Meet Kristina Robbins | Multimedia / Design / Education

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

Hi Kristina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I first started my business, I knew two things, I wanted to be creative professionally and work for myself, Second, I knew in order to do that, I needed to establish an identity and a competitive portfolio of professional work. When I thought about my business, I was all over the place. I was entering the field as a designer, working in a variety of areas in multimedia, video production, and graphic arts. I was excited and full of ideas, like a mixed bag of tricks with no real direction. I knew I had to choose something that would get the ball rolling and over the years my business would grow as I grow. and as art and technology would also grow. I realized it would take time and lots of work to become a mature business, but I had to get it started by taking that first leap of faith and commit 100%, all in. The job market was competitive and I knew I had to step it up to get noticed. Some might be surprised to know that prior to this commitment, I applied to over 150 positions online and had only one interview. Why wasn’t I getting any traction? I knew what I wanted, and I wasn’t getting it through anyone else, so I took a hard look at myself and began my journey, becoming the business. I was learning to take risks and be more experimental. I was reaching out to mentors, professors, and people in the industry. I began to peel back the layers, learning from other professionals who were established. I had to seek inspiration, get organized, define my mission, and set goals. The entire process was a self-assessment, a reflection looking inward to who I wanted to be as a creative professional. I was discovering new passions and interests, and through the launch of my business, I encountered a calling I never knew I would come to answer, my niche, an opportunity to teach design education. This is where I found my identity and my brand story.
After all that groundwork creating an image, a website, a voice, the real work began. As an independent, I was in charge of my own successes and failures. I was the boss, the manager, the designer, and I was in charge of shaping the business, working with people, and responsible for marketing myself on a regular basis. Although my business has yet to become a major profiter, I used it to get established, and eventually, that was the leverage I needed to land myself in a career I am so passionate and grateful to have.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I got my butt kicked time and time again when it came to the critics in the industry. That’s exactly what you need to become a better professional. It’s the experiences we endure that give us growth. Critique is a must! I always used art as a way to express my ideas and my feelings. I started in traditional drawing and painting, writing and storytelling., Eventually, I grew into a mixed-media artist and I really found a love for digital storytelling through graphic design, video, and motion. The job market is competitive. You have to be willing to take risks and be experimental to stay relevant in this fast-growing industry. As I grew and expanded my knowledge in the fabulous Digital Design program at CU Denver, I was able to bring everything together in a fusion of art and technology and today I am proud to be a critical thinker, asking how I can use my skills to solve problems and connect with others.

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?
I’ve been fortunate to travel a lot. I always come home to Colorado because of my love for the seasons and the Rocky Mountains. Some of my favorite places to go are hidden in the mountains. As a native of Colorado, I always enjoyed snowboarding at Keystone, Breckenridge, and Copper Mountain. The mountain is my church and the spirit is alive in the hills. I really enjoy dropping into Estes Park for a private stay at the Rustic River Cabins, or drop into Glennwood Springs for a dip in the water at the Hot Springs! I am a pretty laid-back and high-stress kind of gal. I always have a million things I’m working on so a nice getaway to the hills is a good balance for the soul. I want to visit new places and try new restaurants. Covid presented so many challenges this past year but we have grown in our family in so many ways. I look forward to getting back out there hiking the trails and beaches, dipping our toes into the river, and most importantly, I absolutely love taking my family with me on all my new adventures.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to my partner Matt, my kids, and my family! Without their patience I would not be where I am today. I want to give a special thanks to all my students who helped me launch into my teaching career (they know who they are), and to so many special mentors, friends, and colleagues in the Multimedia Department and IDEA Institute at Red Rocks Community College, it’s really hard to list them all, but many good friends and allies came from this community. Kaylie Hall was the first person who opened my eyes to see I had potential as a designer when I sat in her class as a student. She connected with me in a way that helped to restore faith in myself after a major battle I overcame. She took me under her wing with care and creativity as a mentor, I began to rebuild my life with a grateful heart and a curious mind. Alongside so many others who had spent countless hours connecting with me and supporting my journey, Kaylie is one of many great people who have had my back, but the role she played as a mentor and friend, gave me the confidence to push forward. She was someone I inspired to be like. I owe great thanks to her since she helped me find a spark within my soul that would eventually ignite into a fiery passion for learning and teaching. The spirit that was growing within the department, and by support from my friends in faculty, I was able to develop an industry program for the students. Red Rocks is the place I transformed from a wanderer, to student, to visionary, to designer, to instructor. I am grateful for my time with everyone. Thom gave me my first teaching position and the creative freedom to launch my program. Michael found ways to support my crazy ideas and supported the launch of our Industry Experience program and Foothills Art Center Gallery Exhibition. Rich was my right hand man. He was my go-to and tech guy for everything. Rich was a dear friend and he was an incredible partner launching and working side-by-side. Paul gave me a platform to launch into my career and he found creative ways of sustaining and growing my initiatives for the college. Mike met with me every week for coffee and listened to me blab about all the projects I was working on. He gave great advice and support. Dorothy believed in me and she made a point to support me and the other faculty in growing the department. Jared was always so willing to offer support, to jump in and help, and to share ideas across classes. Keith inspired me as in instructor and he helped carve a path for me to pursue special effects and motion. Marti was glorious in her firm ways. She was like a mother, a boss, a hardass that told me what was what when I needed it. She was always passionate and supportive all the way through my thesis. Liz and Jeremy found ways every semester to bring me on and keep me employed to collaborate with the STEM and engineering students. They got me connected with some of my favorite collaborators and clients I continue to work with still today. They gave me so many opportunities and opened my eyes to so many possibilities where art and technology coexist. Finally, Anne was always so on-top of her business she inspired me. She was supportive and fun to share ideas with. Without each of these people I would not be who I am today. Thank you all for your support!

I have to make special note to some very wonderful partners of mine in industry. Thanks to Tate Pastore, Donna DeBacco, Alison Kondler, and Christopher Riggs. Through these great friendships and partnerships I can do what I love professionally, with amazing creative people that care about making a difference.

Website: kodesignexperience.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koillustrations/

Other: Vimeo Site: https://vimeo.com/koillustrations

Image Credits: Bio Photo by Paul Weinrauch                                                                            My students and Ed Greene by RC Myrup