Conceptual artist and art director Kat Stockton’s 11 good things

In this series, ArtsATL asks a member of the Atlanta arts community to share 11 things on their mind. We hope you enjoy getting to know these people better.

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Kat Stockton is an Atlanta-based artist whose career spans multiple creative disciplines. Her professional experience includes work as an Emmy Award-winning conceptual artist and art director in the local animation industry, as well as art direction and design within Atlanta’s advertising community. She has been exhibiting her work locally for more than 20 years and recently expanded her practice to include curatorial work alongside her artistic contemporaries. Stockton’s art celebrates boldness, creativity and fearless exploration. Her work radiates energy and imagination, often pairing striking color palettes with subtle, serious undertones. She holds a BFA from Atlanta College of Art (SCAD Atlanta), a certification in art direction from The Creative Circus and is currently pursuing her MFA in painting at SCAD Atlanta.

Here, in no particular order, are Stockton’s 11 Good Things. 

1. The stillness of morning. Making coffee as the sun rises and sitting with the quiet before the city fully wakes up. There’s a softness to that moment . . . the light, the silence, the sense that anything is possible before the day makes its demands. It’s a brief, grounding ritual that sets the tone for everything that follows.
2. Cumberland Island. One of the most magical places I have been to in Georgia: wild horses on the beach, ruined remnants of past decadence and natural beaches with not a condo in sight. Diverse wildlife and magical tree canopies that light up with fireflies at night. We are lucky to have this well-care-for and preserved state park so close to us. 
3. Hankook Taqueria. Low-key and some of the best fusion tacos in the city, I always look forward to lunch here.
4. Blue Col-Erase pencils on Bristol paper. I’ve been using this combination since high school. The familiarity and freedom they offer immediately put me into a creative flow state.
5. The Atlanta art community. I grew up in Duluth and became involved in the Atlanta art community when I began my BFA at Atlanta College of Art in 2003. It’s been incredible to watch the community grow over the past two decades, and I feel deeply lucky to be part of the culture we’ve cultivated. Between the artists, museums, galleries and events, there’s always something to engage with.
6. Local Atlanta art stores Binders and Sam Flax. My father managed an art store, so I grew up surrounded by art supplies and community. Walking into these spaces fills me with nostalgia, and I’m grateful Atlanta still has independent, welcoming art stores that serve artists so well.
7. Artistic freedom. The freedom to express myself through my work, whether successfully or unsuccessfully, is a privilege I never take for granted. Not everyone has had, or currently has, this opportunity, and I’m keenly aware of that.
8. Summer thunderstorms. Georgia’s summer storms lull me into an almost meditative, artistic state. Watching sheets of rain blur the world outside while thunder rolls and vibrates through the ground feels both powerful and calming. It’s a reminder of nature’s scale and a moment when everything else pauses.
9. Cats. My cats especially, but, honestly, all cats. Their goofy antics and quiet sweetness never fail to lift my spirits.
10. Monday Night Bowling League at Comet Pub & Lanes. I look forward to this every week. The vibe is incredible, the people are wonderful and, while I’m not a great bowler yet, it’s surprisingly therapeutic. During those few hours, the outside world fades away.
11. Painting. I’m an artist, so it’s no surprise this made the list. Painting remains one of my greatest joys and my most constant companion.