Queer Artists
Art Gaysel 3, Hotel Gaythering, 2017 (Left to right, top to bottom) Blake @blake_gobyebye, Britt @therestwasmagic, Fran @franmunyoz, Adam @adamchuck, Derick @derickwhitson, DePaul @depaulvera, Bran @bransolo, Jonathan @jonathan_kent_adams, Pascual @paskrod, Daniel @eldibujo
Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.
-Stephen R. Covey
I'm so elated to be writing a little positive piece today! Last month Joey @joeygoes_mia, my creative coach, encouraged me to document what's inspiring and motivating me lately. The short version was exposure and interactions with other Queer artists, but what made my heart so full was when I started to break down those two topics.
Overall exposure and interaction are both very impactful because I'm able to connect with a lot of queer artists that I didn't know existed. Nearly two years ago when Alex @itstherabbit, invited me to participate in Art Gaysel, I had no clue of the other artists involved. Coming from a strict upbringing, outside of books and random google searches, I wasn't aware of what other Queer artists were doing in real time. I couldn't call up a friend and talk about my ideas of drawing the male nude. That luxury wasn't granted for me until grad school when I met my long lost sister, Lance @lancesmithart. It's refreshing to have that connection with so many other queer artists and see what's inspiring them, what's motivating them, dissecting the content in their work and what issues they are going through.
Just even having a glimpse into their everyday stories gives my heart an extra beat. Each and every one of them makes my heart beat longer for another day. I've had my moments, just as others, where you don't want to keep going, where giving up feels easier, but knowing there are others out there who are tackling the same issues as me truly makes a difference.
By piggybacking off of their experiences I'm able to express my own side of the same thing and add another point of view. This adds to the conversation that we are all humans, we are connected beings living in this world together. If you're not doing something to make this place a little easier for someone else, then what the fuck are you doing? I want people to feel included, I want to help people find their voices, to inspire one another.