Anya Karolyn never set out to become a full-time artist. Growing up in Boulder, Colorado, she saw her artistic flair as something personal, maybe even private—a comfort zone where she could feel confident when everything else felt uncertain. She didn’t go to art school. Art wasn’t supposed to be the path. And yet, today, Karolyn finds herself at the helm of a thriving creative business in New York City, blending mixed-media art, digital editing, and coding into one seamless, expressive identity: KARO.
At 26, Karolyn represents the new creative class—entrepreneurs who aren’t waiting for permission to be multidisciplinary. She directs her own visual universe, merging hand-drawn and painted pieces with Photoshop polish, projection mapping, and yes, even a bit of Python code. Her journey to creative independence didn’t happen overnight. It’s been built slowly, steadily—on sleepless nights, late-night side hustles, and sheer belief.
“I never thought this could be a career,” she admits. “It was something I loved, but it lived in the background.” That background, however, proved too rich to ignore. While working a demanding job at a major record label—directing videos, animating visuals, and producing for other artists—Karolyn began to question why she wasn’t betting on herself. “I kept thinking, if I can give this kind of energy and vision to others, why not invest that in myself?”
So, she took the leap.
She saved up, quit her job, and began focusing on KARO full-time. The response was immediate. “The momentum picked up fast,” she says, “and it hasn’t stopped.” Her work is now an ever-evolving conversation between the tactile and the digital, the instinctive and the technical.
Where Art Meets Code
Karolyn may not call herself a full-time coder, but code is part of her creative DNA. Her first foray into programming was a simple Python-based “choose your own adventure” game, but that early exposure to structured logic laid a foundation. Now, she uses tools like TouchDesigner and MadMapper to bring her visions to life—most recently in the form of projection mapping for her upcoming solo exhibition.
“It’s so cool,” she says. “You can wrap animation and poetry around a physical painting and give it a whole new energy. It’s like the painting is breathing.” This blend of media allows Karolyn to stretch beyond the canvas, turning galleries into immersive playgrounds.
The Rituals of a Creative Mind
Karolyn’s life is full of structure—but not the corporate kind. She swears by journaling, both to start and end her day. She describes her studio as a reflection of her inner world: colorful, a little chaotic, but deeply intentional. Her morning ritual begins with espresso and movement. “I used to snooze my alarm every day,” she laughs. “Now I physically shake myself awake. I have to jolt my brain into action.”
Night, however, is when the real magic happens. “I’ve accepted that I’m a night owl. My inspiration, my best work—it always shows up after dark.” She even made a YouTube video about it, coining her “night shift” as the time when KARO truly comes to life.
When burnout creeps in, Karolyn doesn’t push through—she pauses. “I cancel plans. I sleep. I walk. I dance in my studio. I journal. I need that reset.”
Building Something Bigger
Karolyn’s multicultural background—Peruvian, German, and Lebanese—adds yet another dimension to her work. She was raised trilingual and credits her upbringing with giving her a wide lens on life and creativity. “It feels like a secret weapon,” she explains. “It shaped my worldview and gave me a strong work ethic.”
Another secret weapon? Self-reliance. “I know how to run every part of KARO—from the business side to the animation and design. A lot of people think they need to hire someone for everything, especially early on. But learning those tools gave me freedom.”
That freedom has helped her connect with a growing audience that sees itself reflected in her art. She finds deep motivation in the people who’ve supported her from day one—friends who hyped her Instagram when she had only a handful of followers, and strangers who now wear her designs or hang her work in their homes. “That kind of support is the reason I can do this full-time.”
Empowering the Next Wave
Karolyn often finds herself giving advice to creatives on the edge of transformation. “People always ask how to leave a job they hate to pursue art. That’s my favorite conversation.” It’s one she once had with herself, and she now speaks from the other side of fear. “There’s no more doubt. I know this was the right choice.”
Her mantra? “Leap and the net will appear.” It’s tattooed on her hand—a daily reminder to trust in the unknown.
Karolyn’s vision of the future is one where more women are leading in tech, design, and business. “I want more support, more voices, more representation. I’ve seen a lot of misogyny in creative industries. It’s something I want to help change.”
She doesn’t just want to be inspired—she wants to inspire. And in a world where artistry and technology are increasingly intertwined, Anya Karolyn is proving that you don’t have to choose between them. You can be all of it: painter, coder, entrepreneur, visionary.
And the best part? She’s just getting started.
