Early Inspiration:
I have always loved making things with my hands and found great joy in expressing myself creatively. If I couldn’t access my drawing supplies, I would use whatever was available around me. I specifically recall one vacation where I used different crushed plants and flowers as ink to draw. Art and expression are a core part of who I am, a natural flow of life force through me.
Support and Challenges:
Growing up, scientific and academic achievements were highly prized in my culture. There was a pervasive fear surrounding becoming an artist, mainly regarding financial stability. Questions like, "How will you make a living?" were common. Being an artist is often seen as something that should remain a hobby while you pursue a stable, dependable job. This narrative was deeply ingrained in me and significantly hindered my journey to becoming an artist. It seemed like such a luxury to call myself an artist and actually pursue it: the joy of expression, the creative freedom…it all felt too good to be true. I overcame this by stepping out and just starting. I disregarded all the negative internal chatter and moved forward. It takes a single step to begin a journey. And once that step is completed, you only need to focus on taking the next one.
Defining Moments:
I remember spending hours in coffee shops in South Africa, journaling and drawing. Around January 2007, I moved to Cape Town, and being surrounded by such newness inspired me to try something different: drawing from my subconscious. No rational thought, no questioning whether it made sense or was worth my time, no logical left-brain activity. I suspended my everyday critical thoughts and just created art from the depths of my soul.
What resulted was a very rudimentary sketch, not refined at all, but so rich in expressing the core of Karien, that I fell in love with it. This was a defining moment in my journey towards becoming an artist.
Evolution of Style:
As I started creating more and more of these abstract, surreal illustrations, they gradually got bigger — moving from an A6 size to an A5 size. They remained monochrome (black and white) - something I have always been drawn to. I used them as a form of art therapy, infusing them with whatever I was going through in that moment. The first illustrations were very simplistic and organic, with no use of references or any attempt to create correct proportions. In 2019, I started exploring a more refined execution of my ideas. I began using better-quality ink (archival ink) and a fine-tipped Rotring fountain pen. The inability to create soft transitions with a fountain pen led me to experiment with different shading techniques, and making little dots to create shadows felt satisfying. This technique is called stippling or pointillism, a method that came very naturally to me. It takes me to a flow state where I can process and meditate through art.
Themes and Symbols:
I incorporate an impossibly wide variety of symbols in my illustrations, depending on what I’m curious about at that moment. My body of work features many recurring themes, including authenticity, finding one’s true identity, breaking free (from both societal norms and personal limitations), love, longing, passion, and nature. Combining unrelated symbols in exciting ways to communicate brings me great joy.
First Breakthrough:
In 2021, I started sending inquiries to galleries all over Omaha, Nebraska, and I was able to display my work in a couple of solo and group exhibits. In 2022, I entered the Omaha Summer Arts Festival as part of their “Home Grown” program and received merit awards at both the 2023 and 2024 festivals. I have also been accepted into multiple juried art festivals out of state. In 2024, I published my first book, called Enigma, containing a collection of 56 of my poems and illustrations. The book received some media recognition, resulting in a television interview on our local news and an artist feature on a radio station.
Current Focus:
If I’m not creating something, I feel like I wither away. Creative expression is genuinely part of my identity and something that sustains me on a profound level. Finding inspiration, ideas, or motivation has never been a problem. My biggest challenges are finding the time to create as much as I want and finding financial backing to make a living from my art. One of my current focuses is marketing my Patreon platform, which allows supporters to pledge a small monthly amount to support me as an artist. I also want to focus on boosting my online store through blogs, SEO, and community building.
Advice to Aspiring Artists:
I would encourage aspiring artists to give themselves permission to do it. Everyone feels imposter syndrome. Don’t compare yourself to others; focus on creating from the depths of your soul by staying as true as you can to your authentic self. Tell people about your work, and show them your work: Be bold!
