Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Keagan Vaughan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Keagan , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
“Oh-but that’s such a waste.” I remember being a senior in highschool invited to this pretty prestigious awards thing. It was a big deal- only kids with the top GPAs and ACT scored got to go. Dressed in our best dresses and suits we were one at a time asked to walk down the aisle where they announced what we were going to college for. I remember wearing this insanely scratchy sweater that had loose threads I picked at while I waited my turn. Since my last name starts with a ‘V’ I was one of the last kids to go so I listened as everyone applauded the future ‘doctors, scientists, and lawyers.” Finally it was my turn. The woman loudly said my name and as I walked down she declared, “Going for a BFA in art!” Some people politely clapped but others murmured. I
heard confused comments as I walked by, comments that followed me until the end of the ceremony.
“You are too smart for that. Like… what even are you going to do?”
What was supposed to be a day of celebration was an interrogation. People I barely knew chided me for wasting all my gifts and hard work just to “starve for the rest of your life.” These sentiments weren’t something i hadn’t heard before. Many people in my family weren’t supportive either, cheering these people on. With a full ride scholarship, passion wasn’t something I was afforded. My first introduction into martyrdom, i was expected to pick the highest paying job to take care of my struggling family. Every step of the day from that moment on, I was the failure. The child that didn’t live up to my potential.
I was even worse in college. I was enrolled in the honors program which had a $500 scholarship. I was keeping my family home from being repossessed with all my college refund money so I gladly took the chance at the extra cash. The other students though….. There was one other art major and the two of us were ostracized to our own group. No one else wanted to socialize with us and there was even a question or two asking why we were even in the program. I dropped out with in the first year. It was hard enough just staying positive without a support system , but to be bullied at the same time?
But then I kinda proved everyone wrong and that’s pretty cool.
People have this idea that passion is no where as important as anything else. yeah you can have hobbies but you can’t live your life off of hobby activities. The thing is, passion is a different type of success. Yeah, you can have a billion dollars and a fancy home but if the whole journey there was miserable, what even is the point?
I almost changed my major a lot of times but I am glad I stuck with it. Called things like lazy, uneducated, weird, and all kids of negative stuff, I don’t think people realize just how much art is in everything around them.
No, I’m not some van Goh with 20 bazillion dollar selling art work, but I get to paint murals that bring smiles to hundred of people every day. I dont drive a convertible but I do get to drive delivery for an amazing art event where dozens of artist get their first shot an exhibiting every year. I don’t get to wear gucci boots but I do get to wear splatters of paint from eager art students holding a brush for the first time.
I was written off. I still get written off every day but every thing I’ve learned, all the honors I earned in school help me to be successful in my own way in a field I feel purpose in. I guess what I’m trying to say is If you feel lead to have a career in something, even if no one else supports you just do it. You’ll be richer with not a penny in your pocket than all the millionaires in the world.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a 26 year old queer artist from Louisiana. I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember, selling in art markets and my friends starting at age 12. I primarily paint and collage large works but I kinda like working on just about everything! I’ve painted a few murals, just got done illustrating a children’s book, and am currently working on my own graphic novel. My heart is in community and the connections I gain with others through my art. I normally just let people give me an idea and see if i can make it happen. I’ve designed shirts, pet paintings and very often make armies of miniature clay dinosaurs. Anything that creative is right up my alley and since I am so young, I’m still exploring exactly what I want to do in life!
I keep things fun and that is what makes me unique. It doesn’t matter if the current project is watching paint dry, we are going to have fun doing it! I love being around others and learning about them through our shared experiences.
The highlight of my art career so far has been the impact I have on the art club at the school I teach at. I have taken them to our local Art Gallery crawl several times to sell their art and nothing warms your heart more than a kid clutching a few bills from a painting they sold all on their own. I love that I’m at the point in my life where I can inspire and have impactful moments with them. I’d had several kids go from being supper shy with their art to having confidence through the roof! It’s amazing! I strive to have that kind of impact on the world around me with everything that i create whether it be a book or paintings. I want to be the kind of person I looked up to when i was young.
My art is all about conversation and expierience. Using my art as a conduit, I tell all the gritty details of what makes me, me. Mental health, body image issues, personal trauma- it’s like handing your diary for all the world to read. Scary, sure, but being so proud of my insecurities is liberating in a way. For so long my art was the only place I could truly be myself. A mashup of all my experiences, my art is just as much of a collage as I am.
My hope is that someone out there who is in the place I was in five or even ten years ago can see my art and have a connection to it. Maybe by relating to all my trauma it can help them make sense of their own. Growing up in some oppressive and issolating experiences, I felt separated from the world for so long. Now i can just explore everything and that is really really fun!
All of us have our own experiences and lives. Nothing is the same for any two people so I share my perspective with my art. I namely make my art about being a Queer kid from the religious and conservative south. So many people have been negatively impacted by oppressive groups that can be found in the community i grew up in. I strive for my art to be a safe space and through it i have found a voice to speak up against my past. My hope is maybe i can inspire and empower someone or, at the very least, comfort them.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Coming out queer changed everything for me. I was a pretty prominent leader in my church, leading retreats and bible studies. I remember countless hours spent on google and take in those silly, “Am i gay” tests while crying in my bed room. It’s funny to look back at now but I spent so much time researching and take it quizzes to change who i was. .Just saying those three words, “I am trans.” Changed my whole entire world. I went to bed and suddenly the next morning, every one in my life was gone. No one from church spoke to me. If I saw any one in public they ignored me. I had family question me and spread gossip. Had people reach out to my family to speak bad about me. Had friends I still don’t speak to, people who’s homes i suddenly wasn’t welcome in. It was an incredibly jarring experience that lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles I won’t go into too much detail with out of concern for others who may be triggered by mentioning them. I was about 21 and suddenly having to rebuild my whole life. It took a lot of effort but i can proudly say that I have an amazing community of people I have surrounded my self with that accept me for who I am. It’s so hard to see it when you are going through everything but things really do get better. It took years but I am finally on the other side any my life is going great.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
NFTs are stupid. I’m very against The whole art market as an entity in itself. Art is a part of human nature, something that we are all meant to experience and enjoy. Selling it for insane amounts of money kind of has ruined it all. I see the effects of this in my students every day when they wont even try to create because they are ‘bad’ at it. Creativity and making is fundamental to our expression, socialization and overall state of well being. The second we over commercialize it into celebrity status, suddenly there is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ art. All of this is just my opinion, but i don’t believe there is any such thing as a ‘bad’ drawing. The fact that you attempted it, expressed yourself, and shared your vision makes even the strangest little scribbles perfect. They are also bad for the environment. We live in the environment so bad for environment = bad for us. I expect NFTs to be a fad that no one talks about any more in ten years.
Contact Info:
- Website: kmvaughanart.com
- Instagram: @k_m_vaughan_art
- Facebook: Keagan Vaughan