Kat Warwick

I attribute my success to one word "perseverance". No matter what, I keep putting one foot in front of the other. Through fear, through doubt, through failure, through success, through good and bad times I keep going. I might miss the mark, get a big chip on my shoulder then get it knocked off, get hopeless and depressed, wonder what the heck I'm doing, but after I falter, I get back up and keep going. Do I see where my path is going to end, no I do not. I keep going. I try all the things, then go with the one that works for me. Do the work, enjoy the success, learn from missing the mark, take another step into the unknown. Perseverance.

I've not been in the position to have many business mentors, but what I've gleaned from casual conversations with friends, reading and my own life experiences is this.

Take the risk and pivot. Hang on to your skills and what you love but be prepared to leave an unfulfilling, unsustainable situation. Your skills will apply in another situation.

At the end of the day, your integrity is all you really have. Do not let people, situations, or life circumstances ruin your integrity.

This is general life advice...

Plan on re-inventing yourself at least once in your lifetime. Our world changes rapidly. Industries are outgrown, financial collapses happen, personal lives change, new technologies close some doors and open others. Be flexible and always have a skill or hobby that you can pivot from.

Find the balance. Balance being bold and confident with being curious enough to know when you are wrong. Balance honoring your truth with respecting other people's truths. Balance fulfilling your dreams with the phrase "a rising tide lifts all boats".

Advice for my industry, stone carving...

Hold on to your pants it's an amazing, wild, and wonderful ride. There is no road map. There is no security. Take classes in being an entrepreneur. Read the contracts and understand them before you sign. Plan your budget as if you are only going to get a paycheck once a year. Don't be afraid to have a side hustle to cover mortgage, utilities and food. Apply for everything. You will get tons of "No Thank you" responses, so don't let that ruffle your feathers. Say "yes" to every opportunity that does present itself and LEARN (both the good and the bad lessons) from those opportunities. The lessons you learn while you are beginning will help shape your success in the future. And no matter what, keep putting one foot in front of the other. Own who you are. Curate your life.

The ancient art form of shaping stone into items of usefulness, worship and beauty, in modern times, is inherently in a precarious position. AI and Robotic Carving Machines present a unique challenge to traditional stone carving. Stone sculptors today are being pushed out of an industry that has been part of humanity since we first learned hitting 2 stones together could create fire and useful tools. Tragic is not a strong enough word for the potential loss of the physical and spiritual partnership between human and stone.

Stone carvers are currently facing the same type of dilemma that painters did when photography was invented. There was a shift, but the industry of individual painters creating art did not die. It changed. More people had access to images for their walls and for record keeping and that was a good thing. I am hopeful that a similar balance will be found with stone carving.

I strive to create situations where other people thrive and grow in positive ways.

My sculpture is always created with positive energy and strives to lead people to stop and look with not only their eyes but with their thoughts and their hearts as well. My work asks, "What do I mean? What am I saying to you, in this moment? Does my presence add value to your day?" "Do I soften your anger or embolden your resolve?" "Do I help you find balance?" Beyond that there is an energy in everything. I feel the energy in the stone. When working with stone I am removed from this time and transported into a place that spans thousands of years. My mind quiets. I am fully in my body and in the moment. It is a magical place. That is one of the reasons I teach stone carving to others. Modern humans do not live in a world that allows them to experience the richness of life that can be found in silent thought, slowness, difficult to master skills, the success that only bringing your personal vision to fruition in cold hard stone. In stone carving classes, students not only learn an artistic skill, if they pay attention to what is really happening... they learn about themselves as well.

In my partner dance world, through teaching, producing and dancing, I hope to improve people's lives through human connection, physical exertion, and rapid touch-thought-reaction brain enhancement. When we dance together in a lead-follow partnership, people must fine tune their ability to truly focus on "in the moment", "non-verbal communication/cooperation" and "personal control of self". Even in moments of dance abandon, when you have another human attached to your hand, you must consider how your actions affect another human being. I have to trust that experience bleeds over into daily life and helps us all be better humans.