Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Kestner.
Julia, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I started hand-lettering about 5 years ago as a form of therapy. At the time, I didn’t even know that there was a name for what I was doing, or that there was a whole community of hand letterers out there – all I knew was that drawing letters helped bring joy, tranquility, and purpose into my life. I have struggled with depression and PTSD for many years, and for a long time, I was too ashamed to talk about it.
However, as I discovered hand lettering and other forms of self-care, I slowly started to open up and share my journey of healing and living with mental illness. Although it was terrifying at first, I found that being vulnerable and honest helped me to connect with others who were going through similar struggles.
About 2 years ago, I started to share my work and my story on Instagram and discovered a whole community of wonderful, supportive letterers and other creative individuals. Over the years, I’ve received numerous comments and messages from people thanking me for sharing my story, and how I’ve helped inspire them or given them the strength to keep going.
That is why I do what I do. I truly believe that art can change the world, and it is my mission to use hand lettering to uplift, empower, and educate people. I strive to spread love, light, and positivity as an artist and as a human being.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I specialize in hand lettering using various mediums such as brush pens, watercolor, and chalk. I strive to create work that is uplifting, inspiring, and empowering. While I understand that inspirational quotes are not going to solve all of the world’s problems, I do genuinely believe that words have the power to make a difference if they can help lead to action.
If a hand-lettered quote that I share helps one person believe that they are enough and are worthy of love, or motivates one person to start something they’ve always been too afraid of starting or gives one person the courage to seek help for mental illness, then that would be a far greater reward than any amount of money, fame, or recognition. And if that one person pays it forward, and that person then pays it forward to someone else, imagine the difference that we can make!
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
I think the biggest challenge facing artists today is self-doubt. With the rise of social media, every day we are bombarded with other artists’ work and I think it is especially difficult in today’s world to not compare ourselves with others. We may ask ourselves, “Who am I to teach?” “There are so many people that know way more than I do.” “What gives me the right to share my work or give advice?” Self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and fear of sharing our work because we don’t know if it’s good enough are all things that every artist struggles with.
It makes it even harder to not compare ourselves with others when everywhere we look online, we see likes, comments, number of views, and other numbers that we often conflate with worth. However, I think it’s important to focus on what really matters – the WHY. Why do you create? Why do you do what you do? Don’t lose sight of what’s really important, and never doubt your self-worth. You have something important to share and you have a unique voice to share it in; never forget that!
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
All of my work can be found on my Instagram. You can email me for custom work requests. If you (or someone you know) are involved in an organization that supports mental health, I would love to collaborate with you! Please shoot me an email if you’re interested. I’m always open to working with people who also want to raise awareness on mental health and help end the stigma.
Contact Info:
- Website: juliakestnerdesigns.com
- Email: hello@juliakestnerdesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliakestnerdesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaKestnerDesigns/
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