Life & Work with Kellie Farrell of Colorado Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kellie Farrell.

Hi Kellie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a kid, I always knew that I wanted to be an artist. I was one of those extra creative kids that was recognized and pulled out of class for to interact with other “enriched children”. However I never tried to be different. I just was. This ultimately propelled me into a language of creative thinking that became the voice I personify today, through my niche design firm, Flying Terrapin.

I grew through the ranks of advertising agencies and large corporations with titles such as Art Director and Senior Web Designer. But coordinating in large groups and in stagnate cubical rows for late hours was not the life that could sustain my soul.

In 2015, I created my own contract design company and named it after my favorite animal I had as a pet as a kid, the turtle. However the turtle had now grown wings and could fly out of the cubicle into other artistic realms and redefine the idea of being a graphic designer in a corporate world.

After 10 years of owning my own company, I have learned much and am so grateful to the years I spent working in advertising. Now I predominately work in email marketing design, I also enjoy packaging design for food and beverage along with fine art and illustration. I hope to retire as an oil painter and sell paintings in my front yard in Colorado Springs.

In my freetime, I have also studied Yoga, Ayurveda and Astrology, which I dabble in as side careers. As a mother of a teenager, I am also very attuned to our upcoming generation and their gifts, which astound me.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If it had been a perfectly smooth highway, I would quit a long time ago. I LOVE challenges, and in a competitive career, it keeps my fire alive. Most jobs I have had were up against hundreds of candidates. But I do not look at portfolios of others to figure out my own voice, just keep drawing creativity from within. Which I believe is the secret of my success.

The idea of a starving artist is somewhat true in all of us, because rice and beans are what sustain when there had been work hiatuses. Which is fine with me because I am a vegetarian…haha.

A lot of the challenges I went through were of a personal nature, including autoimmune and food allergy issues, along with being a single mom and living in a community that has become increasingly more expensive.

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?
Having spent 15 years in advertising agencies and large corporations as an Art Director and Senior Web Designer, I have a wealth of experience to draw from. I received my BFA in 2000 in Graphic Design and Illustration from Kansas State University. I am an expert at the Adobe Suite & HTML, plus I am a skilled illustrator. I have been freelancing full-time for 10 years, bringing 25 years of professional design experience to the table.

Clients enjoy my services because I excel at print & web, I can design your next packaging project or illustrate characters and lettering by hand.

I specialize in highly-creative endeavors and like a fast-paced work environment. My style is fresh, forward-thinking and sometimes whimsical. I have a very keen eye for detail. Clients like my work style because I am punctual and always give a little bit extra. My verticals include: Technology, Automotive, Food & Beverage, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, Apparel, and Children’s Literature.

Branding is like breathing to me. My list of national & regional clients include: Applebee’s, Vail Resorts, Agilent Technologies, Keysight Technologies, Panera Bread, AWG Bakery, Trinity Brewing Company, Noodles & Company, Nunbelievable Cookies, Ford Motor Company, Honda Motors, Toyota, Sprint, Starlight Theatre, The American Royal, City Rock Climbing Gym, SixThreeZero Bicycles, Zoe Strollers, BYLT Basics Apparel, and Highlights for Children.

Please utilize my services if you want quality, professionalism, punctuality, and tons of creativity!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I want to encourage artists of all kinds to know that you can make a career in art. It takes much tenacity and dedication, but there is a world out there who needs you.

I had support from family and friends, but ultimately the success story has to come from within. I am not afraid of failing, which is why I have succeeded.

Look for me in the coming years as a fine artist, as one day it will be necessary to go back to old school ways so that our children know it can still be done. I will retire with a paintbrush in my hand instead of a mouse. And to balance out the AI movement, which I am also not worried about ;);)

Pricing:

• Graphic Design Services Starting at $60/hr.
• Tarot/Astrology Readings Starting at $60/hr.
• Ayurvedic Health Coaching Starting at $60/hr.
• Private Yoga and Meditation Starting at $60/hr.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.flyingterrapin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflyingterrapin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flyingterrapin
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelliemuse/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tantraandtarotwithkellie