Rising Stars: Meet Kaitey Pastva

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitey Pastva.

Hi Kaitey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today. 
I’ve always been an artist. As a kid, I was involved in all sorts of art classes and was always finding ways to be creative. I can remember a time in class when they asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, and at the time, I thought it would be awesome to be a famous soccer player or an artist and I remember thinking at the time that being an artist was the more silly option. I knew even then about the starving artist trope and didn’t think it was something I could do successfully. Once I learned about graphic design and other professions within the art world, I knew that was what I wanted to be. I got accepted into the Cleveland Institute of Art and graduated with a bachelor’s of fine art in illustration with an emphasis in graphic design in 2022. I started to look for work and opportunities right after graduation and found myself vending at local art markets. I am very excited to progress and gain traction as an artist and small business owner. My journey is definitely still a work in progress, but I’ve learned a lot along the way and am so thankful to get out and connect with my community. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I am still a very new business owner and freelancer. This is my second year vending, and I have certainly learned from mistakes I’ve made along the way. I am also meeting clients at my events, and it’s definitely a process to learn how to connect and do business with your clients. I still have lots to learn, and I’m sure I have other mistakes to make, but I am lucky to know lots of amazing creatives who give me advice and guidance along the way. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an illustrator who specializes in children’s art, picture books, and surface design. My work is whimsical and fun and is aimed to be appealing to people of all ages. I work in a colorful pastel color palette, and I incorporate handmade textures into my digital paintings. I want people to feel happy when they see my work or even to connect with their inner child. I hope to spark joy for people even if it’s just in little things. 

I have been creating custom stationery as a way to license my own work within my brand as a business. I hope to one day collaborate with larger brands to license my work in other ways. 

I also have a couple picture books in progress that I hope to publish one day. I really feel drawn to tell stories to children as a way to create tools and reference points for them to look back to when things start to become complex for them. I also look into myself and ask what things or tools do I wish I had when I was a kid? For example, my senior thesis project I started a picture book that focuses on divorce and separation, which is something that I faced. Instead of explaining what divorce is or means I explore the emotions and differences of this new life experience. I wanted to express that some families are different or even that some things just aren’t meant to be and that’s okay. I want to create stories that children can relate to and hope to explore more topics like this in the future.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I think the best piece of advice I can give is to not be afraid to start chasing your dreams and passions, even if it feels impossible. It may take time to reach your goal, but the journey and satisfaction of getting to do what you love every day is worth the risk and struggle. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kaiteypastva.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.pastva_illustration/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070519140079
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmpastva/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@k.pastva_illustration