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Check out Kory Miller’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kory Miller.

Kory, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I believe life is full of happy accidents and my journey as a creator has felt a lot like that. I grew up in love with drawing and painting, mostly because people around me told me I was good at it. It wasn’t until college that I discovered what creative expression could mean for me as a career. I never was great at working for someone else and thus figured out what I would call “the loop hole”, which involved selling my artwork and creating paintings for individuals in order to pay the rent. Every artist at one point or another goes through their “starving artist stage” and this was certainly mine but my passions refused to let me do anything else. I’ve always felt like the universe was rooting for me to succeed. I began to network with people in my hometown who gave me opportunities to create murals in prominent areas. As a way to show them what the murals would look like once painted, I began creating digital proofs and this is where everything shifted for me.

I fell in love with the digital world and my eyes were opened to incredible designers. I no longer wanted to just paint canvas and walls, I wanted my work to be displayed on clothing, billboards, and throughout businesses across the country. My vision grew and I had an internal voice asking me, “how far do you think we can take this?” Now-a-days my wife and I run a full illustration and design studio that creates for companies world-wide. We handle everything from brand creation to a clothing lines spring/summer/fall collection. Being trained in the classical arts gives each project we work on a unique feel that is hard to find elsewhere. Every step of my creative journey has led me to where I am today. Perhaps my hard work and skill has finally paid off or you could argue that life is simply full of happy accidents.

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 am a digital artist. I create illustration and graphics for companies all over the world. My message has always been the same and that is to unleash my client’s imagination through excellent design. One might argue that because I create for others it is not truly my own expression. I’d argue that what I do takes expression one step further. While agonizing over the creative process I allow another person to enter that vulnerable state with me and bring their own value. Great design is creative problem solving and, in many ways, has felt more rewarding and expressive then when I used to lock myself in my room and paint.

The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
This question stirs at the root of anyone who tries to make a living on their own. It is not an easy task. There are certainly days of doubt and fear, however, nothing is more motivating. If you know you want to be an artist you except the responsibility that comes with such a career and never look back. Advice that has always benefited me is practice your craft every day, become the best, network with people, do not assume work will come looking for you, you need to go searching for it. Successful artist are additionally successful business men and women. Knowing how to sell yourself isn’t sexy but it allows you to purse your art with less financial hardship.

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?
You can find more about my company at www.parkststudio.com or follow along for a more personal journey on Instagram. My handle is Kory Miller.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Western Windows, Ten Tree, State of Bliss.

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