Kat Lam
Artist
Tell me about your time in advertising. How did you get started and why did you leave?
I started out as a fine art major and kinda fell into advertising. I went to the University of Texas in Austin and applied for the Texas Creative program because I wanted to work in editorial design and art direction seemed like a close enough fit. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I lucked out and ended up as junior art director when I was barely 21. I had a true love/hate for the industry for the entirety of my career. I’m a maker at heart and have never been one to half-ass anything—once I commit to something I’m in it. That sort of attitude is great most of the time, but it leads to burnout pretty quickly in advertising. I finally left full-time agency life in 2016 for a variety of reasons, but the TDLR version is that I was incredibly frustrated at work and pivoted back to my art as a creative outlet. I hit a point where I couldn’t sustain a full-time job and paint murals simultaneously and I felt I owed it to myself to jump ship and try something new and very unstable.
What are you doing now?
There’s a running joke with my buddies that I have three jobs, but somehow have found a work/life balance. It took a lot of trial and error, but I have my own business painting murals and I pick up freelance jobs every now and then if it sounds like a fun project that works with my schedule.
How did the idea for your new venture come about?
I don’t really plan things out. I follow my heart and trust that things will work out and they usually do. I painted my first mural in 2016 just to see if I liked painting at a large scale and things kinda snowballed from there. It’s a testament to what happens when you commit to something and really, genuinely try your best.
What was your first step in starting your new venture?
See above, but also I made sure to have a safety net of savings to fall back on.
What struggles did you have? Did you have ideas that failed?
I truly believe society has incorrectly wired us to think that if something doesn’t last forever, it’s a failure. That idea is so far from the truth. Both good and bad things are temporary and all of life’s a learning, ya know?
It didn’t take long for me to figure out how to be my own producer, account manager, business affairs person, etc. All the roles we’re used to helping us in the agency world were suddenly on me. Nothing comes easy and there was a lot of trial and error. I don’t look at hiccups as failures, but I did get the naivety that comes with blind ambition knocked out of me pretty quickly.
Did you have help along the way?
I wouldn’t be here without the support of my friends. It’s incredible how much they believe in me—I honestly wouldn’t be here without them.
Did you ever consider giving up?
I’m a human—of course I did.
What would you do differently if you did it again?
Nothing comes to mind honestly. I take life and its lessons as they come and don’t live with regret.
What advice do you wish you had before you started?
Your ability to figure things out will truly surprise you.
What's the single biggest mistake you made in doing this?
I was very trusting and learned a very valuable lesson in the importance of implementing contracts. Do your research if a company engages with you—some of them have awful track records when it comes to paying artists.
What is the single most important thing that contributed to your success?
Reminding myself that having a full heart is an infinitely better place to be than having a full wallet. The money grab mentality is a fast track to misery.
Do you miss your old life?
Nah, I’m not one to dwell on the past and am grateful for my set up now.
