Katherine Klimitas

Katherine Klimitas

[00:00:00] Katherine Klimitas: I love live music. I wanted to go to live music concerts and be in the front row, and interact with the art, the artist, and that's, that's my happy place. Like if somebody asked me where my happy place was, it would be in the front row at any concert, um,

[00:00:17] Ed Watters: Right on.

[00:00:17] Katherine Klimitas: so, yeah. So, uh, we have a big festival in New Orleans called Jazz Fest every year, and it's a seven day festival over two weekends. And there's, you know, there's local musicians and then there's huge names that come. And one year, I think four years ago, uh, Rod Stewart was one of the big names. And my, you know, I, I grew up listening to Rod Stewart because my parents listened to him a lot, but I didn't like really know his music. I mean, I knew the big ones. You know, I knew like Maggie May and, you know, the big,

[00:00:53] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:00:53] Katherine Klimitas: the big ones, but I didn't really know, you know? Um, and my friend and I really wanted to see him though. And so we camped out all day for a spot cause that's what you do at Jazz Fest. And, um, I got the second worst sunburn of my life that day. But, but, um, but anyway, when he came on, he kept looking at us and he kept singing to me. And I mean, I'm like trying to fake that I know the lyrics, right? Because I dunno the lyrics to most of these songs at this point. And so, um, by the end, he looked at me and he goes, do you wanna come backstage? And I was like, Okay, so , he has security take us, my friend and I backstage. And his, uh, one of his backup singers was, uh, moving on to Broadway after that show and so they were having a party for her. There was cake and wine, I mean, he's like, you know, do you want some wine? Do you want some cake? You know, and so we started talking and, I mean, it's Rod Stewart, like we're sitting there talking to him after his show.

[00:02:04] Ed Watters: Yep.

[00:02:04] Katherine Klimitas: He's just walking around barefoot in his white linen comfortable clothes and like, it's crazy. And, um, and so my friend was like, You know, Katherine's a graphic designer and she loves to design for the music industry, which is true, that's my favorite industry to design for. And he, and she, you know, jokingly says, If you ever need something, ha, ha look her up. And he goes, Well, actually I have an album coming out in, I think it was September at the time,

[00:02:39] do you wanna try to work on some album art for me? I haven't picked it yet. And I'm like, Okay, sure, Rod Stewart. Like, Okay. So he, um, hooked this up with his manager and she said, Yeah, I'll send you the specs on Tuesday. And, you know, we hung out a little longer and we left. And I'm thinking like, this isn't gonna happen.

[00:03:04] Like, I'm not gonna hear from this woman, you know, I mean, why would I hear from this woman? But I did, and she sent me the specs. I worked with her, well, I worked with him through her over like a three month period. And, um, I would send him some ideas and he would send me feedback and we'd go back and forth. And, um, yeah, I, I did not, it apparently, from what I understand, it came down to two designs.

[00:03:35] One was mine, one was somebody else's, and he went with somebody else's. But the two designs were like total opposites, like they, they were nothing alike. So he just, you know, he went with that direction. But, um, I mean, he still paid me for my work and I got to work with him, you know, and, and we're actually seeing him this weekend, um, because I still keep in touch through his manager.

[00:04:00] Ed Watters: That's cool.

[00:04:00] Katherine Klimitas: Which is amazing, you know?

[00:04:03] Ed Watters: Yes, yes.

[00:04:04] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah. So it's, uh, it's really cool. That was by far the highest profile person I've ever worked with. And it was like a one time, you know, situation, but I loved it. I mean, I loved working with him. He

[00:04:24] Ed Watters: To overcome, you must educate. Educate not only yourself, but educate anyone seeking to learn. We are all Dead America, we can all learn something. To learn, we must challenge what we already understand, the way we do that is through conversation. Sometimes we have conversations with others, however, some of the best conversations happen with ourself. Reach out and challenge yourself; let's dive in and learn something right now.

[00:05:15] Today we are speaking with Katherine Klimitas, she is an artist and a designer and some of the work that she does is fabulous. Katherine, could you please introduce yourself and let people know just a little more about you, please?

