Rising Stars: Meet Kiley George of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiley George.

Hi Kiley , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Mentor, Ohio, in the early 1990s, or as the kids say, the late 1900s. LOL.

Raised by a single mother and a musician father, I grew up loving art, music, and making people laugh. By my teens, I’d fallen in love with theatre, improv, and the connection between performers and audiences.

In 2020, I joined TikTok simply to have fun and share my life. Somehow, 350,000 followers and 22 TikTok accounts later (yes, I’ve been banned that many times), here I am!

Over the years, my relationship with creativity and social media has evolved. I’ve learned that while these platforms can foster incredible connection and community, they can also become all-consuming. Taking time to reflect helped me rediscover what I want from my creative work.

After training as a relationship coach through the Somatica Institute, I’ve decided to explore a new direction: long-form storytelling, comedy, and creative expression through projects like The Kiley Ann Show.

I also create handmade collages and mixed-media artwork, offering little windows into my inner world.

I’m still experimenting, exploring, and figuring things out as I go. And honestly, that’s part of the fun!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Where do we begin? LOL.

One of my biggest challenges as a performer has been learning where the performance ends and I begin.

When you’re constantly entertaining, it can be surprisingly easy to lose sight of yourself. Authenticity matters deeply to me, so learning to reconnect with who I am outside of performing has been an important part of my life.

I’ve navigated relationship struggles, sobriety, and plenty of other challenges. But honestly, who hasn’t struggled with relationships or habits? I certainly don’t know anyone, which might say something about my friend group. 😂

I think struggling is simply part of being human. The goal isn’t to eliminate struggle, but to learn how to navigate it without losing yourself along the way.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My favorite mediums to work with are visual storytelling, improvisation, performance art, and mixed-media collage.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always said that if there were anywhere in the world I could be, it would be on stage!

I’ve spent much of my creative life exploring different ways to entertain, tell stories, make people laugh, and bring people together. I love experimenting with different forms of expression, and I don’t particularly enjoy putting myself in one artistic box.

Lately, I’ve been working on a YouTube sketch comedy variety show called The Kiley Ann Show. I don’t want to spoil too much of the surprise, but imagine Dave Chappelle meets The Amanda Show, all acted out by your mom. 😂

As for what I’m known for and what sets me apart? Well, I could tell you, but where’s the fun in that? You’ll have to come find me and see for yourself. 👀

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I used to consider myself quite the risk-taker! And I’ve certainly had my fair share of adventures, especially on social media. I mean, I’ve had 22 TikTok accounts banned. That’s some risk right there! 😂

But looking back, I think one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was actually stepping away from social media for a few weeks and completely changing my relationship with it.

I’ll be honest, I was scared.

How in the heck was I supposed to thrive as an artist on social media if I wasn’t even consuming the platforms?

I thought I’d lose followers. I thought everyone would miss me so horribly! I thought I’d lose my monetization and end up a starving artist yet again.

But I did it anyway.

And you know what happened? Well, I lost a few followers. I’m not entirely sure why, but beyond that, the things I was so afraid of losing didn’t disappear.

Instead, I gained something incredibly valuable.

My time. My energy. And my own thoughts.

I still create and share my work online. I still love the opportunities these platforms have given me. But I no longer feel like I have to constantly consume them to participate.

I think my perspective on risk has changed. Sometimes taking a risk means doing something outrageous, putting yourself out there, or trying something nobody expects.

And sometimes the biggest risk is walking away from something you’ve convinced yourself you can’t live without.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justkileyann
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1E7VLGDg4k/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justkileyann
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justkileyann