Today we’d like to introduce you to Korren Knapp-Grada.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have been an artist since I came out of the womb. Art gave me peace of mind and allowed me to vent about the childhood and adolescence that I experienced growing up in a dysfunctional home. One where there was always yelling, violence, pinching pennies, hoarding and craziness, it was a nightmare. My mother is bipolar 1 and was in and out of mental hospitals my entire life and other things that I push to the back of my memory. To say my childhood was unique is a statement in itself but I believe my childhood made me into a strong, creative, never back down nor give up – kind of woman.
I never gave up on my dream – my desire of becoming an artist, instead I allowed my creativity to RULE my life. I got into some of the best schools in the states – RISD, SVA, Pratt. But after doing my pre-college at Maryland Institute College of the Arts my junior year in high school. I was not opposed to going to a public school with an outstanding art program. So when University of Delaware offered me a significant scholarship to study with them in the Visual Communications Program – I accepted. After school, I literally climbed my way up the ladder into the doors of some of the top tear agencies in the World. My first job out of school I was making shopping cart ads, two years later I was working as a designer for Nickelodeon, five years later I was an Art Director at McCann Erickson and had my graduate degree from Pratt. I am continually trying to propel myself. My husband and I just launched our own creative agency called Creative Gate Studio. But I still do a ton of my work through my personal site as well Korren Design (korrendesign.com + behance.net/korrenbethany).
As the years go on – I realize that I must get back into painting and drawing, when I paint and draw I feel complete, I am relieved of all of the stress and trauma that I have experienced in my life… In May 2017, I was roofied at a bar and my body was found on Interstate 8. I was hit as a pedestrian by two cars and left for dead. A civilian that witnessed the accident saved my life. I have endured 23 surgeries thus far since the accident. It was a bleak and dire time in my life – two years and counting of recovering from this accident. The one thing I clung to during this recovery was my creativity. I drew and painted worlds that I was no longer living in – since I living in the hospital for about an entire year. I am now seeking an artist grant to portray the horror I endured but also express the beauty and the miracle that I survived this tragic accident.
When I draw, paint and illustrate I am able to communicate completely uninhibited. These areas are where my creativity can fully be expressed. I do love design, do not get me wrong. But painting in oils/mixed media and drawing that is where my utmost happiness lives!
In addition to being an artist, I am also passionate about fitness. I compete as a bodybuilder (in the bikini division) – my muscle mass during the accident in 2017 was how I withstood getting hit by the 2 vehicles (one being a Ford 250/350). I have shared every step of this recovery and journey via my Instagram @onehipfitchick in hopes to inspire people, that you truly can get through anything, you can accomplish your goals, you can move mountain (if you only move a wheel barrel full of dirt a day). In this life dreams are within our reach; we just need to be resilient. In art, in fitness, in LIFE!
Please tell us about your art.
I will break this into three categories: my career, my passion (painting/drawing), my resilience (fitness).
I am an Art Director/Designer so I focus on selling a consumer a product or service. I do a ton of research and sketches before I hit the computer designing. I learn what competitors are doing, I learn about one’s business and then I look at design trends that I might be able to use on a design. It takes time to develop this skill, but I have found research and constantly looking for inspiration as a way to hit the ground running.
I create all sorts of designs, from full branding to logos to illustrations, website designs, marketing content – digital/print/packaging you name it. I am a multifaceted Art Director and designer, detail is king to me. I am a typography nerd as well. From my design projects, I want a viewer to feel like they need the product or service – like one can not live without it.
As for my passion in art – mostly in the realms of drawing, illustrating, painting & anything mixed media. These pieces I create to show who I am, to display what I have experienced in life, what I believe is wrong and beautiful in the world… I create without a filter, raw bodies of work… By creating uninhibited my aim is to evoke emotions from a viewer. I show my opinion and stance in areas ranging from politics to race/segregation, I show my own life and my emotions behind some of the horror I experienced. I am drawn to a surrealist style and I create quite avant-garde work… I believe you are able to hide things from a viewer – someone just nearly glancing at your work but a viewer that really studies your piece can uncover the meaning immediately. I would like viewers to know me, by seeing my artwork. Knowing my background in life – knowing the struggles I have endured and have overcome… I wish to inspire people that they are not alone and can get through anything.
