Check Out Chelsea Kirchoff’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Kirchoff. 

Hi Chelsea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Art has always been part of who I am, I’ve always wanted to be an artist. The thing is, I didn’t realize it was something you already were; you didn’t have to grow into it to become one. 

From the first time I discovered a crayon to graduating from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, I’ve always been fueled by a passion to create meaningful connection through artistic expression. Every fiber of my being is focused on creating artwork, but to also bridge a gap between people. On multiple occasions, I find myself teaching or leading groups of people through art. Through kindness, support, and encouragement, I find I am able to help those artists that are doubting their abilities to see themselves in a new light. 

Currently, I do a little bit of everything from freelance illustration to art classes to running a small business with the help of my partner, Matt. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is ever smooth. Looking back, it has been a difficult road, and to get to where I am, I had to forge my own path. However, the biggest thing that was in my way the entire time getting there was me. We all have the voice inside of us that loves to pull us down, but I also struggled (and continue to, to some degree) with Impostor Syndrome! If you can get past your worst self and continue on, you can do this. You have to make active and conscious strides towards the person you want to be and the life you want to live and it’s not easy, but you’ve only got one life. You have to make it what you want. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in portraiture, from pop culture icons to pet portraiture. 

I enjoy pet portraits because pets are family and should be recognized as such, but I really just love pop culture. Nostalgia is a huge part of who I am and the work I do. The shows, characters, movies, music, and video games that we gravitate towards makeup parts of who we are. I love creating something that makes people smile and say, “I remember that!” 

I also make stickers and trading cards! You can find all of the goodies I have on my Etsy (link listed below). 

My work is bright, colorful, bold. I like to keep things fun and upbeat. I want my art to be a party. 

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve found such an incredible and supportive community through Instagram. Instagram is definitely where you can see my most recent work, see what I’m talking about and doing, and it is on there that I’ve met fellow artists, found people who love my work, found my art school friends, and I’ve made amazing friends and connections. I’ve met people on there that I never would’ve met if not for that platform. 

Something really cool that I helped start on Instagram is an account called The Hallway Show. The Hallway Show was started back at the College for Creative Studies my senior year. We wanted something to do that would break up the monotony of our assignments and there was a small sliver of hallway with nothing on it. We put up a piece of paper that said: 1) Make the subject. 2) Tape it up. Slowly, this grew into something big and it was always fun. 

Years later, I found myself talking with my partner, Matt, and our amazing friend, Mickey, when it was suggested, we start it back up on Instagram and it has been going strong since July 2020! Anyone can follow the account and new subjects get posted on Tuesday evenings at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST. All you have to do is create the subject listed for that week and send a DM of your creation to The Hallway Show and we will post it. We recently did David Bowie and had a lot of entries for that. The Hallway Show is meant to be a place to create work just because; free of judgment. Some people spend days on their piece and some spend only a few minutes, there’s no wrong way to do it! We like to keep it fun and supportive over on The Hallway Show and if you’re looking to be part of a community and don’t know where to start, this is a great place to do it. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChelseaKirchoff
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseakirchoff
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseakirchoffillustration

Image Credits
Matt Benyo
Chelsea Kirchoff