[00:05:31] Katherine Klimitas: Sure. Um, so I am an artist and a graphic designer. Um, I started painting when I was about five and I sold my first painting when I was 10. Um, one thing that's a little bit different about me is that I have a genetic bone disease called Osteogenesis imperfecta, which, um, is more easily known as brittle bone disease. Um, but basically it means that my bones break easily and they grow abnormally. So I am actually only 2'7" and I use an electric wheelchair for mobility

[00:06:07] and I have an aide with me almost all the time. So I can't do a lot of my daily activities by myself, like, uh, getting food, or going to the bathroom, or running my business. I, I need help doing a lot of those things. Um, I grew up with two parents who are veterinarians, so animals have always been a huge part of my life. Um, I mean, I literally grew up in a vet's office, so, so I've seen a lot of animals. Um, and when I was young, you know, I went to a mainstream school my entire life, uh, and so there were a lot of activities I couldn't do that my friends could do. And so of course, you know, I was bored and I was smart , and I was driving my mom completely crazy because I was bored.

[00:06:59] And, uh, and so when I was five, she gave me my first watercolor set. Um, she was constantly trying to come up with things I could do, you know, to keep me occupied. But, um, she gave me that first watercolor set when I was five, and I got totally hooked on it. And my parents quickly realized that art was something I could do, which was great cause it kept me occupied, but it was also something I really liked and something I was actually okay at, even at five. Um, so they got me into lots of classes, I, of course, I took classes in school, but then also I took, um, private lessons with, uh, several teachers. And then I, uh, summer camps, you know, every summer camp I could get into.

[00:07:48] I got to try all different kinds of media by the time I was a teenager, um, and then I eventually went into graphic design in college. So today I own my own art and design business. Um, on the art side, I do mostly, well, pretty much all watercolor and all animals. So, um, you know, the growing up with veterinarians really, uh, stayed with me, so I do a lot of pet portraits and things like that. And then on the graphic design side, I do a lot of branding design, so business cards, and logos, and letterhead, and websites, social media management, things like that.

[00:08:33] Ed Watters: Wow. That's the gamut.

[00:08:35] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:08:36] Ed Watters: That, that's, that, that's tremendous, you know. And I, I, I kind of feel ashamed because I, I cried a little bit when I got injured and, you know, I'm disabled myself and I find myself with a bunch of broken bones. And the chronic pain that I deal with, I can't imagine what you're going through. And I, I, really find, you know, comfort knowing that I'm not the only one going through that sort of stuff.

[00:09:09] Katherine Klimitas: Oh, yeah, of course not.

[00:09:10] Ed Watters: And you've, you've had to deal with this all your life though. What, what was it like early on going to school? You, you said you go to public school and that, that must have been something, huh?

[00:09:25] Katherine Klimitas: Well, I went to a private grade school and then I went to a public high school. Um, so, you know, those years where I was really growing up, I was in a really great private grade school that was small and very family oriented, um, and very accommodating. So, you know, that was, that was good, also very expensive. But, but, you know, um, but it was great because, you know, they made sure that, you know, with my parents pushing them to make sure that they made sure that I had everything I needed and all the accommodations I needed. And [00:10:00] that they, you know, they were basically forced to make an effort to include me in everything they possibly could, you know,

[00:10:07] and, and they did. I mean, they were, they were great. You know, the headmaster was wonderful and all the teachers were wonderful and, um, you know, it was a great place to grow up. Um, but yeah, it was, you know, people ask me a lot if I was bullied, um, and, you know, I guess because I did go to such a good school that took bullying of any kind very seriously,

[00:10:33] um, I really wasn't. I mean, yeah, there were certainly, you know, there were certainly cliques and, you know, girls can be really mean when they're growing up, especially as teenagers. And, yeah, I mean, I'm sure, you know, I was picked on and I'm sure there were days where I came home crying because somebody was mean to me or whatever.

