Hey There!
Welcome to my website! My name is Khiara - I create captivating designs, beautiful objects, and intriguing experiences for the curious at heart.
I have always loved art and design, and take great pleasure in creating both aesthetic and functional projects, of all different sorts. I also very much enjoy interacting with both people and the natural world, the dynamics of which inspire much of my work and philosophy.
In my free time I love to garden, cook, and play games - both video and tabletop! I also try to spend plenty of time outside, with regular camping and hiking trips during the warmer months. I'm proud to call the Midway Neighborhood of Saint Paul my home, where I reside with my lovely partner, and a vast assortment of plants.
Design Ethos
In my opinion, well-done design work encompasses several elements. It must first and foremost be engaging, to grab attention, but beyond that I believe it should be intriguing (to hold said attention) while also being clear, concise, and aesthetic. I believe that these principals apply whether I’m designing a game, a poster for an event, or a business card.
To elaborate, good design allows for the conveyance and summarization of complex concepts in easily digestible formats, that please both the eye and the mind.
I also firmly believe that design is a collaborative process. I am coming to the table with the skills to bring concepts and ideas into the physical realm, but both the process and the end result are heavily guided and informed by the wants and needs of those I'm working with, and vice versa.
Over my decade plus of doing design work (visual, physical, and conceptual) I have handled an incredibly wide range of projects, from intimate designs for small groups and individuals, up through events with attendance in the thousands. All of these projects have received the same amount of care and intention in my work, as every situation is unique, and every endeavor deserves to be given adequate consideration and effort.
Lastly, I believe that well-done design can also lend itself to thought and engagement long beyond interacting with the original project. I aim to create items, images, and experiences that surpass their initial value, and provoke continued consideration of the concepts at hand.
AI Statement
I am proud to be making art by a human, for humans!
To provide a succinct summary regarding my own usage of AI: I very actively avoid it in every step of my workflow, from sourcing references and doing research, up through concept sketches and finalized designs.
This means that when doing research and looking for reference images, I avoid the AI summaries that google insists on offering, instead seeking out source materials myself. I do not use text generation, nor do I utilize image generation models. I often do my concept work in pen and paper, then shift over to the appropriate Adobe suite program to finalize my work.
I think that in certain applications AI can be a wonderful tool, and could serve as a fantastic boon to human progress. That said, I have severe concerns over its documented environmental impact, as well as emerging studies linking it to cognitive declines. Additionally, I am particularly concerned about the sourcing and training processes for image generation models, and ensuring that artists are appropriately involved and compensated in that process - and that they can opt out if desired. Lastly, it brings me great sorrow and frustration to see that the wonderfully human processes of creativity and creation are being outsourced to systems that continue to create increasingly homogenous and lackluster works.
If you have any questions about why this is my stance on AI in my creative work, or anything else in that same vein, feel free to reach out and discuss!
Rates
Depending upon what the situation calls for, I generally utilize either project based or hourly rates.
To discuss a potential project, feel free to fill out the contact form or email me via khiara@khiartistry.com
Please include some information about your project, such as:
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Timeline
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Scope
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# of deliverables
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Any other interesting & relevant details!
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From there I will be in touch to discuss - please be aware that replies may take 2-3 business days.
Lastly, a note that I am happy to chat about almost any idea - no project is too big or small! I've done work ranging from a puzzle consultation for a marriage proposal, to assembling marketing materials and media kits for events with thousands of attendees, and very much enjoy working on projects of such varying scope and scale.
My Story
I have loved art and design my entire life, and first became professionally involved as a teenager where I served on the Youth Leadership Council for a local arts organization called The Canvas, while also completing my International Baccalaureate Arts Certificate. Following those artistic endeavors, I spent a handful of years working assorted customer service jobs as a young adult, before landing at Mission Manor Escape Rooms.
I joined the team at Mission Manor before we had even opened our doors to the public, and had the privilege of helping build the business from the ground up. I quickly developed a deep love for the immersive entertainment industry, specifically the puzzle centric variety. I had grown up fascinated by clues, codes, mysteries, secret societies, and all subjects in a similar realm, but had long ago accepted that there would likely be no professional application for those interests. Considering the former, imagine my absolute delight in realizing as an adult that there were entire industries centered around the enjoyment of those topics.
This realization led rather quickly to myself, along with my business partner Logan, founding The Enigma Emporium - a game design and publishing company, with a distinct focus on crafting challenging and intricate printed puzzle games for experienced players. Over the time we owned and operated the company, we designed and published a dozen games in-house, with over $100K in crowd-funded support, and thousands of copies shipped globally. We handled a vast majority of that work ourselves, ranging from initial conceptual designs and game creation, to coordinating crowdfunding, preparing production ready files, and handling subsequent direct to consumer fulfillment. In addition to our in-house products, we also consulted and did design work on a number of projects for several other companies.
We sold The Enigma Emporium in Fall 2024, as our lives had both shifted drastically in the years we'd owned the company, and we unfortunately could no longer give it the attention and care we felt it deserved.
Across the latter portion of the time I owned The Enigma Emporium, I was also serving as the Taproom Manager for Burning Brothers Brewing, a small dedicated gluten-free brewery in my neighborhood. In this role I was afforded consistent opportunities to further hone my design skills, as I handled print, digital, and production related projects for our website, social media, digital advertising, events, merchandise, and more. This work also allowed me to delve into the nuances of the craft beverage industry, which I find to be overall delightful and full of fun stuff to learn. Unfortunately, Burning Brothers closed late in the spring of 2025, which left me with a sudden abundance of free time.
Which brings us up to the present, and the launch of Khiartistry as a full-time endeavor! I am very enthused about exploring and expanding on all sorts of new skills, and tackling lots of fresh and exciting undertakings. If you made it this far, thanks for reading, and I look forward to chatting with you about your project and ideas!