Trust Your Gut & Press Forward

Kari is the QUEEN of trusting your gut. Whether it’s switching her Major in Undergrad or diving headfirst into what others called a “dying art” and then making it your thriving business Tiny Dog Press. Even when she didn’t realize it, Kari always listened to her inner voice or as I like to say GUT. LOL Let me give y’all some back story… So, she’s attending Baylor University in Wacko, TX and in the middle of her sophomore year decided to switch her major to Studio Art / Printmaking with no previous art experience. Never heard of printmaking?? Me either. According to the Met Museum, “Printmaking Is an artistic process based on the principle of transferring images from a matrix onto another surface, most often paper or fabric. …A matrix is essentially a template, and can be made of wood, metal, or glass. The design is created on the matrix by working its flat surface with either tools or chemicals.”

LB: “How did you discover printmaking?“

Kari: “So which story do you want? The long story or the long story! Kari says while smiling, as she tosses her head to the side and picks up a piece a paper from the press.”

LB: “Whichever story you feel like giving out. Plus, I can shorten where it needs to be. LOL“

Kari: “So, my second semester, sophomore year in college I decided to become an art student with zero background. Thankfully my school was okay with that. First semester of my junior year I took a printmaking course because it was a class that was actually open. I wasn’t full. Lol Because nobody takes printmaking! I feel in love with having my hands dirty…“

When Kari first switched over, she was in the graphic design program, but hated computers. And she knew that could not turn into her career.

Kari: “Being behind a press and like my hands were purple and blue at the end of the day (from the ink) makes me feel like I accomplish something. And for a while I was the ONLY printmaking student, because there weren’t any. And I was also the studio assistant.“

Kari graduated with her degree in Printmaking, and of course as any college student would be, she was proud of her degree and accomplishment. But here comes her ole hating ass (my words, not hers!) Graphic Design Professor, “Congratulations, you just got a dead degree…” She could have held on to that phrase and completely doubted her decision, but she used what she learned and more importantly LOVED to make a life for herself. Sometimes, words sting and cling to us more than the sticks and stones and we must find a way to silence that type of negativity out. Thank goodness this only came from a professor, and she continued forward with her goals. The same way we must find ways to silence out the negativity, nay-sayers, or whatever you call it, we must be mindful not to do that to someone else. We all know how it feels to have a dream crushed, let’s not be dream crushers.

  LB: “I love the fact it was based on this class was open. LOL“

Kari: “This class is open and now this is my job! I’m a Printmaker! LOL I remember, in my first and only graphic design class, I designed a card… a greeting card. And my professor (“ole hating yo” again my words, not hers!) said, “you can’t make a living off of greeting cards… those are dying” And yet here I am. A printmaking greeting card company.“

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LB: “Have you had a chance to see that professor?? And haha you know? LOL“

Kari: “No, but we are friends on Facebook.”

The best part is she has no ill will or I think really cares about the person who said those things to her. In my opinion she’s won! She has a business in something she loves, it was done her way, and sense of I’m successful because I say I am and because I do what I want.

LB: “Does your family inspire your work?“

Kari: “NO (she didn’t yell it, but it was a firm quick no) Tiny Dog Press?? No. My fine art, yes.“

I LOVED her response!!! LOL This is one of my favorite answers from Kari. Often, we hear people say they started their business for their child or children, family, generational wealth, or whatever cliché “selfless” reason; knowing damn well they started for themselves. And its nothing wrong with that, let’s be honest when we’re doing something for ourselves it turns up the heat on our passion. This is a valuable lesson to take away, especially for women… you don’t always have to be selfless, it’s okay to do things just for you.

LB: “Do you want to pass the business down to your daughter? Or hope she takes interest in it?“

Kari: “NO. I hope she’s an artist. But I want her to be an artist in her own right. And lately her thing is to carry a paint brush everywhere she goes… And I’m like cool do it.“

Part of trusting your gut is trusting your offspring, younger sibling, or whoever you may mentor. Or more so trusting that you instilled enough knowledge in them to make those type of decisions. Making sure we aren’t pushing our dreams onto someone who doesn’t want them. Do that ish, yourself! Lol Even with her being a professor, she doesn’t push her students in any direction, rather guides them in their moment together.

Prime example she moved to Baltimore, MD JUST to go to MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) for graduate school but received pennies in scholarship and they wouldn’t allow her to be a studio assistant to help pay for her cost. And ended up not going to MICA at the time.

Kari: “I remember going around to the galleries in Baltimore to try to get shows, even at restaurants and coffee shops and the first thing they would ask me was, “If I was a MICA student?” I would say no, and I would get nowhere because I wasn’t a MICA student. This was the early 200’s, so I hope it’s changing by now. But I do think it’s funny now because I sell my work at the MICA store now. LOL“

We both bust out laughing!

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LB: “You have A LOT of full circle moments!! WOW! ” 

And boy has she!!! Imagine a bright-eyed college graduate moving from Wacko, TX to Baltimore, MD with hopes of going to their “dream” college not making it in. While on your drive to your new home here your mom is asking if you’re sure and letting you know, “you can come home” because the landscape change from bright lights, beautiful brick buildings, and busy business traffic to the neighborhood known as Penn Lucy where the landscape shows that ish gets real. With her sticking to her guns and telling her mom, “No, I’ll be alright” and trusting herself. Here she learned how to be true a neighbor and the importance of different roles in a community, developed and grew her business Tiny Dog Press, have her work in multiple local staples, and hopefully one attending MICA one day on a full ride scholarship (let’s keep our fingers crossed for her and help her manifest that).

Kari is that friend in your group who’s sarcastic, smart, not into the trends, and don’t think of herself as cool; meanwhile everyone else see her as the coolest because of those things! Let’s live life on the Kari side of life and that’s trusting ourselves…

To Learn More About Kari and Tiny Dog Press:

Shop Some Prints: https://tiny-dog-press.myshopify.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tinydogpress

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tinydogpress