Katie Carrillo talks digital design, self-motivation, and cowboy possums in The Pitch Questionnaire
Courtesy of Katie Carrillo
Independent illustrator Katie Carrillo decided to give digital illustration a try after feeling that their job in the theatre industry wasn’t a great fit. Always having had a hunger for a creative career, the Latina LGBTQ+ artist began experimenting with various mediums and types of art. After designing her first sticker design, a cowboy possum, she began to post her designs online for the world to see.
Through stationery goods, mostly prints and stickers, Carrillo is able share original creations while exploring animals, nature, and even mental health. to You can find her work online, at West Bottoms Plant Company, and pop-ups around KC.
The crafty creator dives deeper into their world of artistry, independent business aspirations, and even pesky high school counselors in The Pitch Questionnaire.
Hometown:
Lexington, SC
Current neighborhood:
Courtesy of Katie Carrillo
Midtown/Westport
Social handles:
What are your favorite spots in KC?
I go to local coffee shops pretty much every weekend as a little treat to myself. My favorites are probably Anchor Island, Whiskers Cat Cafe, Two Sugars Coffee, Blip Roasters, and Cafe Cà Phê. Moving here from Tennessee, I really do miss the mountains sometimes, so I enjoy going to the trails at Swope Park to get my nature fix. I would also love to shout out Secret Handshake Studios. They’re a community maker space with all kinds of fun tools for creating art. They host and are a part of a lot of fun community events, like late-night bite or parties. They do a great job of cultivating a space where artists can meet and create together.
Current favorite musical artists? Who are you listening to?
I’m obsessed with Mitski. Her music is poetry for women of color that makes me feel so seen. As for what I’ve been listening to lately, I’ve actually been in a big Lauryn Hill phase. “Ex-Factor” is on repeat in my car all the time. My number one artist since I was in middle school has been and will forever be Paramore, though. Love you, Hayley Williams.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
When I was panicking about something costume related, my undergraduate mentor once told me, “Relax, we’re not curing cancer. This is theatre.” The art that I make is obviously very important to me, or I wouldn’t work so hard on it, but I think it’s so important to remind yourself that everything will be ok. When I’m stressed, upset with myself, and things are going wrong, it really helps me to get perspective. I also can get a little work-obsessed, so it’s nice to remind myself to nurture the more important things in life, like my own well-being and my relationships with loved ones.
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned?
If you start your own business, you will waste money, time, and materials. Point blank. It takes making mistakes to figure out how you like things done, whether that be where you get something manufactured, what kinds of products do well, which events you like to vend at, or what kind of materials you prefer to use. Even when you know what you’re doing, stuff happens. Sometimes equipment malfunctions, weather happens, things break, things get lost, etc. The most important thing is to take note of what worked and what didn’t, and grow from that experience.
You also eventually learn how to budget for mistakes when it comes to losing money. It’s a pretty hard pill to swallow, though, especially when you earn a lower income or grew up in a lower-income situation. I almost feel a sense of moral failure when I waste money or material, but I try to remember not to beat myself up too much and keep moving.
Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?
As a young kid, I knew I always wanted to create things. I loved coloring and drawing. Like a lot of other artistic kids, I got redirected by people trying to convince me that I should pursue something more “realistic,” especially because I got good grades in school. When I hit my junior year of high school, I decided to join technical theatre classes so I could hang out with my best friend, who was into theatre and dance. I ended up loving it and decided last minute that I would start applying for theatre programs at colleges instead of the STEM programs I was initially planning on pursuing.
My high school counselor tried to convince me to drop my theatre classes to take AP Chemistry and AP Psychology instead, but I argued with her until I could take my theatre classes and Film Studies my senior year. They were great classes. I don’t regret it at all. I’m proud of my past self for choosing to pursue what makes me happy instead of what I “should” be doing.
What kind of media do you like working with most?
I prefer digital illustration for sure. I use an iPad, an Apple pencil, and the drawing app Procreate for pretty much everything. When I do get the urge to play with traditional media, painting is usually my go-to. I’ve liked using oil and acrylic the most, but I’d really like to learn how to use gouache.
Courtesy of Katie Carrillo
Do you take inspiration from anywhere when it comes to your artwork?
Definitely. I take a lot of inspiration from fellow artists, especially with things like color schemes or subject matter. I also take a lot of inspiration from nature and clothing. My Pinterest boards are always full of flowers, little critters, and fun fashion editorials.
I would say this shows in my artwork a lot, but my identity as a Latina and LGBTQ artist is very important to me. I’m very proud of who I am, and I want others in my community to feel that way as well.
What inspired you to start your own business?
To be honest, I really didn’t have this in my plans at all until I rented out a studio space in Knoxville. After quitting graduate school, I made dresses full-time. I lived with three roommates, so I didn’t have room to do the work at my apartment. The studio I rented was in a building with other talented, kind artists who worked with all kinds of media.
There was a gallery/store in the front of the building, and the artists were encouraged to sell their work there. The dresses I was making weren’t mine to sell, but I kept a lot of the scrap fabric and started sewing my own things out of them.
I started a business centered around making things like plushies, scrunchies, and pillows out of 100% secondhand material. It was fun, and sustainability has always been something important to me, but watching the artists around me do things that I’d always loved really inspired me to go back to my childhood roots and start drawing again. I was already selling my things on Etsy and in the gallery, so I added stickers.
Once I moved to Kansas City, I decided to rebrand and stop selling my sewn products to focus completely on illustration. It happened because I was inspired by my studio mates. I saw them making art that they loved and finding ways to support themselves, and I wanted to follow in their footsteps!
Courtesy of Katie Carrillo
Where do you hope to go from here?
I just want to spend as much time in my life creating and enjoying art as I possibly can. I work a part-time day job as a receptionist to pay the bills, but I would love to one day make enough to fully support myself with my artwork. My greatest dream is honestly to just have enough time, space, and resources available to continue growing as an artist in whatever way makes me happiest.
Anything else?
It’s ok to want to live your life for yourself. Especially coming from an immigrant household, I spent so much of my life believing I had to make my parents’ sacrifices “worth it” by doing something really “important” with my life.
Even when I decided to pursue art, I felt a pressure to make sure that it “meant something” when I created, but it’s ok to just do what makes you happy. Art doesn’t need to be profound or life-changing or subversive or innovative. It’s ok to want to draw lil raccoons and cats and indulge in bright colors and have your motivation be that it just makes you happy. If there’s one thing I would want anyone to walk away remembering, it’s that.
