Meet Kinah Marie | Illustrator & Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kinah Marie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kinah Marie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Pursuing a creative career has always been a dream of mine ever since I was very small. I think many artists will tell you that they started creating or drawing as soon as their little hands were able. The seedling that started it all was being surrounded by creative people growing up. I’m the first “artist” that I know of in my family, but my dad was a singer and still sings to this day, my uncle plays the guitar, and my grandma loves to sew and make random figurines out of paper (she always sends a couple of her creations over as Christmas presents).

I was born with the need to create, but for a bit, I found myself denying that part of me so that I could “get a real job” and make my family proud. For my undergrad, I gave myself two choices for an area of study: Graphic Design or Computer Science. Seeing that the job market was saturated with creatives at the time and the tech industry was rapidly growing, I chose Computer Science. However, I later found myself in another identity crisis and switched my major two times, the first being Communications, and the second and final switch being Management Information Systems, which is a mix of coding and business.

Eventually, it dawned on me that there were more reasons for me to pursue a creative career than not — one being my happiness. Presently, I’m leaning into what fills me with joy and that involves making the conscious decision to actively pursue my dreams of becoming a professional Illustrator and Creative Director. Despite my techy background (and by some divine miracle), I’ve had the opportunity to create illustrations for Anorak Magazine, Kitchen Table Magazine, No Sleep Till Hollywood podcast, and a handful of other clients. In pursuit of my big girl job as a Creative Director, I’ve redirected my professional career (the one that pays the bills) and landed on a full-time gig as a Communications Associate, where I help brainstorm and develop content ideas for a nonprofit. I’m happy to share that we’re making progress!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think my art can be described as a window into a whimsical world of imagination. Within my work, I like to focus on color, line, and plenty of texture to create moods that tell a story.

To be honest, I’m not really sure what sets my work apart from others; there are so many great artists out there doing amazing work. The only thing that’s different about my work is that it’s authentically me. I create things for my older self and use my work as a sort of diary she can look back on.

It was definitely not an easy task gaining the bit of traction my work pulls in now. It was a perilous cycle of reinventing myself and meeting the right people who were willing to take a chance on my style. We’re still in that cycle now. How I overcome the challenges is just by believing in myself and believing that dreams do come true with effort.

Out of all the lessons I’ve learned, the one that I hold close and has become sort of a mantra to me is this: A closed mouth doesn’t eat. In other words, we have to be brave enough to ask for what we want, whether that be posting about it on social media, showcasing your talents for the world to see, or reaching out to someone directly. It’s something I hope to get a better grasp on in the upcoming years.

The one thing I want to leave with whoever is reading this right now is that you can do anything. Once you truly love yourself and acknowledge how far you’ve come, the world will open up for you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I live in Houston, Texas. So, if my best friend came to visit me, the first place I’d take them is out for brunch at a place called the Traveler’s Table, where you can have the cutest Ube pancakes you’ve ever seen. Then, we’d drive out west to Marfa, TX for some glamping and hiking at Big Bend National Park (I love to touch grass… or in this case, rocks). After the hike, we’d spend the day exploring the nearby towns and trying all of the local food (I had the most amazing egg and potato burrito at Marfa Burritos!). While there, we’d spend every night stargazing. Marfa has some of the most miraculous stars I’ve ever seen.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Throughout my career, the artists that I admire have become a sort of mentor to me and can be directly credited for my success and how my style has developed over time. There are two artists that I became obsessed with right at the moment of my second identity crisis when I graduated college (I have these episodes about every 3 years): Audra Auclair and Fran Meneses. I loved how whimsical and somewhat emotional their styles were, and I’ve definitely baked their essence into my own style, more whimsy than emotional, though.

Apart from my myriad of artists that I fangirl over, my agent Cathy, the Founder of Anorak Magazine, has played a huge part in helping me realize my dream of becoming a professional Illustrator. She gave me my first magazine spread called “I Fish, I Fish” back in 2020 for her magazine. I was so new to everything, but she really walked me through it, and I thank her for that opportunity and the many others she’s thought of me for.

As far as resources that have helped me along the way, I lean on podcasts and documentaries mostly. For podcasts: Creative Pep Talk by Andy J. Pizza, and Design Better by The Curiosity Department, LLC. Documentaries: Abstract: The Art of Design (really good if you want to know the thought processes some of the geniuses in the creative field work through).

Lastly (and it’s about to get a little cheesy), I’d like to shout out my partner for being there for me through all the ups and downs. He’s what really kept me afloat when I didn’t believe that I could EVER be a professional artist or creative. I think when you pursue a career in a field that is so volatile, you need a support system that can push you to do better, to be better. He is that for me, and I love him for it.

I’m grateful to everyone, both mentioned and not mentioned, who have come and gone in my life. I’ve learned something from each person, and I carry those lessons forward as I grow.

Website: www.kinahmarie.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kinah.marie