[00:10:53] But no more than a regular teenage girl, you know, no, no more than all my other friends. Yeah. Um, so that was, that was good. And then the public school I went to, went to for high school, was, uh, basically a magnet school. I mean, it was the, they, when you, when you say in New Orleans that you went to Ben Franklin for high school, that's like, oh, you went to the Smart kid school.

[00:11:22] I mean, like, that's just , like, you're automatically branded a nerd, you know, because you went to Ben Franklin. And, um, and it is, it's the, you know, it's got very high level classes and you're there because you plan to go to college and it's a college prep school and you work really hard. Um, and that's, you know, and I always loved school so that was not a problem for me. Um,

[00:11:47] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:11:47] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah. I, I always joke that until my, probably my, the end of my junior year of college, I worked much harder in high school than I did in college up until that point. Yeah.

[00:12:02] Ed Watters: Interesting.

[00:12:03] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:12:05] Ed Watters: So, so what was some of the major issues you had to deal with, with your mobility, and needing an assistant, and, you know, what, what's some of the functionality uh, discomforts?

[00:12:17] Katherine Klimitas: Well, one of the, one of the biggest ones was just making sure I was safe, you know, without like,

[00:12:25] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:12:25] Katherine Klimitas: without wrapping me in bubble wrap, you know? Um, because there's a balance, right? I mean, you know, when I was young, before I hit puberty, I could turn wrong and break a bone, you know, it took nothing. It took

[00:12:39] Ed Watters: Wow.

[00:12:39] Katherine Klimitas: somebody breathing on me wrong, you know? And so it, and this is something my parents had to deal with probably more than I did originally, but it's that balance, like where do you draw the line of, you know, okay, do we let her go out and do this and know that she might break something or do we keep her in and shelter her and, you know, she might break something anyway because she sneezes, you know?

[00:13:06] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:13:06] Katherine Klimitas: And so my parents always tried to make sure I got out and did as much as I could and as much, um, but of course within reason, you know, but as much as my friends were doing too. And, and some of how we dealt with that was when my friends were old enough, you know, when they were 9, 10, you know, they started learning how to move me around too. And they started learning how to pick me up and it was, it was cool, you know, they thought it was cool that they got to do something an adult did. And so, you know, then we could start as teenagers, we could start being dropped off at the mall by ourselves, you know, and I didn't have to have a parent with me. Um, because that was also a major challenge, was having an adult standing next to me as a kid all the time.

[00:13:57] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:13:57] Katherine Klimitas: I mean,

[00:13:58] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:13:58] Katherine Klimitas: you know, no kid wants that

[00:13:59] Ed Watters: Disaster.

[00:14:01] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:14:01] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:14:01] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:14:02] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:14:02] Katherine Klimitas: I mean, especially as a teenager, you know, it gets, it gets awkward,

[00:14:07] Ed Watters: yeah. Yeah.

[00:14:08] Katherine Klimitas: you know. And so, I mean, we work with that where like they would at least set me up with my books and then leave the classroom, you know? I mean, we would, we would work with that. But, um, yeah, that was definitely a challenge.

[00:14:23] Ed Watters: Sounds like you had an awesome support system with your parents, your friends.

[00:14:28] Katherine Klimitas: Definitely.

[00:14:29] Ed Watters: So getting in that right frame of mind with the right people is always important in life.

[00:14:36] Katherine Klimitas: Oh, yeah.

[00:14:37] Ed Watters: You know,

[00:14:37] Katherine Klimitas: Definitely.

[00:14:38] Ed Watters: I was going through some of your fascinating work. This is watercolor, how, I thought watercolor went everywhere when you kind of painted, but you've got like paint in the box, stay in the line type paintings here that you can't tell that this is watercolor. Talk about that.

