Kalah Crawford: Renaissance Woman
It is inspiring, even reassuring, to hear about people who discover a talent or passion in adulthood. We all know the names Vera Wang, Stan Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson, but what we sometimes forget is that we only came to know them after they had already lived through one or more other careers. That is also the case with our latest and last TAYSK of Season 2: Kalah Crawford.
Kalah Crawford is a gifted artist who, with only one high school art class on her extensive transcript, is now making a name for herself while also being a notable math educator. The truth is, it seems that anything she puts her mind to she makes successful. From writing to chartering a chapter of her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta, Incorporated while overseas, Kalah has shown a remarkable range of talents. She is a mother, scholar, artist, and businesswoman — a true Renaissance Woman whose story begins in South Carolina.
Although her family was living in Kansas at the time, Kalah was born in Marion, South Carolina, where both sides of her family have roots. As the youngest of three in an Air Force family, she moved often growing up, making homes across the United States before graduating from the American School in Brussels. Being the youngest came with its own challenges. Kalah quickly learned she could not get away with much, which is probably why it felt natural to follow in the footsteps of her older siblings and attend South Carolina State University.
Her career path first took her overseas, working in Abu Dhabi, but when her daughter began high school, Kalah decided it was time to return to the United States. That transition marked not only a shift in location but also the beginning of her artistic journey.
In 2017, she sold her first piece, bought some paints, and began making up for lost time. Soon after, she connected with an Orangeburg artist who mentored her in painting portraits and murals. From there she moved quickly, experimenting with new mediums: starting with fingernail polish, then oils, then murals, then epoxy, and beyond. She laughingly gives credit to what she calls “YouTube University” for exposing her to countless techniques, and over time she seems to have tried them all.
Much of Kalah’s inspiration comes from her vivid dreams. “I will dream something and wake up thinking, ‘oh, I need to paint that,” she told me. After seeing her piece Filled with Life, I completely believe that her talent is guided by a greater knowing. The work is a powerful surreal landscape that reflects motherhood, the fragility of life, and the wide spectrum of emotions tied to womanhood. When I first saw the piece online, I immediately thought of Frida Kahlo and the way she used painting to process and share major events in her life.
What makes Kalah’s work especially compelling is its intimacy and vulnerability. Many of her pieces feature figures who resemble her — and by extension, women like me — making it easy to lose yourself in the scenes she creates and the emotions they stir. Instagram has been her primary platform and a great way to keep up with her art. By sharing progress videos and premiering work through her Stories, she allows her followers to feel as part of her creative process in real time.
Of course, art is only one part of her story. As a 20-year veteran math teacher, Kalah has inspired countless students, even starting a TikTok page to share creative ways for teachers to keep students engaged in math. Meanwhile, as her star rises in the art world, she continues to be featured in group shows and collaborations. Yet for all her talent, what lingers most is her spirit and joy-filled presence. She laughed easily and smiled throughout our entire conversation, as she has in every exchange since.
At the time of this article, Kalah has completed the coursework for her doctorate and helped set her daughter up in graduate school — all while teaching full-time and continuing to gift us with her art. Like Vera Wang and Stan Lee before her, she reminds us that discovering passion later in life can be just as powerful. Kalah Crawford is clearly walking in her purpose, and if you are wise, you will follow along.To learn more about Kalah and her work, follow her on Instagram at @ADDArtbyKalah and on TikTok at @mathengagementcoach.