You sound pretty independent.
Katrina: Oh yeah.
And driven …
Katrina: I don’t know if I’m driven or not. It depends on what I want to
do, and I’ve been working more. When there’s a deadline coming up,
I’ll suddenly get my butt into gear and do something.
So you work well under pressure?
Katrina: When I know I have to finish something, then yes, but I need to
start putting more pressure on myself.
Have you ever heard of Akiane Kramarik? She’s a child prodigy who’s
been painting since she was six. I saw a piece about her on TV once
and I believe she said something like, “I don’t wait for the muse. The
muse waits for me. I just show up.” That inspired me to try to do the
same and now I always try to show up.
When you aren’t under pressure, what do you do to relax and recharge?
Katrina: I relax and recharge in various ways. I need a lot of time alone
to think and unwind. I need to get outside or to the gym and exercise
almost daily to calm my brain and body, and getting away from the
screen is important as well.
I think it’s the source of a lot of depression for people, and I’ve felt that
myself.
Recently, I’ll build a fire and stare at it for hours in the evening, which
beats the screen, no question. Although I need a ton of time alone, my
friends and family ground me and I’m lucky to have so many good
people in my life who try to understand my quirks and weirdness. They
all make me laugh. I think humor is one of the most joyful aspects of
living. My son and I have a connected relationship and he’s hilarious.
I’m glad that as a teenager he still cares about what I think, which
shows in our long conversations. My husband and I are, fortunately,
very connected and we share common interests so we hike and bike
and discuss life, which is helpful to maintain my sanity.
Excellent. Speaking of sanity, here’s a bit of a crazy question. If you could
step through time/space to meet anyone and pick their brains for a bit, who
would it be?
Katrina: If I could step through time and pick a person’s brain, it’s a
toss-up between Leonardo DaVinci and Frida Kahlo.
I was inspired in college by the way DaVinci used shape, line and
color to create a sense of connection in his paintings, but most of all he
invented things from his visions and dreams.
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