Minneapolis native Caitlyn Nguyen is a therapist, photographer, and artist. When it comes to her creative beginnings, her first paintings were done on cardboard and her bedroom walls.
As for photography, Caitlyn took a class in high school that sparked her interest. Once she was in college, her roommate was a wedding photographer, and she ended up shooting weddings and portrait sessions as a way to make some extra money while also being creative in college.
It wasn't until the last few years that she started creating for herself and her passions, a big shift from creating for others. She often reflects on her own experiences and journey. Caitlyn often centers her creative process around journaling and reflection.
She shares that her creativity has transformed throughout the years. Sometimes, feeling distant from it, but lately, feeling very attuned to it leading her to make her debut at Art-A-Whirl this year.
Caitlyn is preparing for her Art-A-Whirl debut, a big step in her creative journey. She shares that there is a bit of an imposter feeling as a creative artist. Without the support of friends and family, she is unsure if she would have pushed herself even to begin printing her work.
Things changed about a year ago as her hobby transformed into something more. People began requesting prints of her paintings and travel prints. After gaining confidence in her work's success, Caitlyn committed to participating in Art-A-Whirl in 2024. She began ordering more prints and exploring what did and didn't work with ProDPI.
Art-A-Whirl is the biggest open studio tour in the country hosted by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association. Art-A-Whirl is a big deal, featuring over 1,300 creatives and attracting over 70,000 every year. This year, it takes place from May 17-19, and Cailting will have a space in the Grain Belt Bottling Building.
We partnered with Caitlin as she prepares for this upcoming weekend, taking her behind the scenes of the production of her showpieces at our lab in Eagan, Minnesota.
She didn't travel a lot growing up, and it wasn't until she reached adulthood that she was able to have the privilege to explore the world. Caitlyn finds the ability to take a photo and capture a moment, witness it, and then take it and print it is powerful. It is a little glimpse of witnessing something beautiful, especially in this ever-changing world.
Caitlyn is often drawn to landscape photography. Finding symbolism in nature reflects where she is at in life and her experiences. For example, she finds waves to be a symbolic reminder that we are all connected, not separate from each other.
We are ebbing, flowing, oscillating, and coalescing.
Often, creatives can feel like there is a right and a wrong way to create. Caitlyn has been trying not to limit herself and the way she creates, which has led her to a multimedia framework ranging from painting to landscapes and even portraits.
Watching everything come together, she was really worried about it all coming together. Through the process of watching her prints be made with ProDPI she has found that there's a cohesiveness that can be found. As an artist, it's imperative to trust the process.
© 2026 ProDPI
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