Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Kelly.
Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Overall, I am a very curious person… said curiosity has always prompted me to think, and every so often, do.
That doing led me to explore activities like dancing, baking, making music, playing the viola, making mini books, helping my sisters put on “shows” in our living room, creating homes and cities out of blocks, excessively reading up on fashion and styling, even looking into forensics (?!), and most importantly, constantly writing.
All of these things stem back to one thing, well maybe two things, and that’s thinking and doing.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hmph. Naturally, I’ve experienced a lot of bumps, but I’ve always felt like I’ve needed to feel the bumps to really appreciate the smoothness.
Once I had my “Aha! So, I really can just create from all the things I think!” moment while in my Communication Design AAS, then Graphic Design BFA programs at The Fashion Institute of Technology, I kind of understood from then that most things aren’t going to come easy, but every working experience I have, good or bad, will lead me to the next *exciting* opportunity with time.
In terms of client-related work, the struggle creeps in when I don’t feel aligned with what I’m making, and when I don’t think I’m saying something (through the work) that will prompt viewers to sit and stay a while.
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 think there’s a lot of overlap between art and design, and I think I sit at the intersection of those definitions — sometimes leaning one way more than the other — but generally speaking, like many others who sit in this grey area, I just love to make things.
Those current things include but are not limited to apparel design, print design (books, posters, cards, etc.), website design, motion graphics, typographic experimentation, creative/art direction… I think what sets me apart from others is that I am me, that I care, and that I love what I do — even if I’m not sure what that is sometimes.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Despite participating in and enjoying various sports, clubs, and hobbies, I was pretty shy and quiet.
As we all do, I started to break out of my shell a bit more in my teen years, but it wasn’t until sometime in high school that I came to the conclusion that life is short and that I should be the last person who holds me back from being myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emilypaigekelly.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilypkelly/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykelly121/
