Message us Mermaids 🧜🏼‍♀️

What if your boldest work began the moment you stopped asking for permission? We sit down with NAACP award-winning, self-taught artist, author, and brand strategist Kristen Nicole Mann to explore how creativity can be both sanctuary and sword—healing the self while challenging the stories we’re told about who gets seen and what counts as art.

Details

Kristen traces the surprising path from a college journalism classroom and a foreclosure-law call center during the 2008 crash to her first unexpected art sale and a thriving practice rooted in color, text, and truth. She breaks down her intuitive process—no grids, no sketches, just guided choices that pair vibrant palettes with lines from scripture, Maya Angelou, and other voices that anchor a room. We talk about why she paints women across ages and shades with softness and strength, why hair becomes a site of dignity and memory, and how a single dismissive word—“gig”—clarified her purpose to build legacy-driven work that refuses to shrink.

Along the way, we look honestly at the art world’s gatekeeping: museum wings that relegate community stories to the margins, the difference between African and African American lenses, and the power of online platforms to open doors when institutions won’t. Kristen shares practical wisdom on navigating social media without losing yourself, setting boundaries that protect your energy, and cultivating character so your work can stand in hard weather. If you’ve ever been told your calling isn’t a “real job,” you’ll find a playbook here for turning doubt into direction and pain into color.

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Contact

Website: Kristen Nicole Mann

Social: KNM Facebook, KNM IG, KNM TikTok

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Shameless Promotions

Chloe Brown is the graphic artist behind all of the Mermaids’ delightfully whimsical branded reels, stories and picture posts on social. Contact her at [email protected] for artistic consultation and design work.

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