I’m Kelly Rae Roberts

I’m an artist and former social worker.

I’m also obsessed with possibility (a Possibilitarian!).

I’m passionate about helping women nourish their souls and unleash their joy through creativity and self-care.

I also love radiating possibility with other creative entrepreneurs, mentoring them toward profits they can be proud of.

An unexpected journey into creativity and healing…

I spent my early career as a clinical medical social worker. It was powerful, important work, but my heart began to grow restless.

And then…I started playing with paint, at age 30, and everything changed. Painting brought me what I was craving: healing, unburdened joy, awakening.

I painted, crafted, shredded, stenciled, smudged, and smeared like my heart depended on it. By 2006, my portfolio bloomed. I launched my shop. I got a book deal. I wrote the book. My art found new eyes. Big deals came a’calling. Contracts were signed. My art became licensed — landing in home decor stores and gift shops all over the world (dream. come. true.) and generating double digit millions in revenue. I never expected my art to catch like wildfire and spread across the globe.

An unexpected journey into creativity and healing…

I spent my early career as a clinical medical social worker. It was powerful, important work, but my heart began to grow restless.

And then… I started playing with paint, at age 30, and everything changed. Painting brought me what I was craving: healing, unburdened joy, awakening.

I painted, crafted, shredded, stenciled, smudged and smeared like my heart depended on it. By 2006, my portfolio bloomed. I launched my shop. I got a book deal. I wrote the book. My art found new eyes. Big deals came a’calling. Contracts were signed. My art became licensed — landing in home decor stores and gift shops all over the world (dream. come. true.) and generating double digit millions in revenue. I never expected my art to catch like wildfire and spread across the globe.

Along the way, I’ve created several well-loved ecourses and retreats, sharing all that I have learned by crafting a creative life and running a profitable art business.

Through it all (that’s since 2005!), I’ve used my blog and social media platforms to share the full, honest journey. The joy. The burnout. The self-care strategies. The celebrations and milestones. Balancing motherhood with business. All of it.

Heart image

Artists and social workers

have more in common than you might think.

An important part of my journey was realizing that I hadn’t abandoned my former social worker self. I was still listening, sharing, healing, navigating messy emotions, making an impact — except I was now using my art, classes, and retreats instead of a clipboard in a hospital. Same message. New medium.

Heart image

Artists and social workers

have more in common than you might think.

An important part of my journey was realizing that I hadn’t abandoned my former social worker self. I was still listening, sharing, healing, navigating messy emotions, making an impact — except I was now using my art, classes, and retreats instead of a clipboard in a hospital. Same message. New medium.

My journey as a social worker, artist, and creative entrepreneur has guided me toward a few core beliefs that inform everything I do, create, and teach, including:

Vulnerability

We are meant for the complicated journeys of tenderness and fierceness, vulnerability and courage, wisdom and learning. All of it.

Joy

When we paint our joy, wear our joy, or even decorate our joy, we are honoring the essence of who we were always meant to be.

Purpose

Creative entrepreneurship can be a portal into spiritual growth, purpose, and legacy building. Hello soul, hello business!

Self Care

Self-care is an essential and worthy practice for our creative hearts. It’s how we receive our wisdom and higher guidance.

Creativity

Creativity – both on and off the canvas –is a healing force that allows us to embrace, tell, and own our stories in transformative, ultimately joyful ways.

Possibility

When we bravely live our creative dreams into reality – one small step at a time – we give our loved ones permission to do the same.

Kindness

Kindness – especially self-kindness – changes everything.

Whispers

We must make time to silence the noise, engage our hearts, and tune into our whispers. They hold our life’s possibility. We must listen.

These days

I’m blessed to share my life with my son, True, my husband John, and two English Bulldogs named Lulu Butter Butter Bean and Amelia Apple Bottoms. We live in a tiny town in Central Oregon called Sisters where we cozy up in a colorful modern farmhouse, surrounded by three magnificent mountains named Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Life is messy, precious, and so very good.
Dreams do come true. Love is everywhere.
My gratitude is endless.

Bird

As a child, I lived for eating fried chicken and playing checkers with my 85-year old grandad. Real life. Rural Florida style.

Strawberry

I didn’t eat a strawberry until I was in my 20’s.
I had no idea how delicious they were!

Kelly Rae

I have a gap between my two front teeth. I sort of love it.

Dress

I rarely wear black and didn’t own any black clothing until I was in my mid-twenties.

Boots

I’m a sucker for a good pair of cowgirl boots.

Florida

I grew up in the South, a place I have a love/hate relationship with.

Citron

Citron will forever be my favorite color.

Homebody

I’m a true homebody and geek out over all thing decor.

Met my husband

I met my husband, fell in love, and 12 weeks later, we moved from Florida to Portland, Oregon. We were 23 years old.

Glasses

I’ve worn glasses since I was eleven years old
and I’m very, very far-sighted.

Black Tea

I drink black tea each and every morning with milk - not half and half, thank you very much.

True

We named our son True as a tribute to all things truth, true north, true love, and all things true.

Solstice

My birthday often falls on the Summer Solstice.

Kelly Rae

My friends like to call me Kelly Rae of Sunshine. Or K Rae. Or Mama K. Or Kellogg.

New Here?

There’s lots to explore here in my virtual home — nearly 15 years of blog content, detailing my life from social worker to artist to entrepreneur and all the living in between (Motherhood! Self-care! Home + Studio Tours! And more!) – plus art, offerings, and lots and lots of love.

Below is a little breadcrumb trail of links to help you find your way.

Enjoy it all to the fullest. I’m so glad you’re here.

Recent Blog Posts

40% off Gratitude Sale! Hurry, ends soon!

Entrepreneurship

Use code "GRATITUDE" for 40% off everything! Sale ends Wed, Dec 11th. There are so many things for which I am grateful. Family, health, the big things, the little things. But YOU and your support of my work is a blessing for which I will be endlessly grateful....

A creative retreat in Morocco – it changed everything.

Life in Progress

(Me, in front of our Riad in Marrakech) (The group of amazing retreat participants) You guys! My girl Mati Rose and Faith Evans-Sills led an extraordinary creative retreat in Morocco and I got to go and experience it!It was, hand down, the most creative sensory...

I gave myself a HUGE gift. Hello, travel!

Life in Progress

Dear friends, I'm home from an extraordinary adventure to Paris AND Morocco. OMG! I gave myself the gift of two full weeks of travel and adventure. TWO! Can you even? Without work, or family, or deadlines, or expectations, or or or. First, I went to...

Where do you need support?

You want to explore or deepen your creativity – both on and off the canvas – even if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush or consider yourself a ‘creative’ person.

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You want encouragement, inspiration, and guidance on how to silence the noise, develop a self-kindness practice, and bravely care for your whole self.

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You want to start or grow your creative business and you’d love help getting full, radiant clarity on how to align your purpose with profits you can be proud of.

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