Today we’d like to introduce you to Madi Kendrick.
Madi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started writing poetry when I was nine years old. My aunt passed away suddenly and I remember being so hurt and so lost. I didn’t know what do with these feelings so I sat down and wrote my first poem. It was called “Fly Butterfly, Fly.” I don’t remember the whole poem, just the ending and that my mom read it out loud at my aunt’s funeral. After she read it, everyone told me I had a talent and that I should keep writing. I didn’t take anyone seriously but as I grew older, I found myself with all of these unsettling emotions that I didn’t know what to do with, so I decided to keep a journal. As I found myself struggling with various mental health problems, I kept writing poetry through it. When I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, I wrote poetry. When I struggled with the problems that associated themselves with depression, self-harm, an eating disorder, issues at home – I wrote. Poetry seemed like the only thing that made sense to me. It was the only way my feelings made sense to me. I didn’t understand what I was going through, but putting it on paper made it almost real.
After my first year of college, my parents got divorced. It affected me a lot more than I wanted to admit and my withdrawal from my “normal” life was noticeable. One of my friends asked to have a girls day where we painted and that day I realized a different release. I didn’t paint again for about a year, but when I decided to pick up the brushes again, it was instead of inflicting pain upon myself. I realized that I had such intense emotions in the pit of my stomach that I just needed to throw them all up somehow. This is when I realized painting was my release. I always joke and say I throw up on a canvas when I really just need to get everything out. I paint in turn of negative emotions, I needed a healthier outlet of release and I attack a canvas in the way that I would want to “paint” on myself. When I started sharing my paintings with other people, I realized I had a talent for creating such beautiful and colorful pieces. I was shocked that they came out of such negative emotions. I started getting more attention on my art, people started asking me to buy my pieces, I started getting invited to live painting shows around Atlanta, and I even began sharing my poetry with the world at spoken word shows and open mic nights. Thus MadiKreates was born! I wanted to show people that they aren’t alone in all of these intense and unsettling emotions they feel.
The biggest problem with depression is that your mind tells you that you’re completely alone when in reality, that’s just not true. So many people struggle with this illness and I wanted to make sure people never felt as alone as I have felt, so I kept on sharing my art and my poetry, I kept on sharing bits of my story so people can understand not only me but that they never have to live this life alone. I spread a lot of positivity in my life because that’s what I need to be surrounded by in order to survive, I share this with others because I know we all need to feed ourselves more positive words. I say I am a “kreator” of many things. I say it with a “K” because my last name is Kendrick, and my family is full of amazing artists of different mediums. My dad and my grandparents are my biggest inspirations, and without them, I truly would not have continued my life. I am so proud of who I am, what I’ve been through and my family name. My life of love, light and art is in honor of the Kendrick name, in honor of all those who struggle with their mental health and in honor of all of those who want to live and love despite what their mind tells them.
Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not!! Every day is a struggle. Sometimes it’s just hard to get up in the morning. My platform is based on mental health, so that’s definitely been a big struggle of mine. There are days, weeks and maybe even months where I just can’t find the motivation to get out of bed, let alone kreate or stay positive for anyone else, especially myself. Those are times where I feel like I’m a failure, but I have to remind myself to keep it pushing and to be nicer to myself. Sometimes I really have to force myself to get up and do something kreative, just for me, just to pull myself out of whatever it may be.
Aside from those problems, a lot of my struggle has been rooted in self-doubt. There are so many amazing artists that I go to school with, that I’m surrounded by in my community and at all the shows I attend. It is truly frightening. I think to myself all the time, “how can anyone like MY art when there’s art like THIS!”
I have to constantly remind myself that there are “different strokes for different folks,” and just because my art is different than others, doesn’t mean it’s bad. There is art in this world for everyone, and there’s someone out there who will enjoy what you do.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the MadiKreates story. Tell us more about your art.
MadiKreates poetry, paintings and positivity. I am a poet, an acrylic painter and an avid positivity spreader in my community. I perform at open mic nights and other spoken word shows and I also live paint and display my work at many art shows around Atlanta! I’m known for being open and honest about my struggles with my mental health disorders and pushing myself and others around me to be positive and work through them no matter what. I’m open with my struggles and reflect that into my art. I’m most proud that I’m giving myself an outlet to deal with my own problems and also showing others that they aren’t alone while making dope art in the process. I feel like I give a lot of people a safe space to come and let it all out, especially if someone asks to paint with me! As a company, I’m most proud that I’m spreading a positive message, that I’m showing people that mental health isn’t an ailment, that even though you feel all these ugly feelings, you can still find beauty in what you kreate.
What sets me apart from other artists might be my unique abstract art style, along with the fact that I’m open about why I paint. I paint instead of turning to self-harm. When I feel like I want to hurt myself, I paint. Instead, I throw up on a canvas, I take my ugly feelings and make beautiful, colorful art. It makes me realize that there truly is beauty in the struggle. As an artist I want people to enjoy my work, but as a human being, I just want people to know that there are others like them out here and that even through these mental health struggles, people like us can still live a fulfilling life, have fun, run businesses, and most of all, find beauty and continue to grow and be happy.
Where do you see yourself in the industry in the next decade?
During this pandemic, I started putting some designs on t-shirts and selling them, so it kind of looks like I’m headed in the direction of a small clothing line! I would love to expand my kreativity to different mediums and other clothing items and see people wearing MadiKreates original designs everywhere! I never really saw myself as a “business” before that, just as someone who made cool art and was honest about her craziness. I’m hoping that there’s a TED talk in my future, that’s a really big goal of mine. I would love to talk about all that I’ve done and been through and how to stay positive.
In the next few years, I also want to kreate a nonprofit organization for the middle school and high school girls out here in my community surrounding my art and mental health. Most of all, I hope to stay true to myself and my story as my business grows. I never want to forget why I do what I do and how I’ve done it.
Pricing:
- All shirts in my shop are $15-$20, check out my website!
Contact Info:
- Website: MadiKreates.com
- Phone: 5856831704
- Email: madikreates@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/madikreates
- Twitter: twitter.com/madikreates
Image Credit:
MadiKreates shoot (3rd pic) @biasedjonny
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