Hey there, I’m Kim! The creator behind Graybeard Studios.
I was raised in the Bay Area but have been living in Colorado since following a job to the mountains in 2012. As a kid I loved all things creative and thrived in art classes. However, as I got older and went to college, I moved away from art like so many of us do. It took me until my 30s to re-evaluate and start creating again. It started with my obsession of all things pallet craft on pinterest and believing I could do it too. When I found myself between jobs I decided to try my hand at upcycling and building things. I started a shop on etsy, sold things on craigslist and found the pure joy of creating beautiful, tangible objects with my hands. Not to mention the reset of being away from a screen. At some point in this journey my husband and I bought and remodeled our house. He asked me to create a piece of art for our wall that became my first mountain mosaic. At a whopping 4 feet by 8 feet, the piece commands our living room and it always gets comments. I kept getting asked to start selling them...
I wish I could say that I roared forward with my business from there. But I had a lot of fear leaning into it. I worked in photography for a few years, which did help with the creative yearn, but it wasn’t quite the same as making physical things. I made a few panels for people here and there, but really didn’t feel ready until 2020. Like many of us, the pandemic had me re-evaluating everything. I spent a lot of time on my mat and in meditation and stumbled upon a manifestation meditation on Insight Timer that would change my course.
During the guided session, we were instructed to focus on the feelings brought forth from each prompt. Should a vision come with it, welcome it but don’t cling to it, just focus on how you want to feel in various places in your life. When guided towards our ideal career and workplace, I not only felt pure joy in my heart center, but I saw myself in a bright, light studio laughing, listening to music and creating beautiful things with my hands. That day, I went down to my basement workshop and got to work making a collection. It was small, but I was proud of it. I shared it on Instagram and sold one piece. But, I also got a commission. That commission led to another commission, and it has just kept going from there. I am so honored to have people want my pieces in their homes, pieces that give me so much joy to create. I continue to offer photography, as it is still a great passion, however I find myself embracing the making side of my venture more and more.
So there you have it, the background to what got me here. When I am not creating, I am an avid explorer with my husband and our pug, always with a camera in hand. We take to the road with our truck camper often and, like the panels, I have been asked for several years to start sharing our itineraries with others. I’ve sat on the fence about this, but I have finally decided to just go with it. The blog and guides are still being worked out in format, and will be evolving in time.
If you have any requests along the way, a commissioned art piece, a photoshoot or a blog topic, let me know!
Contact me.
Looking for an art commission? Wanna book a commerical photo shoot? Maybe you just have a question or wanna say hi! Feel free to contact me on here or on social.
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525