[00:15:03] Katherine Klimitas: Well, um, yeah, I developed this system, I mean, look, watercolor can do a lot more than people give it credit for. Um, I, I think it gets a bad rap sometimes because, exactly what you just said, you know, most people think that it's all flowy and you put a bunch of water and then the paint goes everywhere. And that is one way to do it, I mean, that is one very legitimate way to paint with watercolor. Or you can do what I do and you can get a brush with like three hairs on it, and you can layer it,

[00:15:35] which is, which is what I do. Um, I use, I, I kind of cheat a little bit because I use white and very traditional watercolorers don't use white. They, they, the technique is that you leave the paper white where you want to have white. Um, and that's the, the most, most traditional sense of watercolor, uh, possible. Um, very few people actually do that now, though, uh, because there are so many options for white. But, um, but yeah, I, I use white and I have a really small brush and I go through about, I would say a brush every, maybe three paintings. I can usually make them last about three, yeah, and then they die.

[00:16:28] Ed Watters: So, so are these special brushes, or do you

[00:16:32] Katherine Klimitas: No, they're just very small.

[00:16:32] Ed Watters: make them yourself?

[00:16:34] Katherine Klimitas: No, no, no, no, no, no. I, I have Amazon for that.

[00:16:37] No, no, no. I, um, no, I, I, you know, like, I, it's funny because, uh, when, uh, what is it? Black Friday came, you know, last year, everybody's like, oh, what are you buying on Black Friday? And, you know, are you getting a TV or are you getting a computer? I'm like, no, I'm buying like 40 paintbrushes because they're on like 70% off sale right now, you know.

[00:17:03] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:17:03] Katherine Klimitas: And that's exactly what I did, I bought like 40 paintbrushes. Cause when you're an artist and you're a professional artist and you're trying to put, you're trying to put work out in a timeframe, and you find the technique that works for you, you just have to find a way to repeat it. And so like, if this company stops making this brush, I'm gonna be very upset. So I make sure , I make sure I have lots and lots of them on hand.

[00:17:30] Ed Watters: Yeah, yeah, of course. So, so how long does it take for you to accomplish one of these paintings?

[00:17:38] Katherine Klimitas: Well, it depends on what it is and it depends on the size. Um, I have a rule that I don't do anything bigger than myself anymore. I have done that, I've done that a few times and it's rewarding in the end, but not that rewarding. So it's, you know, it's really not, really worth it to me to do that. Um, so generally, like if you were to commission a pet portrait, I do, 9x12 is my biggest and then it goes down from there. So there's 8x10 and 5x7. Um, but the 9x12's usually take me four or five days something like that, I would say.

[00:18:20] Ed Watters: Ah,

[00:18:20] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:18:21] Ed Watters: That quick, huh?

[00:18:22] Katherine Klimitas: Um, yeah, the 5x7's I can usually get out in two days, sometimes three. Depends on the,

[00:18:28] Ed Watters: Wow.

[00:18:28] Katherine Klimitas: depends on the animal and the complexity of it. But like I just did my own dog and she has a, she has a brindle face, which means that her face is like black and brown mixed together, and she was very difficult. She took three days, but anyway, yeah. Yeah.

[00:18:51] Ed Watters: Yeah. You, you would think it took a lot longer than a few days.

[00:18:56] Katherine Klimitas: It used to, but

[00:18:57] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:18:58] Katherine Klimitas: You know, when you do it constantly, you get fast.

[00:19:01] Ed Watters: Right.

[00:19:02] Katherine Klimitas: You know?

[00:19:02] Ed Watters: That's right, yeah. That, that's the trick, you, you keep doing it and you get better and better. That's the trick, you know, everything you do, you practice and you get better. You get quicker and, and you find those shortcuts.

[00:19:18] Katherine Klimitas: Yes.

[00:19:19] Ed Watters: So,

[00:19:20] Katherine Klimitas: Yes.

[00:19:20] Ed Watters: that, that's the important thing.

[00:19:22] Katherine Klimitas: Yes.

[00:19:23] Ed Watters: So what, what, what would you tell an inspiring artist? How would you have them get started in doing what you do?

