The One Where I Actually Start the Blog
Welcome, it’s finally happening, I’m finally doing the damn thing. I know, I am as shocked as you are, Morgan?! Writing a Blog?! The world really is off its rocker. It has taken me so long to actually do this for a plethora of reasons, reasons that probably every person starting out has: imposter syndrome, fear, pride, nausea, etc. I mostly chalked my excuses up to not wanting to be the (queue valley girl voice) “Blogger Girl”, but what that really boiled down to, I realized, was a mixture of fear and pride. I’ve talked about doing this for almost two years, and it took a meeting with some badass ladies in business, hosted by Lauren Woods of Hustle and Throw, to finally hold me accountable.
So we’re keeping it simple and sweet for this first post (so that I don’t panic and throw my computer at a wall and flee), just a little intro about my business and a few of my plans. If you’re interested in learning more about me personally check out my About the Artist page here.
If you haven’t already gathered my name is Morgan Kemp, I’ve been many things: a climber, a raft guide, a dirt bag, an engineer, a dancer, a skier, a student, a teacher, a dog mom, a roller skater; but my one constant is that I have been a creative for as long as I could remember. I’ve owned my business, A Wild Things Art, for two years now (it’ll be three years in February!) So how did I get started you may ask? I’ll give you a bit of a timeline:
As you can see I haven’t had the most conventional start. I hated engineering but I finished it because I’m stubborn as hell. I moved ten times, to four different states in three years. All throughout those years I was working on art and also working as a ski instructor, raft guide, or in an outdoor gear shop. Since my work and my business is inspired by nature, my time exploring and working in the outdoors is crucial to what I do. I started out only doing watercolor and pen art, I then expanded to printmaking, digital design, screen printing and now sculpture and paint carving (I’ll do a post about that process in the future). I don’t like being put in a box, I like to do things in my wonky way on my wonky terms. If I get stagnant with an art process I try something new, and I love that freedom and the challenge of learning a new skill.
I do not believe that knowledge found should be withheld, and I love teaching others what I discover. This is why I started grad school, so that I could a) teach at a university and b) have summers off so I can always be a river rat. The expectations vs. reality of grad school has me in a tumultuous roller coaster, one who’s outcome changes everyday. Though the outcome of my MFA journey remains blurry, what I do know is I want to utilize this blog as another avenue of education, sharing my experiences and how I create my work with you.
Last thing I want to tell you about is how the name of my business came to be.
I grew up in the desert of El Paso, Texas, I encountered a variety of fellow desert dwellers: snakes, lizards, agave, century plants, birds, ocotillo and coyotes. The coyote was the most fascinating to me. The more I learned about coyotes, the history, the mythology, the tenacity, the more I fell in love with them. They are the only animal to not only survive our extinction attempts but thrive in spite of them. They are in every region of the country, they evolve and learn from their environment to be able to thrive in a world that doesn’t always like them. They are the true wild things of this earth, and I relate to them on a personal level. Like coyotes, I like to roam where I please. I adapt, I learn, and no matter the efforts, I stay wild. That’s why I named my business A Wild Thing’s Art. I am a wild thing, and I make art about the wild things, and it is meant to be enjoyed by you, my fellow wild things. The coyote is a part of my logo, my brand, and who I am as a person. Likewise, the Ocotillo, is also a part of my logo, my brand, and who I am. It is my favorite desert cactus(I have a tattoo of it on my arm). They are wild, alien dwellers in the desert scape with gnarly thorns, but exquisite red blossoms. They can’t be tamed, only appreciated. And I love them for that.
So to wrap this up, my business is meant to be a bit of a wild, unpredictable place. To keep things consistent, this blog will also be a bit wild as well. I’m still figuring out everyday what this thing might look like but what I hope is that this blog is four things:
That it is a place for me to teach you all about art processes and practices.
That it is a platform for me to bring awareness to conservation efforts that need our help.
That it is a place for me to share my experiences, and journey with you.
That it is a place that brings you laughter, joy, and a smile.
Comments, questions, concerns, ideas, and jokes are all welcome below.
Thanks for reading,
stay wild my friends.