I’m a painter, writer, and product design leader. I’m drawn to creative work that requires both intuition and discipline—long stretches of focus, clear intent, and the satisfaction of real effort. I like waking up energized and going to bed spent, knowing something meaningful moved through me that day.
One of my proudest works is The 500 Project—a body of work that began as a simple act of generosity and grew into a sustained practice of making and giving on a global scale. I see it as a template, not a one-off. I intend to create many more “500s” in this life. I believe the most valuable thing we can do is share our gifts—freely, thoughtfully, and with care.
Alongside my art practice, I work as a product designer and leader. My thinking about technology is shaped by a McLuhan-esque view of tools as extensions of human capability. Because of that, I believe the things we build deserve a supreme amount of care and responsibility.
By day, I lead product design work that helps teams build better tools, make better decisions, and create more meaningful outcomes at scale.
In both art and technology, my work is guided by the same question: what does it mean to create things that shape human experience in a positive way?
Hi, I’m Courtney Kyle.
Principles
Make Good Look Good
Being good matters. Making good things matters. Making the right or better choice feel like an attractive proposition matters. What we make shapes the world around us. How we show up shapes the tone of the room. Care, clarity, generosity, and integrity should be visible in the work itself. We are not neutral actors; we are generators of good. We should always be scaling goodness.
Design for Maximum Creative Velocity
We are products of our environments. If you want different outputs, design different inputs. Creative velocity isn’t about speed for its own sake, but about reducing friction between intention and action. Design spaces, systems, and relationships that invite making, keep tools close, and support momentum. Our environment is an invisible collaborator—pay attention, and design it well.
Practice Over Performance
Nothing meaningful arrives fully formed. Art, work, and well-being all emerge through practice. Work in beta. Iterate instead of perfecting. Rest when energy is spent. Return again tomorrow. Practice is how self-knowledge develops, and self-knowledge is how freedom is configured.