[00:19:34] Katherine Klimitas: Well, I actually just had a young lady, I think she said she was about 14, email me the other day and say that she was given my book as a gift and, um, and asked me that exact question because she also wants to be an artist. And honestly, it's, take as many classes as you can, and learn as much as you can, as fast as you can. And practice [00:20:00] as, as, all the time, I mean, always practice. Um, I'm, you know, I'm doing this as a profession, so I don't get to learn as much as I would like to anymore. You know, I would, I would love to have time to go take some classes and, you know, do something different than what I do every day. And, you know, maybe after catching up after the shutdown and Covid and all that, you know, maybe once that

[00:20:27] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:20:27] Katherine Klimitas: kind of clears out and, you know, um, financially things get a little more stable, uh, I'll be able to do that. But, um, yeah, you know, when you're a kid and your parents, if they're willing to put you in classes, I mean, do it even if you don't like it because you're gonna learn something.

[00:20:47] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:20:48] Katherine Klimitas: Like, you know, I took, um, private lessons with a college professor in high school. And so this lady taught me on a college level in high school, like I was a 13 year old. And

[00:21:02] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:21:02] Katherine Klimitas: it was really hard and it was, I mean, it was things like draw 18 circles without a compass. And draw and, you know, fill this piece of paper with a bunch of straight lines and you don't get a ruler. You know, it, and it was, you know, two hours of that on a weekend when I could be out with my friends , you know?

[00:21:24] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:21:25] Katherine Klimitas: And, um, and so

[00:21:27] Ed Watters: Sacrifice.

[00:21:28] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah. So, I mean, it was, um, kind of obnoxious, but I learned a ton from her. I mean, she's

[00:21:36] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:21:37] Katherine Klimitas: probably my most influential mentor, you know, that I've ever had and, and the person that really taught me how to draw. And so you're not always gonna like it, but you're gonna learn a lot.

[00:21:49] Ed Watters: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's great. So you've commissioned some great work for some high profile people, talk to us about that and how did it feel?

[00:22:03] Katherine Klimitas: So, yeah. So I'm sure you're talking about Rod Stewart. Um, so

[00:22:09] Ed Watters: Of course I am.

[00:22:10] Katherine Klimitas: Of course you are. So, I, um, I love live music. I wanted to go to live music concerts and be in the front row, and interact with the art, the artist, and that's, that's my happy place. Like if somebody asked me where my happy place was, it would be in the front row at any concert. Um,

[00:22:31] Ed Watters: Right on.

[00:22:31] Katherine Klimitas: so, yeah. So, uh, we have a big festival in New Orleans called Jazz Fest every year and it's a seven day festival over two weekends. And there's, you know, there's local musicians and then there's huge names that come. And one year, I think four years ago, uh, Rod Stewart was one of the big names. And my, you know, I, I grew up listening to Rod Stewart because my parents listened to him a lot, but I didn't like really know his music. I mean, I knew the big ones, you know, I knew like Maggie May and, you know the big,

[00:23:07] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:23:07] Katherine Klimitas: the big ones. But I didn't really know, you know? Um, and my friend and I really wanted to see him though. And so we camped out all day for a spot, cause that's what you do at Jazz Fest, and, um, I got the second worst sunburn of my life that day. But, but, um, but anyway, when he came on, he kept looking at us and he kept singing to me. And I mean, I'm like trying to fake that I know the lyrics, right?

[00:23:35] Because I don't know the lyrics to most of these songs at this point. So, um, by the end, he looked at me and he goes, do you wanna come backstage? And I was like, Okay. So , he has security take us, my friend and I, backstage. And his, uh, one of his backup singers was, uh, moving on to Broadway after that show and so they were having a party for her. There was cake and wine, I mean, he's like, you know, Do you want some wine? Do you want some cake, you know? And so we started talking and, I mean, it's Rod's Stewart, like we're sitting there talking to him after his show.

[00:24:18] Ed Watters: Yep.

