Hi, I’m Kelsey…
And Welcome to my Mess
Nosy about my creative process?
I would describe myself as a crafter and artist, as well as a forever student and recent educator. All of these elements are extremely important to my creative process.
As an artist, I tend to focus on themes about facing fear, and confrontation towards the goal of healing whatever the cost. Since, it is only when fears are faced, that they can be understood and conquered. At times, I try to keep a slight bit of humor in my art, since it helps with the confrontation aspect both for the viewer, and more selfishly, me.
In the classroom, my artistic goals are still able to be achieved as long as I can help guide a student to understanding and utilizing the artistic process, I am happy. I tend to favor creating both an open environment and offering guidance through structure so any student can have the opportunity to create a fully realized work of art. Whether in a classroom, gallery, or even in an everyday conversation, I do not care how my purpose is shared, as long as it is I am content.
Nosy about my life?
like… really really nosy?
As you already know, my name is Kelsey Wise. I was born in Kentucky, but spent most of my life in South Carolina. Both of my parents have a deep background in education. My father was an assistant professor of religion, turned high school teacher at the start of 2022. My mother was an 8th grade history teacher for as long as I’ve been alive. This background had quite the influence on my brother and me growing up, and I credit it to my zeal for utilizing interdisciplinary studies in tandem with my artistic passions.
I struggled a lot with my mental health growing up. I always tried to deal with it by running away, and covering up how bad it would get by outright denial. When I finally “felt” I had became better at dealing with the unlucky hand given by my diagnoses, I was then presented with one of the worse events anyone could be forced to deal with. Loss.
When my brother passed from suicide, it shook me to my core. When he left I didn’t just loose my brother, but my best friend, the one person who helped me with the issues I had faced. And now those same mental health issues took him, as I feared it would some how take me.
So I had to learn to deal with his loss, and the mental health issues we both faced, on my own. While I would trade almost anything in the world to have him physically here, In a weird way he still lives on in my art. Just as the coping mechanisms I learned also live in my art.
Truly, all of my experiences live in my art, good and bad. By expressing it and exposing myself to those bad experiences again, I’m able to confront it at a different angle. I can beat it, control the issues by understanding them.
That’s why education is such an important part of my life, and even my work. I want to show others that these issues can be faced, either through my work or educating.
