Meet Kenyada West | Pencil Artist & Painter

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

Hi Kenyada, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve always wanted to be my own boss since I was like 10-11 years old. I started out wanting to be a comic book artist. I used to draw pictures of different cartoons and sometimes just make up cartoons and designs to get practice in for it. I also used to take random pictures of stuff like open fields and cars and stuff like that when I was a teenager and that made me want to become a photographer whenever I’m not drawing. So, I figured I would take it to another level by drawing portraits and anything else that I could draw and paint and pick up on some photography skills as well. With those thoughts and the whole reason that I started doing different things under the Art category, I decided to get my name out there more. I asked myself one day “what’s a better way to do that than starting a business and showing your work off to everyone in a way that they can find it better?” Well, you start yourself a business and put your name out there. They won’t be able to know about it unless you show them what you can do. If you want the world to know about your skills, put them out there for the people to see, especially nowadays with the Internet being the biggest way to have your talents showcased. Even with the Internet option, you should still showcase your work in local shows, try to find places that will showcase your work for you and go from there. You should never be afraid to show off your skills and it’s never too late to show them off. Start today, because you never know what will happen tomorrow.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Some lessons that I’ve learned along the way, throughout the past 25 years that I’ve been drawing, is that not everyone is going to like the work that you produce. You have to take the negative comments the same way you do with the positive comments. Whether they like it or they don’t like it, they saw it and it’s time for you to improve with what you do. You should never settle for the “now” moments. Always keep pushing forward to be better than the person you were yesterday. Success does not have a time limit nor age limit, so make every moment count!

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 love to eat and play basketball and football. Most of my family and friends love the same thing. If I had to take them somewhere to eat and drink in this area, it would be Cinco Amigos (Mexican restaurant) in Cookeville or Cheddar’s. There aren’t many choices out here in Cookeville but they are pretty good ones. One of my favorite places to visit to have fun, is Cummins Falls. There’s a beautiful waterfall area in the park where you can hike to the waterfall and they have an RV park across the street from the park’s entrance just in case you want to stay overnight and go to the falls the next day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give special shoutouts to my kids (my step kids and my biological children, they’re all my kids), my wife and my family and close friends. Another special shout out goes to my oldest brother who taught me how to draw when I was 9 years old. They have all played a part in my success so far with my Art talent.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kenwesttheartist

Facebook: www.facebook.com/artworkbykenyada

Youtube: www.youtube.com/kentheartist89

Other: www.tiktok.com/@kenwesttheartist

Image Credits
Ken West the Artist