CURRENT MISSION

to be the kind of person whose presence makes you feel happy. They are the best people I know.

ABOUT ME

My name is Kaitlyn, 20 years old, aspiring artist and designer. Still functioning after 12 years of nuns although insatiably bitter. I love throwing myself into my work, running on adrenaline, candy, coffee and laughing with studio-mates at 4am. In my free time I love thrifting, collecting knick knacks in which to decorate my apartment and myself. Painting whenever I have a canvas. I hoard colorful tights I have no occasion to wear, and love Cary Grant movies. I hold on to good memories fiercely and am eager to try opportunity that comes my way.
Cheesy? Yeah that was cheesy.

PHILOSOPHY

I'm a white cis-gendered middle class young woman attempting to grow with the realization my half-formed ideology rests on a foundation of Tumblr posts. Here are some of them:

“It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. Lightly, lightly… So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly.”
- Aldous Huxley

“It is okay to be at a place of struggle. Struggle is just another word for growth. Even the most evolved beings find themselves in a place of struggle now and then. In fact, struggle is a sure sign to them that they are expanding; it is their indication of real and important progress. The only one who doesn’t struggle is the one who doesn’t grow. So if you are struggling right now, see it as a terrific sign — celebrate your struggle.”
- Neale Donald Walsch

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through."
- Ira Glass

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'd love to host young couchsurfers, early to mid twenties. Currently living in a very cute old house in Lexington, Kentucky. We have a couch and an extra mattress and set of clean sheets. I'm also interested in making weekend trips this summer around the midwest and possibly the east coast. My roommates and I will be at Bonnaroo this June. It's my first festival and I can't wait!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've never tried couchsurfing. I'm interested in traveling cheaply. Had a great experience on a trip to Chicago with my studio this fall. Looking to go back to the same hostel with friends or find a couch in the city.

Interests

Painting, architecture, old movies, fashion and street style

• arts
• architecture
• design
• fashion
• photography
• coloring
• festivals
• coffee
• running
• modeling
• thrifting
• movies
• traveling
• painting
• drawing
• software

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: The Shins, Grizzly Bear, Heartless Bastards, James Blake, Foxy Shazam, Little Joy, Alt-J, Alexander, Kishi Bashi, First Aid Kit, Louis Prima, Agnes Obel, Alela Diane, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Flock of Dimes, Little Dragon, Tom Jones, Lissie, Beirut, Yeasayer.

Movies: The Philadelphia Story, Pulp Fiction, Bringing Up Baby, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Devil Wears Prada, Father of the Bride, Moonrise Kingdom, North by Northwest, O Brother Where Art Thou, Marie Antoinette, Moonstruck.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I haven't done much. I loved Chicago more than anything. I've flown in a helicopter. I helped build a room-size installation. Out of ideas.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am very passionate about design. Art, architecture and fashion are what I spend most of my time lusting over and learning about. I know how to use 3d modeling software (Rhino), CAD, Adobe CS6, and am very willing to share whatever knowledge I have of these programs and how to get them on your computer. I follow tons of fashion blogs and am interested in learning more about street style and photography. I want to learn so much more about color and drawing too.