Rising Stars: Meet Ke’Ona Herron

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ke’Ona Herron.

Hi Ke’Ona, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am the owner of “Ke’Netic Arts” and “Digital Ke’Zigns”! Growing up, I always loved to draw and sketch. It wasn’t until my middle school art class that I fell in love with painting; however, I didn’t began actively playing around with paint until the summer of 2017, right before college. My family has always been supportive in my hobbies and helpful by buying my first real art supplies and well-known brands of paint. Although I decided not to go to college for art (I got a degree in Geospatial Science and Computer Science), that is the time where I discovered art as my true passion.

By my sophomore year, I had began painting in my free time and between classes.

I realized that I created a lot of paintings over the years that no one but my family had seen. Many of my friends didn’t even know that I could draw anything better than a stick figure! That’s when I gained the confidence to create a business name and start my Instagram account (I will tag all of my business accounts below); which definitely helped to expand my audience.

During the summer of 2020, I was commissioned by University Academy to create murals around the facility. This was one of my biggest projects, which took half of the summer to finish. The theme of the project was Covid-19, with the purpose of reminding students to take necessary precautions.

In October of 2020, my brother developed my first website in order to sell my art officially. He did an amazing job and I am now able to sell work through my own platform! In July of 2021, I finally opened an Etsy Shop for “Ke’Netic Arts”, where I sell digital and physical prints, stickers, molds, etched glasses, coasters, and costumed patches! My mom also makes water bottles and bedazzled items that I sell in my shop. A month later, I opened another Etsy shop for my printable/downloadable designs called “Digital Ke’Zigns”. Both shops have brought in new customers from around the world and increased my following as well.

I am looking forward to what the future will hold for both of my small businesses!

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 would say that it has been a long road and I haven’t even made it halfway. One of the main struggles is consistent sales. Etsy, however, has been a great platform in keeping a steady flow of traffic to my page. I also struggle with posting on ALL of my social media daily. Creating new content to post is very challenging, especially when dealing with other aspects of my life as well.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an artist who loves to dabble in all forms of media. I like to etch wood and glass, paint, create patches, experiment with resin, decorate graduation caps, host sip and paints, and so much more. I love to try new things, so if I see something interesting that’s totally out of my comfort zone, I’m probably going to try it!

I specialize in painting and drawing! I love to create my own original pieces, but making custom pieces specifically for my customers always brings a smile to my face.

I am most proud of making my passion a reality. Even though I have a long way to go, I am proud that I get out of bed every day to take another step toward my dream. I have to remind myself that the hardest part of doing anything is just starting. Once I actually get that part out of the way, nothing else is really that hard.

What sets me apart from others is my ability to keep moving forward. If I fail a project, I try again. If something doesn’t work out, I try something new. If I miss a great opportunity, I find a better one!

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
One thing that may be surprising is that I oftentimes work in complete silence. I know that a lot of artists love to listen to music while they create, but most times I get so lost in my work that l forget to turn anything on. Sometimes, I don’t even forget, I actually do it purposely. Silence really allows me to focus and get my creative juices flowing. HAHA, I know weird right?

Contact Info:

• Email: kenetic.arts7@gmail.com
• Website: www.keneticarts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenetic.arts/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ke_netic
• Other: www.keneticarts.etsy.com, www.digitalkezigns.etsy.com, TikTok: @kenetic.arts