Oklahoma has been a launch pad for talent for decades, and for good reason. There seems to be something in the state’s red dirt that both conjures and conducts the raw materials for greatness: resilience, ingenuity and the kind of warmth that come from a community that lifts up its own. 

If the yet-to-open OKPOP museum reminds us of one good thing, it’s the unsung but steady drumbeat of talented Oklahomans who’ve departed to create waves in other cities. From Kristin Chenoweth to Bill Hader and Sterlin Harjo, Oklahoma has seen some of its biggest talents strike out to claim their stake. And yet, many who leave feel a strong pull back—either to live, produce projects or draw creative inspiration. What do we make of that inclination to return? 

There’s something ineffable about Oklahoma, and to understand it is to reconcile tensions. It’s a place that is at once chronically overlooked and yet impossibly full of life; a young state built on bootstrapped reinvention, stolen land and grave atrocity that holds stories older than we can name. To be from here is to inherit a set of qualities that can’t be manufactured: humility, curiosity, the instinct to create something out of nothing and the arrogance to believe that you can. And perhaps most importantly, an imperative to reckon with complexity without rushing to resolve it. 

The “Okie spirit,” it seems, is magnetic, keeping people tethered long after they leave to thrive beyond its borders. But what does it mean to be from a place that is constantly trying to reinvent itself? What happens when the reinvention doesn’t match the picture you’d imagined? And why, no matter how far we roam, do so many of us feel the alluring pull of open pastures calling us home? 

Some questions don’t have easy answers, but in the year of our OKC Thunder National Champions 2025, Okie excellence is enduring and visible, and that alone is worth a conversation. We asked a few Oklahomans who’ve set out to build their creative practice in other cities how they feel about their home state now; how that connection drives their work; and if they ever feel the pull back. Here’s what they had to say. 

Kaitlin Butts: Singer-Songwriter and Country Music Artist, Raised in Tulsa, Lives in Nashville

How’d you get your start? 

“I started out in musical theater, taking voice lessons, ballet, tap and jazz at Theater Arts in Broken Arrow, and was placed in spaces where I could really use my voice. Later, I went to ACM at UCO in Oklahoma City to study music business and started playing shows. When it came time to decide whether to pursue a BA or keep going with it, Chris Hicks—Reba McEntire’s former guitarist—told me, ‘You’re ready to get out there and learn, and you’ll learn more on the road than you will here.’ It helped me take the leap.”

How does being an Oklahoman show up in your work?

“It’s impossible to separate from my music, even intentionally. I feel so severely connected to it. And I don’t even realize how woven it is into my style until I’m around a bluegrass, folk or mainstream artist. I feel like I’m in this middle space that doesn’t really have a category, and that’s what Okie music sounds like to me. It’s just a part of me. I can tell if someone has blown up in that Red Dirt scene. There’s an unpolished-ness to it that I really love.” 

Image credit: Courtesy Kaitlin Butts

How would you describe the core spirit of Oklahoma?

“No frills, in the best way. Authentic. Unlike anything else. When I see something that’s ‘Okie as hell,’ I just know it.”

What are some of your proudest accomplishments?

“My new record Roadrunner is one of the proudest achievements of my career. I don’t know what I’m gonna do next, but it’ll feel so small compared to trying to recreate something as big as Oklahoma! in an album. I really wanted it to feel parallel to Rodgers & Hammerstein and the motion picture.

“I’m also so proud of the stages I’ve played on: The Boys of Oklahoma, Jamie Wilson, touring with Sierra Ferrell. Being part of the Opry NextStage 2025 and CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2025 has also been incredible.

“It feels like I’ve kind of been outside this circle for a while … but being 100% authentic, leaning into musical theater and my love for country music—it’s only solidified that being my most authentic self is the only way to go.”

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