girl crush: katherine corden
one of my ultimates
If you aren’t already familiar with Katherine Corden’s artwork, you’re welcome! I first met Katherine when I attended one of her gallery open houses in Traverse City, MI where she lives and where my in-laws have a lake house. I had been an admirer of her work via Instagram and had been coveting a piece for our home. But moreover, I wanted to be her friend. The day we met, I had just made the 4.5 hour drive from Ann Arbor and was newly pregnant with my daughter (frankly, feeling quite ill), but I KNEW it was my chance to make Katherine my friend. I dragged myself to her show and left with a print and her phone number — a win win!
Katherine is incredibly talented and creative, but moreover, she has a way of making living life (with all its ups & downs) FUN. I love her approach to her career and motherhood and am so inspired by how she has carved out a life for herself and her family that looks uniquely theirs. Not to mention, she has incredible taste across fashion and interior design (eg. the amount of times I have referenced photos of her recent remodel).
I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her as much as I have!
Meet Katherine Corden:
Where are you from & where do you live now?
I grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, spent time in Ann Arbor and Chicago for school and work, and have been living in Traverse City, Michigan since 2019.
Who (or what) lives with you?
My husband Dave, daughter (4), son (2.5), and we have our third baby joining us in June!
How do you spend your days? (ie. “What do you do?”)
Right now I split my time between being home with my kids and working at my art studio.
For the past nine years I’ve worked as a contemporary artist. My subject matter is ever evolving, but I’m most known for my casual expression of the figure, bold shapes, and unexpected use of color. I’m primarily self represented (I say ‘primarily’ as I’m currently taking a pause from most gallery partnerships). This means I’m not always painting when I’m in the studio, but I outsource what I can. I think the variety of business tasks suits my personality type.
I work while my kids are at school MWF from 8-3, and I also work with Dave to carve out more hours wherever we can find them. This usually looks like working a couple evenings a week and Sunday afternoons. A couple times a month he’s able to flex his schedule so he can handle pick-up which allows me to get in a longer studio day.
You came to art as a second career, which I find especially inspiring. Can you talk a little bit about what you were doing before and what inspired you to have the confidence to take the leap of faith?
In 2016 I graduated from physical therapy school and worked as a PT for six years. I spent several years at both state and university hospitals working in the inpatient acute neuro and rehab settings. When we moved to Traverse I continued working per diem shifts while I gradually transitioned to more full-time art.
To an outsider, my transition from PT to art might have been jarring, but at the risk of sounding cheesy, art had been a huge part of my being from an early age. My mom is an art teacher and I grew up in a house that really nurtured creativity. I wanted to pursue a creative career and had always received great encouragement from my art teachers, but in 2008 I started applying to colleges. Frankly, between the economic recession, voices in my head, and lack of role models to look to, I chickened out and chose a more traditional path. I literally was googling “most stable careers” and physical therapy always ranked in the top ten!
While I enjoyed my job and still really value the role PTs play in healthcare, I started to see, thanks to the internet and social media, a career as a working artist was actually possible. I started painting on the side of my full-time job just for fun but it quickly gained traction. Long story short, when we left Chicago, I decided to start working per diem while I practiced painting and invested in learning how to run a business.
As sexy as “taking the leap” sounded, in reality it was a very gradual, safe transition. If anyone is interested in the nerdy details, I wrote a Substack post all about creating financial stability as an artist here.
Pretend you’re speaking to your mentee — what’s one piece of career (or life) advice you would have for them?
Maybe first and foremost, don’t be afraid to seek mentorship and collaboration! Nobody gets anywhere working alone, even an artist.
Early in my career I met some really encouraging and generous people - Danielle Moss, Meg Piercy, Barri Leiner Grant and Emily Jeffords, to name a few. They supported and believed in my work from the start, and I really credit these interactions with giving me the confidence I was on the right track. (Danielle and Barri have both pivoted to a ‘second life’ career since, also inspiring!)
All that to say, what I try to keep in mind when speaking with a mentee or younger person, is to honestly acknowledge their skill and talent when I see it. I know we all need to prioritize internal over external validation, but if you’re in a position where you can gift that encouragement to someone, it can go a long way. I often think about this with my own kids - how can I instill a sense of confidence in them without steering them one way or another? If anyone has tips let me know!
What do you love about motherhood right now?
These ages really feel magical. Last night while reading a book before bed, we looked out the window and a pair of ducks was strutting across our lawn. We ran downstairs to grab some bread and they tossed crumbs out the window while we ooh-ed and ahh-ed at these ducks for 10 minutes. I love how they marvel at these simple, mundane moments. It reminds me to slow down. They are so sweet and tender right now, there is no school drama yet, it’s a very sacred time. I feel lucky that the flexibility of my career allows me to soak them up like this.
What feels hard about motherhood right now?
So many things, ha! Right now I’m really in the trenches. I’m in the most physical stage of motherhood. My 4 year old and 2 year old are only 19 months apart and I’m 7 months pregnant. From a physical standpoint, I’m exhausted by the end of the day.