[00:24:18] Katherine Klimitas: He's just walking around barefoot in his white linen comfortable clothes and like, it's crazy. And um, and so my friend was like, you know, Katherine's a graphic designer and she loves to design for the music industry, which is true, that's my favorite industry to design for. And he, and she, you know, jokingly says, If you ever need something, ha, ha, look her up. And he goes, Well, actually I have an album coming out in, I think it was September at the time, do you wanna try to work on some album art for me? I haven't picked it yet. And I'm like, Okay, sure, Rod Stewart, like, Okay. So he, um, hooked this up with his manager and she said, Yeah, I'll send you the specs on Tuesday. And, you know, we hung out a little longer and we left. And I'm thinking like, this isn't gonna happen,

[00:25:18] like, I'm not gonna hear from this woman. You know, I mean, why would I hear from this woman? But I did and she sent me the specs. I worked with her, well, I worked with him through her over like a three month period. And, um, I would send him some ideas, and he would send me feedback, and we'd go back and forth. And, um, yeah, I, I did not, it apparently, from what I understand, it came down to two designs.

[00:25:48] One was mine, one was somebody else's, and he went with somebody else's. But the two designs were like total opposites, like they, they were nothing alike. So he just, you know, he went with that direction. But, um, I mean, he still paid me for my work and I got to work with him, you know, and, and we're actually seeing him this weekend, um, because I still keep in touch through his manager,

[00:26:14] Ed Watters: That's cool.

[00:26:14] Katherine Klimitas: which is amazing, you know?

[00:26:16] Ed Watters: Yes, yes.

[00:26:18] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah. So it's, uh, it's really cool. That was by far the highest profile person I've ever worked with. Um, and it was like a one time, you know, situation. But I loved it, I mean, I loved working with him. He, he's so funny because he's such a typical artist in that he just, he doesn't know what he wants. But he knows what he doesn't want, he knows what he doesn't like. But he has no idea what he actually really wants. Yeah. But, um,

[00:26:46] Ed Watters: Till he sees it.

[00:26:46] Katherine Klimitas: It was great. Exactly, exactly. And I think what he chose ultimately for that album is so different than anything he's ever put out and I think that's what he was looking for, was something just so completely out of the box for him. And so, you know, I'm glad, I'm glad he found what he wanted.

[00:27:07] Ed Watters: Well, you're, you're blessed to be able to have that opportunity, to have that high profile of an individual point at you. It's,

[00:27:17] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:27:17] Ed Watters: right on. And, and I'm so proud that he took the time to do that,

[00:27:22] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:27:22] Ed Watters: it's, it's what our world really needs more of. Uh, I,

[00:27:26] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah.

[00:27:27] Ed Watters: really enjoy it. So what would a call to action for our listeners be from you?

[00:27:36] Katherine Klimitas: Uh, you know, I, I try to tell people that, or, you know, I have found, let's put it that way from my experience, that everyone has something they can contribute to society, or to their family, or to their friends, whatever. Um, and you just have to figure out what it is and then you have to do it. I mean, it's, I know that sounds simple, obviously it's not all the time. Um, but you know, my something is art, that's what I can do. That's what I can give and um, and that's what I try to do. But, you know, it doesn't have to be something complicated, like it doesn't have to be curing cancer or creating some teleportation device or whatever. I mean, it can just be mentoring a kid, or being a good mom,

[00:28:28] Ed Watters: That's right.

[00:28:29] Katherine Klimitas: or, you know, a, um, helping a, a sick relative, whatever. You know, it can be any, anything that's that simple, you know? And I just, I feel like there's a lot of people that just, they, they don't know what they wanna do. Or they just don't feel like putting in the effort and then they just don't do anything. And that's, you know,

[00:28:56] Ed Watters: Yeah.

[00:28:57] Katherine Klimitas: that's frustrating.

[00:28:59] Ed Watters: Yes.

[00:28:59] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:29:01] Ed Watters: So, yeah, that, that's a good call to action, you know, do it, get out there and, do it.

[00:29:09] Katherine Klimitas: Just do it.

[00:29:10] Ed Watters: Yeah, just do it. Exactly. You know, your website covers public speaking, your blog, your graphic design. Talk to people about your services, what you offer, and how they can get ahold of you if they would like to commission a portrait or whatever of their pet.

