Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Petersen.
Hi Kendra, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Arvada, Colorado; in the same neighborhood I live in now. I was a quiet and shy kid who felt things very deeply. Growing up I knew exactly what I was going to do with my life. I was going to be a famous, award-winning actress. After a life of striving for that dream, things took a turn in college. I was diagnosed with depression and came to realize that being an actress was not for me. I was lost for a few years and ended up changing my major seven times. Eventually, I settled on “Graphic Design with an Emphasis in Videography.”
After college, I started my own videography and photography business, KNCProductions. It wasn’t anything big. I mostly took family portraits and filmed weddings and school theatre productions. For 11 years I told someone else’s stories and captured other people’s memories for them to treasure.
As it did for many people, Covid and 2020 brought a lot of changes. The world around us was fairly chaotic but our family bubble was actually quite lovely. We were brought closer together and made a lot of good memories. At the beginning of the initial lockdown, we started an art wall in our living room. As a family, we would add paintings, drawings, coloring pages, etc. to our wall; which expanded immensely as Covid continued. We all created art to pass the time, express our feelings, and have fun. During lockdown, I started dabbling with art mediums I had never used before. I tried watercolors for the first time. I played with pastels and got artsy with my kids’ colored pencils and crayons. I was slowly tapping into a part of my soul that had been profoundly neglected. Towards the end of 2020 when people were starting to feel more comfortable, I began taking family photographs again. But after the year of creating, I realized that family portraiture and videography were no longer bringing me any joy.
After a lot of self-reflection, I made the decision to explore this wonderful new feeling I got while creating art. With my husband’s full support, I no longer pursued business with KNCProductions and I spent the year of 2021 trying every form of art I could discover.
I took a leap and officially created my art business, Meraki & Imagination LLC this year. Meraki is a Greek word that means “to do something with so much passion, creativity, and love that you leave a part of your soul in your work.”
My days are now filled with paint stains, doodles, and Photoshop. My three girls love my new passion and enjoy being able to share in my work.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has not been an easy one. I feel like I have spent a lot of my time lost in the woods. Throughout my adulthood I have struggled with depression and anxiety which helped contribute to a lack of self-confidence that I think has held me back from pursuing my true passions in life. Looking back, I have found that art has been my emotional release and greatly therapeutic.
About four years ago I battled postpartum depression and anxiety following the birth of my third child and my husband’s military deployment. These struggles pushed me on a path of self-reflection. I created an artistic photography project called Illuminating Shadows to tell my story and help others who go through those experiences. I hoped my art would bring understanding and help decrease the stigma surrounding mental health. I have become somewhat of an advocate for mental health awareness and often speak openly about my tumultuous experiences in hopes that it will help others.
These days my struggles are often trying to balance being a mom of three girls with a husband in the military, managing my mental health, and now starting my art business. Deployments are rough and put an emotional strain on our family. We are all creatives and have found art to be a good way to distract us in difficult times and help process the big emotions we feel. I can escape into my imagination or dive deep into my emotions to create something beautiful out of pain.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an artist who doesn’t fit in a box. I use a variety of mediums and create in many styles. I don’t like to feel pinned down. I’m constantly exploring and experimenting. I create a lot of different pieces in digital form often mixing my photography with illustration. I paint with watercolors and acrylics, creating images that range from abstract, to impressionism, to more realistic, to anywhere in between. I have played with mixed media, charcoal, pencils, pastels, and different kinds of inks. I have even painted with tea and on teabags. I try to create something new every day, even if it is a simple doodle. I draw a lot of inspiration from the world around me and my children. I’m constantly learning new things about art and myself.
I try to give back to the world around me. While filming the theatre productions I donated some of my earnings to each school to support the arts in education. Each month I have a plan to donate a piece of my proceeds to different charities or organizations that help those in need. Just recently I completed a project to create a custom piece of art for each staff member at my children’s school in a show of support and appreciation; in the end, forty-six creations were donated. I feel like art can make a difference. It can simply bring a smile to someone’s face or touch a person deep in their heart. It can raise awareness about important issues and help change the world.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I have recently started taking commissions for custom and personal pieces. I always feel honored to be able to use my talents to create something unique for someone.
I am always looking for new opportunities to explore art in different ways, whether it’s guiding someone else on their journey or collaborating on special projects.
I hope to have my website up and running soon for purchases and donation opportunities. Until then you can follow me on Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kncp_imagine.meraki
