Inside Evie Kemp’s colourful creative world

Breaking through depression to thrive in her own technicolour world, artistic entrepreneur Evie Kemp shares her passion to help others embrace their own innate creativity – despite a flooded studio trying to dampen her spirits. 

MAS Member Evie Kemp’s Auckland art studio is a riot of colour and character. It boasts bold prints, quirky items and cosy corners with cushions in every texture and hue. You might imagine that these are the stylings of a larger-than-life person who is making a big statement for all to see. In fact, Evie herself is a warm and gentle person whose mission is as much about helping others find their own creative flair. 

“What I love most about what I do,” says the designer, illustrator, author and entrepreneur, “is trying to inspire people to find their style, and to remind them that you can do it at any stage or situation in your life.” 

Her most recent creation, a book about interior design called ‘Much’, is a testament to this philosophy. “I really wanted to get across the message that you don’t need to do things like me, or love these colours as much as I do. I might be here on that scale,” she says, holding her hand up high, “and you might be there,” she says, lowering it down. “But that’s great.” 

Embracing her personal style 

Evie has been running her own creative business for nearly 15 years now, but says finding her own personal style has been a process for her, too. “I came from a very unconfident place and felt really unsure of expressing myself at first. I always loved art growing up, but at school I kind of got dissuaded from it. I went to university to study law, but a big wave of depression hit me about halfway through. I hated being there and doing what I was doing, so I took 6 months off to get better. At the same time I thought, ‘I need to find something that lights me up.’” 

She ended up doing a graphic design course at AUT, and through exploration with illustrations, textiles and colour, Evie found her way back to happiness again. “I got to rediscover those things that I’d sort of buried down due to teenage insecurity and get back to what I loved.”  

Evie imagined she might get a job in magazines or similar after graduating, but thanks to some serendipitous timing, a new path opened up. “It was the first year of Instagram and I hopped on there and started sharing my work. I was making art prints of brightly coloured animals and they did really well and started to get stocked in shops. That was really my core business for quite a long time. Then I’d post pictures of how I’d styled a space and that’s how it got into the interiors side.  

“I just kept following the breadcrumbs, seeing what was sustainable as a business and what opportunities came up. After a while, I was so far down the track that I thought, ‘I’m probably unemployable now, so I just need to keep chugging along!’” she laughs. 

And sure enough, the opportunities have continued to come. These days, Evie has many strings to her bow, including styling events, designing textiles for fashion brands and running creative workshops for companies and teams in her studio or further afield. “It’s really cool because it’s another way to help people get creative. There will always be people who say, ‘Oh, I’m not an artist,’ and I’ll say, ‘Yes, you are, and I’m going to show you how!’  

“I think so many people just don’t give themselves permission to play. They might want to, but they don’t know where to start. So I think having it laid out for them and being told to go for it really works. I love seeing people suddenly feeling proud of their creation.”  

Building a successful creative business 

Evie’s home, which she shares with her husband Sam, a gynecologist and long-time MAS Member, is an ever-changing testament to her eclectic tastes, and her decor is beloved by her 31,000-plus Instagram followers.  

While Evie is largely calling the shots on the design front, Sam also plays a key part. “He’s really handy, which is good. I think he wishes he wasn’t so handy sometimes,” she laughs. “He helps me with so many projects. Lots of my stuff is second-hand or things I’ve customised. I really like having things that are harder to find and unique, so second-hand is the easiest way to do that. It’s the thrill of the hunt!” 

Asked whether she’d ever do interior design for individual clients, Evie is more hesitant. “I've done it at various times and I do a little series on my Instagram called ‘Much better’, where people can submit their images and I’ll help them do it that way. I’d rather encourage people to figure it out for themselves though, because I really believe we’re all the best designers for our own home.”  

As for her own ambitions, Evie says she wants to continue to develop her own artistic voice more. “I still always feel like I’m slowly getting there. I still care too much what other people think, even though I’m there saying, ‘It doesn’t matter,’” she adds. “You still wonder if you might be missing out on opportunities by doing things a certain way, or you might not be in the cool kids’ club… but you just have to keep marching to the beat of your own drum.”  

Wise words that Evie hopes will help other people find their own paths. “I don't know if [being creative] is something that’s pushed out of us by this need to work and be productive all the time. Often, I think people feel that if they’re not making something really good, then there’s no point. But that isn’t how it should be; the point is in the process. I want to tell people, ‘Trust yourself. Have a go, make some mistakes. Some people will hate it, some people will love it. But you’re the one who has to live inside that world, so it has to be what’s right for you.’” 

Evie’s MAS moment 

When Evie’s Auckland studio flooded during heavy rain in winter, she got straight on the phone to MAS and help was immediately at hand. “The entire space was filled with about 11 to 12cm of water, which was devastating as somebody who loves rugs and who wasn't very organised and had lots of things on the floor! I'd never dealt with anything like that before and I was feeling quite overwhelmed.  

“I contacted MAS and explained the situation, and they were just so incredibly helpful. They sent someone around straight away. He said, ‘Don’t stress. You don’t need to worry about this.’ Then he came back on Monday with the cleaning crew and while they were cleaning, we went through and photographed and itemised everything. It all got done in one day, and then I was paid out by the next week. I felt so lucky because even though something bad had happened, I was so well supported and everything was sorted out so quickly. 

“I also have Public Liability Insurance with MAS. When I first took over the studio, they helped me figure out what insurance I actually needed and they were so helpful because I was quite unsure. It’s really nice when you’re in business, to have other businesses that you work with that you can really trust.” 

Find out more about MAS Business Insurance options or contact the MAS team on 0800 800 627.