Katlyn Elkins
It all started with me scribbling on pretty much anything; books, video tapes, coloring books of course, and a good ole yellow laundry basket. My parents thought they were in BIG trouble because I wouldn't stop coloring! My close friends and family call me KD because that is my favorite nickname since I was a little girl. Throughout my school years I would draw here and there and once I got into High School all I wanted to do was draw, on any paper that I could get my hands onto. I took an art class in High School to help me on my skills, after I started taking this class it made my passion for drawing even greater.
During High School I didn’t have very many friends, and especially not very good ones and that is hard at this time of your life. It didn’t help that I also am a girl with special needs and was in the only special needs class that our small High School had at that point. People aren’t very nice in school, especially High School when you are different from them. I really only had one good friend and of course my dog Dakoda. I was in class with my friend since 6th grade and we were in the same class from that point on. Eventually this friend even wasn’t there anymore either. He had made some choices that made him go to juvie and I didn’t understand it at all. I felt so confused, disappointed, and so alone, drawing though was still there, and again so was my loving and playful Dakoda!
My drawings were my way of escaping all of it, all of the confusion and negativity that the world was bringing around me. From this point on that is what helped me through the ups and downs that life throws at you. I fell in love with drawing and in 2013 I had an idea to turn my love and passion into a small business. In 2014 I decided to make a FaceBook page for my small business, it wasn’t very much and all I had at this point was different drawings just on paper. In 2015 my Mom and I went to a paint studio and that made me get the confidence that I could turn my drawings into paintings for the world to see. After I built my confidence and skills on painting on canvases and saw how much joy it brings to others I kept and continued to look for different things that I can make.
Earlier this year my dog Dakoda who I had since I was in the 8th grade became very sick. I had to put my love and passion for art on the side and take care of him; like he had done for me all of these years. Before he had gotten sick he would always either sit on my lap or stare right at me while I would do my artwork. I felt like he was my biggest fan! With him passing it became very hard for me to continue to do my paintings, and I started having thoughts that were telling me that I wasn’t talented enough to continue to do my artwork. After talking with my mom and other family members I knew these thoughts weren’t right, and that Dakoda wouldn’t want me to stop. With my family’s support I continued to do my artwork and drown out my negative thoughts and pour my love and passion back into my paintings.
For anyone who is going through this same kind of thoughts or is just starting a small business that you are passionate about, don’t give up on it! Don’t give up on your dreams! There will be one day that you will be able to turn back and see all of your hard work has paid off! I hope that you all like my paintings and hope that you will love and enjoy these creations as much as I did! God bless you!
- K.D.
P.S. If you would like to special order something please feel free to contact me via FaceBook or Instagram at kdsdrawing.
During High School I didn’t have very many friends, and especially not very good ones and that is hard at this time of your life. It didn’t help that I also am a girl with special needs and was in the only special needs class that our small High School had at that point. People aren’t very nice in school, especially High School when you are different from them. I really only had one good friend and of course my dog Dakoda. I was in class with my friend since 6th grade and we were in the same class from that point on. Eventually this friend even wasn’t there anymore either. He had made some choices that made him go to juvie and I didn’t understand it at all. I felt so confused, disappointed, and so alone, drawing though was still there, and again so was my loving and playful Dakoda!
My drawings were my way of escaping all of it, all of the confusion and negativity that the world was bringing around me. From this point on that is what helped me through the ups and downs that life throws at you. I fell in love with drawing and in 2013 I had an idea to turn my love and passion into a small business. In 2014 I decided to make a FaceBook page for my small business, it wasn’t very much and all I had at this point was different drawings just on paper. In 2015 my Mom and I went to a paint studio and that made me get the confidence that I could turn my drawings into paintings for the world to see. After I built my confidence and skills on painting on canvases and saw how much joy it brings to others I kept and continued to look for different things that I can make.
Earlier this year my dog Dakoda who I had since I was in the 8th grade became very sick. I had to put my love and passion for art on the side and take care of him; like he had done for me all of these years. Before he had gotten sick he would always either sit on my lap or stare right at me while I would do my artwork. I felt like he was my biggest fan! With him passing it became very hard for me to continue to do my paintings, and I started having thoughts that were telling me that I wasn’t talented enough to continue to do my artwork. After talking with my mom and other family members I knew these thoughts weren’t right, and that Dakoda wouldn’t want me to stop. With my family’s support I continued to do my artwork and drown out my negative thoughts and pour my love and passion back into my paintings.
For anyone who is going through this same kind of thoughts or is just starting a small business that you are passionate about, don’t give up on it! Don’t give up on your dreams! There will be one day that you will be able to turn back and see all of your hard work has paid off! I hope that you all like my paintings and hope that you will love and enjoy these creations as much as I did! God bless you!
- K.D.
P.S. If you would like to special order something please feel free to contact me via FaceBook or Instagram at kdsdrawing.
