And sometimes that love of music can connect up with the other things that you do. And, and it leads somewhere really interesting and memorable.
Katherine:Absolutely. Definitely. I and I work with a few local musicians also, you know, and I, I love to design for music. Um, I just, I love, you know, I think music brings people together kind of like art does. So I like the idea of creating that visual component for music because it's so audio, right? I mean, I think there's something really neat about taking that audio and making it visual and it's fun. It's challenging, but it's fun.
Ed:So as a center for independent living, we're obviously an organization that really wants to support people in reaching for their goals and dreams and finding ways to support them in doing that. Can you talk a little about your journey? Uh you're you're a very independent person in terms of where you've taken your career. Talk a little bit about that, what independence means to you and how you've gotten, where you are.
Katherine:Yeah. I mean, I, I will never be completely independent and, and, you know, that's, that's the case with a lot of people with disabilities, you know, you, there are just things I can't do. Like I can't go to the bathroom by myself for example, or, or cook my own food. Um, you know, that kind of thing. So the things I can do by myself, I want to do by myself, you know? So, so that's part of what is so great about watercolor painting is that I can do it all by myself. You know, aside from somebody physically handing me my, my paint brushes and my paints and my palette and, you know, whatever I need once I have all my stuff, I mean, I, I can do it by myself and I can create a product that actually makes me money<laugh>, which is really nice. Um, so I think, you know, it kind of goes back to what we were talking about, about finding your process, you know, it's it's, and it doesn't have to be an artistic process, you know, it's, it's about finding what you can do, then figuring out a way to work that into your life so that it helps you make a living. Um, and so, and sometimes that's harder than others, you know, I, I'm lucky because I found that I loved art at a really young age, and I had parents that supported it and pushed me to do it sometimes I think a little too hard, but that's okay.<laugh> we forgive them for that. But, uh, you know, some people don't have that. And so they're gonna have to find a way to take the initiative, to just try a bunch of stuff and see what they like and see what they can do.
Ed:And obviously that means being willing to step outside your comfort zone and try new things and explore?
Katherine:Definitely, definitely. And I, and I've done that within the art world, you know, like I've, as I said, I've tried all kinds of media, you know, tried, um, I also make jewelry. That's another kind of offshoot of my business that I do mostly around the holidays. Um, but I tried glass blowing and stain glass and oil painting, which I absolutely despise. Um,<laugh>, I mean, I love people who can do it and I love to look at it. I just don't like doing it myself, you know, and print making and all those things. Those were totally outside my comfort zone, but I tried'em and you know, it, they were good experiences that still add to what I do today.
Ed:Absolutely. And you also, I think have written in your book about some of the treatment mode that have actually helped you in your life and you are allowing you to do what you do. Can you talk a little bit about that and how you kind of came across the right combination of things that, that supports you?
Katherine:Yeah. So my mother is a homeopathic veterinarian, so she does a lot of natural medicine. Uh, so we don't use a whole lot of prescription drugs in this house. I don't, I don't take narcotics when I break. Um, I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've taken a narcotic, many of them for a very long time ago. I just do things a little bit differently in general. I don't go to doctors when I break, because all they can tell me is that I have a broken bone, which I already know because I've been doing this for a really long time. And you know, my mom and my dad are vets, you know, so they can put a cast on me or splint me or wrap my arm or whatever it is, you know, that needs to be done. And honestly, they did it better than most doctors because they had more experience with me when I was hurt, you know, than most doctors have. This is not a common disease and most doctors never see it, you know? Um, and so for a lot of doctors, unless they're a orthopedic doctors or they specialize in it, this is, this disease is a paragraph in a book, you know, like they know about it, but they have no idea how to handle it. Even though they've been trained in theory how to handle it, they really have no idea because they just, they don't have to do it every day. You know? And so we found things, we found other types of splinting material that is lighter in weight. Um, because one thing people don't think about is if like, let's say I break my arm and I need a cast or a splint, or, you know, something in the hospital, what they would put on is a fiberglass heavy cast. Right? Well, the problem is that if you put a fiberglass cast on me and I have the weight of that cast pulling on my shoulder, I'm more likely to break my shoulder because of the cast. And so people don't think about that. You know, doctors don't think about that because they don't have to with normal people. Um, but we do. And so it's very rare that I get checked by a doctor, of course, you know, when it's a bad enough injury and you know, we're a little concerned about anything surgical, you know, then like, okay, maybe we need to go see somebody, but I, again, like I could probably count on one hand, the amount of times that's happened. I always joke that if I had an x-ray, every time I broke a bone, I would glow<laugh> because I mean, you know, I broke two ribs last week because I had a cold and I coughed, you know, I mean, like it's, it happens a lot, you know? And, um, yeah, that would, that would not be convenient at all.<laugh>
Ed:So you found what works for you and how, how does you being able and willing and learning to advocate for yourself? How has that factored into, you know, finding the, the right path?