But the hardest part is the mental gymnastics. I would love to be home, and I would love to see my full potential. Isn’t this the crux of mom guilt? No matter where I find myself, at home or at the studio, I can find myself feeling guilty. The goal I’ve settled on, is to minimally keep my career afloat so I can contribute the income my family depends on, and keep my audience engaged, so when I do have the bandwidth to work full time, I won’t be starting from scratch, I’ll have something to return to.
We’ve temporarily had to modify our lifestyle and I’ve also had to say no to work opportunities, which has been both challenging and freeing. We know it’s temporary, so on the days I have the privilege of spending time with my kids I really try to stay present. I think my career is unique in that I deeply love what I do, which is such a blessing, and that also makes it hard to clock out of art mode when I’m home. Remaining present is way easier said than done!
What does your parenting “village” or support system look like?
It’s ever evolving. My parents go back and forth between northern Michigan and the Detroit area frequently, and my mom helped us a ton when our son and daughter were born. Other than that, we don’t always have family nearby, which can be challenging.
Our biggest support system currently is our preschool community, which we have really grown to love. A group of school families go to the same local art class each Thursday and those women have brought me so much reassurance in this phase of life. It’s tricky — almost all the friends you make in early parenthood are also in the thick of it, but just having the solidarity of those friendships is extremely grounding. Our preschool is part of the same elementary and middle school our kids will attend — I’m comforted knowing these friendships will continue to deepen over time.
How do you carve out YOU time and what do you spend it doing?
This is something I’ve thought a lot about, since my work is also my creative outlet. Early on I really battled this — going to work felt like a selfish indulgence, and doing anything outside of that felt even more indulgent. But I know it’s essential, especially to nourish creativity. Thankfully Dave is tremendously supportive and has always seen my work as the career it has become. Before kids, I tried to foster non-productive creative outlets, like learning the Ukulele, but now, aside from solo work time, exercise or quality time with friends is how I categorize “me time.”
Currently reading?
I love the publication In Kind. Their latest issue just landed on our doorstep, which I started reading last night. I also just finished The Power Pause by Neha Ruch and devoured it. Technically I listened to it — which is how I consume a lot of media while painting — but I need to purchase a hard copy. It’s one of those books worthy of dog ears and notes in the margins.
Currently watching?
We recently started The Residence, Shonda Rhimes’ new Netflix show. I love Shonda, and Dave loves murder mysteries, so it felt like the ideal choice. So far so good!
Three Substacks to recommend?
What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers. A paid subscription that has paid off ten fold! I literally just donated ten cookbooks because I only cook with Caro now. If you’re a busy parent on a budget (aren’t we all?) she will change your life.
Earl Earl by Laurel Pantin. Fashion is a life long love of mine. One of the many reasons I love Substack is the return of longform fashion content! I find the process of getting dressed similar to creating a painting - you consider balance, shape, proportion, composition, color… and the best pieces always have something unexpected. I think Laurel does a great job of this and though many of her outfits aren’t practical for where I live, I find a lot of inspiration in her curation.
Can I say Just a Splash!? I love this new ‘Girl Crush’ segment. Maybe it’s because I’m the oldest in my family, but I’ve always been fascinated by how other women a couple steps ahead of me are figuring it out. I’ll soak up all the wisdom I can get.
One thing in your closet you come back to time and time again?
Anything and everything denim. I love how it patinas over time and just gets better with age. Of course, most denim doesn’t fit me at the moment, but I’ve been living in this oversized Levi’s jacket.
Oh - and I know you and I have texted over these Donni pants! AKA my pre-school, mom-life uniform that magically still fits me in my third trimester. They make me feel pulled together while also being so comfortable. I should probably invest in another color so it’s clear I am in fact doing my laundry. *I also saw your first Girl Crush - Maura Brannigan - just wrote an article raving about Donni in The Cut!
One thing you’re lusting over?
A Jane Pope Jewelry customized name ring with all three(!) of our kids' names on it. Now if someone could just forward this to my husband…
One thing you’re looking forward to?
This is our last baby and I’m really excited to see all our kids together and for our family to be complete. And as grateful as I am for a healthy pregnancy thus far, I am so looking forward to having my body be my own again — though if you include breastfeeding and postpartum that’s still a ways away!
What’s your superpower?
At my core I’m a very social person. Working as an artist can be a solitary career if you let it, but from the beginning I’ve always found ways to collaborate with other creative businesses. Perhaps I was naive, but I never feared pitching my work or putting myself out there. I was motivated to grow my career, but I also just craved a more collaborative and dynamic work environment. Of course you don’t always receive a yes in return, but so much good has come from these partnerships. I’ve significantly expanded my audience while also making meaningful friendships.
Where can people find you? (plug yourself!)
You can view my work on my studio website at www.katherinecorden.com, follow me on instagram at @katherinecorden.art, and subscribe to my Substack The Art Table where I send two-ish emails a month sharing studio updates + musings, along with BTS notes on life as a working artist and mother of almost three under five.
Love! So inspiring to see a second act represented. I can't wait to check out Katherine's work!!
This was such a fun read and so many of the motherhood comments resonated - especially the mom guilt no matter where you are or what you're doing. I'm glad we're all feeling that 😅