In Touch with my Inner Existence • by Rachel Killpack

My background as an artist is no different than my background as a person. It is my family, my friends, and the natural world around me. Every piece I make has my entire existence as its background. I’m not saying this to sound esoteric or sensational; it’s really how I view my creative process. In order to create art, one must be in touch with their inner existence, and be able to translate that into a medium that can touch other people. My teachers are sometimes intentional, like my college art teacher who taught me that it doesn’t matter if you can make a ‘living’ as an artist. Sometimes unintentional, like the church leader who told the congregation that art is the highest expression of the soul.

I draw inspiration from the most likely places like mixed-media or craft publications and other artists’ work that I admire. And from the most unlikely places like the colors on a kite flying overhead at the park. I realized that art was something I loved when I realized that it made me complete as a person. Not only does creating art soothe anxiety, build confidence, and provide a welcome release from the stresses of daily life, but it also makes me who I am. I make art when I am happy, but also when I am sad or stressed. Art is always an expression of what is going on inside of me, so it’s harder to create when I’m not feeling good, but it always makes me feel better when I finish a project. I don’t think I’ve been saved by art anymore than my heart “saves” me every time it beats.

Where the Magic Happens
Having a space to create is very important to me. It needs to be dedicated to that purpose, and have a quiet and inspiring energy. I actually prefer to sit on the floor when I create. It makes it more tactile, more participatory, and active. Creating art for me is just as much about the process as the finished product. The process is one of discovery, like an adventure inward. This is why the space is so important. You can’t be distracted outwardly if you want to travel inward. I draw my material for inspiration from my experiences, the images in my mind. The materials I use must be organized and accessible.

I would say my preferred medium is paper. I love to mix and match different colors, patterns, and textures. Then I add an eclectic mix of items that resonate with my experiences. Things that I find such as vintage buttons, feathers, old costume jewelry, an old postcard, or cookie tin from an old farmhouse kitchen resonate with my own childhood memories, and with the stories and images conjured by my elders, especially my grandparents. This is where the “magic” happens. Expressing my own inner self through these eclectic objects that hopefully resonate with others.

A Transformative Experience
In 5 months, I will be a (for the first time!) mother of a beautiful baby girl. Already my artistic senses are being awakened to all things baby. The colors, the shapes, the sounds.

There is something very visual about preparing for a baby. The colors of the room, the cute animal pictures on the onesies. The colors and shapes of the toys all have me very inspired and excited to create and decorate and design her little wardrobe. A lot of creative energy is being focused on this little girl and I am just going with it. Becoming an artist has been the most transformative experience of my life. Without art I would truly not be who I am today. My goal is to inspire others to create, especially women, in order to gain confidence and express their own inner beauty to the world. I would like to thank CRESCENDOh for doing just that for me and many others and for giving me the opportunity to be a guest curator.

To learn more about Rachel Killpack, visit fawnprints.blogspot.com.

Comments

[Carolyn Peeler]

Rachel, what a beautiful article. I love how open and transparent you were. You rock my friend!