Katherine:Well, I mean, I think that if, if you can, everyone needs to be able to advocate for themselves. Um, and of course I couldn't do that when I was a child, but I had parents that did it for me. You know, my mom advocated for me, you know, constantly when I was a child. The thing is that unfortunately, and this is just from my personal experience, doctors and other medical professionals, like physical therapists. I've had issues with physical therapists in the past, um, occupational therapists they will at, they will put you in a box basically, you know, they, because, because they've been taught protocols and they've been taught to follow those protocols, which I get, you know, everybody needs to learn the protocols and follow them, but at, at a certain point, sometimes those protocols just don't work, you know, with certain people, it's just, it's just not an option. And, you know, one of the things I talk about when I public speaking, especially to a group of medical professionals or medical students is, yeah, I mean, you need to learn'em and you need to learn'em as you know, the basis of your education, but you also need to learn how to work around them and how to change them and how to think outside the box a little bit, because like, I can't do regular physical therapy. Uh, an example is in theory, I had a physical therapist when I was young, who decided that, well, my bones aren't strong, but she could make my muscles strong. And if my muscles were stronger than my bone, then in theory, I would be able to move around better and maybe walk, well, the problem with that is that when my muscles are stronger than my bones, they break my bones and that's a major problem. So, you know, that, that protocol did not work for me. Um, they used those, uh, those electrical stem units. They put one on my, on my eye and broke my femur. I mean, you know, yeah. That would work for most people does not work for me. So yeah, that's, that's one of the things is you've gotta again, figure out your process and what works for you and then stick to it.
Ed:And you've also done some advocacy around school inclusion, and that seems to be a passion for you as well. Can you talk a little bit about your work in that area?
Katherine:Sure. So I, I was always in a mainstream school. Um, my parents realized that I was really smart and at least here, you know, I don't, I can't speak for the rest of the country, but in this general area, when you talk about a special ed school, you talk about mental disabilities. And I mean, that was not the place for me because I didn't have a mental disability. You know, I was physically disabled, but not mentally. And I would've been bored to death, you know, in a class like that. And I wouldn't have gotten any kind of social interaction with at my level, you know, my mental level. And so my parents always pushed for me to be in a mainstream school. I went to a private school when I was in grade school that was small, but, and very family oriented and they were great about making sure I was included as much as I could be. And, and of course, again, like there were times where I couldn't be, but we found ways around it, you know, or, or, you know, while my friends went and did something, I went and did something else, you know, or I had art to fill in or whatever it was, but what's cool, is that not only did I get the social engagement I needed, you know, as, as a child, but my friends grew up understanding how to react around somebody who looks different or who has to do things a little bit differently. And that I think for them was invaluable because they, you know, they don't stare at people in wheelchairs, in public, you know, they don't, they're not afraid to go up to somebody in a wheelchair and ask them a question or just talk to them, like a normal person, you know? And there are so many people today that don't know how to do that, or they can't, or they just, they just won't. And, and it's because they don't have any experience with it. That's, that's the main reason I would assume. And so if you start kids off where it's normal for people to be different, then by the time they get to adulthood, they're good. You know, like it's not a thing for them. And then they teach their kids the same way, you know, it's a trickle effect. So that's one of the things I talk about is going to school and, and even kids with mental disabilities, like involve'em in PE classes or involve them, you know, wherever they can be involved with kids, you know, who are able bodied, who are, you know, quote unquote normal. So that again, when they see somebody out like that in public, did they, they know how to react? You know, it's not a weird thing for them. And I, I just, I think that's something that a lot of people don't think about that they should.
Ed:Absolutely. Yeah. That's fantastic. You have so many different, uh, facets to what you do. And one of the challenges of talking to you is, well, here we are on a podcast and you're, uh, working a very visual medium, or I should say visual media. So if people want to see your work, uh, experience more of it, learn more about it, how would they do that?
Katherine:So my website is kakartnola.com, like new Orleans, Louisiana.com. Um, my initials were KK and that's actually kind of a funny story because when I was really little, my dad was like, oh, you need a business card. You know, and I started just painting random clients' pets. And so I came up with KAK Art and then I just, it stuck. And I just, you know, I had those horrible print shop deluxe business cards, you know, at first. And I actually found one not long ago and oh my God, I don't know what I was thinking. It's so badly designed, but anyway, it just stuck. So KAK art, kakartnola.com. And then you can also find me, my, all of my handles are kakartnola. So you can find me on Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn. And then I also have an Etsy store, um, which is linked to my website. So you can find it through that.
Ed:And I think I found some YouTube as well. So you can, you can claim the title of YouTuber, which all the kids these days really appreciate.
Katherine:I know, I, you know, know I, YouTube is like my last thought right now, you know, I've, I've really been trying to get my Instagram well established and I've been working on my Facebook page a lot. And I, I do add to my YouTube account. I just am not probably as religious about it as I should be, but yes, technically I am on YouTube.
Ed:So I guess the next question is what's next for you? What's on the horizon?
Katherine:I, I, well, as I said, I'm gonna be working on the art licensing thing, um, throughout the year. And I just had a show in Baton Rouge. Um, I had a, a, my first museum exhibit, so that was really exciting and that went really, it went really well. And so I'm gonna try to probably secure another one of those by the end of the year. Uh, the problem is the problem is I have to create more for it. Uh, and I currently don't have the time to do that due to the amount of pet portraits I still have to do from Christmas. So, um, I hopefully can do that this year. We'll just have to see that's, that's about it.
Ed:Great. I'm, I'm sure it, whatever it is, it will be done with the same passion and the same work ethic and the same dedication that you give to everything that you've done, which is a great deal. So thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me, um, and share a little bit about your story and your amazing creativity with our listeners.
Katherine:Absolutely. Thank you for having me.
Ed:So thanks to our listeners. If you like, what you heard today, you can like and subscribe, and so you can find out what is coming up next on Disability Talks. Thank you very much, Katherine, for joining us. And we look forward to hearing from you again in the future.
Katherine:Awesome, thank you.
Outro:Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Disability Talks. Want to be a part of the ongoing conversation? Visit our website at abilitiesinmotion.org, or connect with us on social media.