Meet Tee Kelly | Creative/Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tee Kelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tee, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe risks are necessary to push us out of our comfort zone. Without risk we remain complacent. Complacency negates growth, and lack of growth limits our capacity of fulfilling our purpose in life. Taking the risk to expose my art to the public has been very liberating for myself as a creative. I began drawing and painting at a very young age. For me, it has always been something that I viewed as a simplicity such as riding a bike. When my partner told me that I should start displaying my art I was a bit reluctant because like most artist, I am a perfectionist regarding my creativity. It was a big risk for me to share my art since I did not know what feedback I would receive. However, taking the risk to be more open in sharing my art has changed my life in ways that I never imagine. I enjoy creating for myself, but the joy I receive creating for others exceeds any feeling I ever imagined for myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is a combination of abstract and pop art. I grew up sketching portraits and watching Bob Ross with my dad. So a lot of my work focuses on color and detail as well as what is trending. I think what sets me apart from others is that my art is instilled with the personal connection I have with the client. As an individual who is also a professional mental health worker, I have the upper hand of knowing how to be attentive to details regarding others. So I always try to tie in the clients personality, personal interest or personal experience in my paintings. I believe my gift in life is my artistic ability and my purpose in life is to connect and relate to others to help them feel apart of something. It took me some time to collaborate my gift with my purpose but I do think I am finally getting the hang of it. It was not easy to find my direction as an artist because I always struggled with how I could connect being a counselor with being an artist outside of a traditional setting like art therapy. I have never seen it be done before. But as a creative, I realized that I have the ability to create my own lane. My greatest lesson through all of this is trusting myself and knowing that I am capable of doing anything that I want to do. My brand, Free Aesthetic, was built on the idea of fulfilling self purpose through the beauty of freedom. We are able to do all things, we just have to know that God aligns us with everything we need to be successful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend come in to visit the first stop would be La Lucha for brunch. After La Lucha we would probably take a bike ride in either the heights area or allen parkway followed by a stop at the contemporary arts museum. After the museum we would probably head over to North Italia for lunch. After lunch I would make sure an early evening movie was enjoyed at IPIC theatres in the River Oaks district. Lastly, we would end the night at dinner as Joey Uptown. A few more places I would make sure we visit would include LA fisherman for crawfish, KISS restaraunt for sunday brunch, Steak 48 for dinner, Herman park, The Birria Queen food truck as well as CNC Smokehouse and The Brunch Bus. The MKT in the heights, City Centre, and rice village will also be areas I make sure they visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Without a doubt, my partner Porsche honestly deserves as much recognition as I do. Her support is my greatest motivation. When I am working on a painting, she is already there to reinforce that positivity. She roots for me as well as provides me constructive criticism when needed. She is always a listening ear when I am sharing my ideas with her and always extend helpful feedback. She helped me step out of my comfort zone and challenged me to expose myself as an Artist. She reassures me and helps me feel very confident in my abilities of being an artist.

Instagram: @easyyygoing_

Twitter: teekayFA