My resilience in my fitness career and physical therapy is an art in itself. It seems a bit strange to say but knowing what you can do to your body and learning how to physically recover from such a massive accident and reshape your body – is in fact artistic. I was like Humpty Dumpty, the pain was out of this world, I literally had to be put back together. I learned to maintain clarity through it all and I learned how to live a new type of life. I believe my fitness journey that I share with this world on my Instagram @onehipfitchick (and soon to be blog/website — walkingmiracles.co) is just a huge message to everyone that YES YOU CAN! YOU CAN GET THROUGH HELL & OVERCOME ANYTHING. I plan to write a book about my experience as well. I do everything a day at a time, so I do not feel overwhelmed. But I am a person that never throws in the towel (sometimes not a blessing) I will accomplish this dream…
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
My advice for other artists is to never give up on your dream. If you’re an artist you are an artist, create something everyday whether it’s a sketch, a doodle or just brainstorming an idea or potential project – write it down. Carry your sketchbook with you everywhere… Collect inspiration (stickers, tags, small pieces of paper, beautiful type from a magazine) tare it out and glue it in your sketchbook. Inspiration can be found everywhere when you’re looking. Spend time in nature, take hikes – leave the cell phone at home, get lost in the wilderness. Find peace within yourself. Order Communication Arts Magazine – absolutely genius!
Do not let a critique or someone’s opinion bring you down. Create for you! Create everyday, just create. I had an illustration professor once, that didn’t see eye to eye with my work. I let her thoughts on my work trickle into my brain way too much. It was discouraging and caused a major block, do not carry the negative with you. If someone doesn’t like your style move on – who cares, the world is abundant, people will absolutely love you and people will hate you. Be resilient, you only get ONE LIFE – believe me, I fought like hell to keep mine. And I am going to use it- by following my heart and my dreams, do the same. Live like no one is watching!
As for fitness, I do the same thing I research my workouts, I have a group of fitness leaders that inspire me and I watch their routines, I try out new supplements, I learn new healthy recipes and count my macros. I try anything that I believe will help me get to the next level as a natural athlete. I am not afraid of what people think about me anymore. If I look foolish doing an exercise or not, I am comfortable and confident in my own skin. If I fail, I fail, I get back up and try again. And for the ladies, I would say – do not be afraid of weights! They will give you the body you want. Weight lifting can be intimidating at first, but get a female trainer and learn how to use them properly, it’s comfortable that way (I did that when I started six years ago).
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can view my work in many places:
* My main website: http://korrendesign.com
* More work: https://www.behance.net/KorrenBethany
* Illustrations/paintings/mixed media projects): https://www.behance.net/gallery/2145561/Illustrations
https://www.behance.net/gallery/9048625/Childs-Play
* My New Company: https://creativegatestudio.com/
Contact me directly about art or design projects: korrendesign@icloud.com, korrenbethany@gmail.com. I am currently looking and seeking any grant opportunities – worldwide. To create a large body of work (paintings/mixed media drawings – large scale) of the experience, I went through in the hospital… To inspire change!
* Fitness: https://www.instagram.com/onehipfitchick/, walkingmiracles.co (coming soon)
Contact me here for anything related to fitness/fitness training/fitness modeling/health/ medical: onehipfitchick@gmail.com. Support me by saying “Hello” if you need an art or design project contact me. If you know about any art grants pretty, please contact me! And if you need help getting inspired or help in fitness give me a follow on my Instagram @onehipfitchick and lets talk. I can inspire pretty much anyone with what I’ve been through. I will help you see the silver lining.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://korrendesign.com
- Phone: 8582315015
- Email: korrendesign@icloud.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onehipfitchick/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onehipfitchick/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/onehipfitchick
- Other: https://www.behance.net/KorrenBethany
Image Credit:
Lifestyle Photographs: Jesse Keirstead @jesseekphoto, Ocean Photograph Veronika Grechman @klever, Art Photographs Marwan Grada @creativegatestudio
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