[00:29:34] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah, yeah. So I, um, as I mentioned as a child, I got really bored, and I'm sure you can hear my dogs right now, um, I got really bored and that did not change I still get bored if I do the same thing over and over. So I, I have chosen to go in a lot of different directions. Um, so my biggest, I mean, the biggest thing I do is probably my painting, so I [00:30:00] do a lot of pet portraits but I also do commissioned work of other animals. So I, I live in south Louisiana, so I get a lot of commissions for birds, like Louisiana based whitewater birds.

[00:30:12] Um, but if you want to commission a pet portrait, you go on my website, which is kakartnola.com, and you fill out the form, you send me some pictures, you know, you pick your size, um, put down a down payment, and then I get started. Uh, normally that process, it, as far as like a timeframe, it kind of depends on how many I have in line at any given time.

[00:30:41] Um, right now I only have two. However, the closer it gets to Christmas, the crazier my life gets. So the sooner I get, yeah, the sooner I get those in, the better. Um, and then as I mentioned, I graduated in graphic design, so I do, um, mostly work for small businesses. So, um, like logos and business cards, and I manage a lot of Facebook pages and Instagram accounts.

[00:31:09] And I also work for a few non-profits. So, um, when they have events, I do a lot of the, the promotional materials and then the, you know, banners or whatever they need at the actual event, that kind of thing. Um, so we're doing, um, invitations, and save the dates, and all that kind of stuff for them. Um, I do public speaking also.

[00:31:33] So, normally I speak to kind of three different areas. Um, one is, uh, mostly about school inclusion, which I mean, we've talked about a little bit already here, but, um, just the idea of including disabled kids in the mainstream school. Um, another talk I do is usually to medical professionals or medical students.

[00:31:57] Um, and that's not just, not just doctors, I mean like, uh, physical therapists, or occupational therapists, or rehab specialists more about my disease and my experiences I've had with, um, medical professionals, which some have been really good and some have not been. So, um, that, yeah, that, uh, that's a good one,

[00:32:24] um, I try to encourage them to think outside the box a little bit, which I don't know that that happens enough in schools, you know, for medical professionals. And then the other, with just general motivation, like my story and what I do, and about my art, and um, yeah, kind of all we've covered here today. So, yeah.

[00:32:49] Ed Watters: Great.

[00:32:49] Katherine Klimitas: Those are kind of the three things. And then I also design jewelry, which is, it's kind of like, like painting is not a hobby anymore, painting's a job. You know, jewelry is kind of a job, but still kind of a hobby because it's not something I necessarily do all year round. I do it more around the holidays cause that's when people are wanting it. Um, But it's more of a, um, I wouldn't necessarily call it a fine art, you know, it's more of like a, it's not a craft either, it's somewhere in the middle. Um, but I do that as well, and you can find that on my Etsy store.

[00:33:30] Ed Watters: Okay. And, uh, could you tell them your website please?

[00:33:36] Katherine Klimitas: Oh yes, it is kakartnola, N, O, L, A.com and from there you can get to all of my social media and my Etsy store. But on social media, I'm also KAKARTNOLA. So, um, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, uh, YouTube, I think that might be it. I think that's all I can manage for myself right now.

[00:34:01] Ed Watters: All right. Well Katherine, it sure is a pleasure having you on the Dead America Podcast.

[00:34:07] Katherine Klimitas: Thank you.

[00:34:07] Ed Watters: And I wanna say thank you for taking the time to share your story here with us.

[00:34:14] Katherine Klimitas: Yeah, absolutely. This was great, thank you so much for having me.

[00:34:21] Ed Watters: Thank you for joining us today. If you found this podcast enlightening, entertaining, educational, in any way, please share, like, subscribe, and join us right back here next week for another great episode of Dead America Podcast. I'm Ed Watters your host, enjoy your afternoon wherever you may be.

Links

 kklimitas@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRhBQ4oHeLhhN5t33JxZOg

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherineklimitas/

 https://www.facebook.com/kakartnola

 https://www.instagram.com/kakartnola

 https://kakartnola.com