Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Daniel Leighton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Daniel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I ever embarked on was my first solo show, “Opening Up”, which took place in 2013. This exhibition chronicled my decades-long journey of coming to terms with deeply-rooted trauma.

My trauma began at the age of five when I was hospitalized for the first time, and I received my initial diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD, encompassing Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease). During this first hospital stay, I was taken into a room without my parents. There, a tube was forcibly inserted into my nose, down my throat, and into my stomach. Neither I nor my parents had been informed about this procedure—I had actually thought I was being discharged.

The most traumatic part of this experience was the sense of utter helplessness. I tried to resist, but they restrained my arms and legs. This horrifying episode became the subject of the first piece in the “Opening Up” show, “Tied Up At The Hospital”.

The show comprised 18 pieces in total, each exploring the intense emotions I grappled with during the most challenging and tumultuous time in my life. Beyond that first hospitalization, I continued to battle my illness, undergoing numerous invasive medical procedures, including six major surgeries. These left me without a colon and with a permanent ileostomy. The last of these surgeries occurred when I was 21. In between, I also experienced many non-medical traumas.

The titular piece, which closed the show, represented my decades of traditional and non-traditional therapies. This included making art as a way to articulate and explore my feelings. “Opening Up” signified a deeply personal journey, where I allowed myself to feel and engage with the pain I had experienced. This led to the discovery of treasures in the form of artwork. I was making myself vulnerable and exposing my wounds, but instead of feeling weaker, I felt empowered. Instead of being tied up or opened up by surgeons, I was the one opening myself up—and this time, it was my choice.

Daniel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a multi-disciplinary artist working primarily in painting, augmented reality and filmmaking. It’s been a bit of a long and winding road to get to where I am now. I started making films when I was still in single digits, started programming at the age of 11 but didn’t start to paint until I was 40.

My work combines art and technology to create emotionally resonant experiences. We all feel emotions and they impact us greatly, but they often go unacknowledged. Part of this is due to the speed and complexity of modern day life, as well as a cultural imperative to find short-term solutions rather than addressing the core issues that would lead to long-term positive change. Identifying, acknowledging and expressing emotions can lead to a new-found freedom for individuals, as well as, empathy and innovation for society at large. Art is one of the most powerful tools for this – both for artists and viewers of art.

My art begins with a feeling transformed into a painting. While each painting stands on its own, some have an added dimension of Augmented Reality (AR) which is activated and viewed through my app, “Daniel Leighton Art + AR” (https://www.danielleighton.com/app/). Through AR, I add layers of animation, film/video, sound and interactivity. Sometimes I even incorporate data (I have been creating databases since I was a teenager).

Recently, I also started working with AI. My first AI project, “Angels of LA” was collaboration with my wife and partner Anna Leighton (aka Annatarian). We used AI to create angels representing different areas of Los Angeles and we animated and made them interactive using AR. The AR can only be experienced at Angels Flight railway in Downtown LA as part of the Grand Ave Augmented project put on by the Downtown LA Business Improvement District.

My 2nd AI project was a music video for the Peter Gabriel song “Playing for Time” (https://youtu.be/BJmkgB5jjcg). I made this as part of a worldwide competition sponsored by Peter Gabriel and Stability AI. My video was one of the top 20 selections.

I’ve recently delved into the world of Web3, as well, using NFTs to bridge art and technology. My project, “Holey People”, serves as a metaphor for the unexpressed feelings we hold within our ‘flawed’ selves. By embracing these flaws, we not only unearth hidden treasures within us but also inspire others.

I love incorporating tech into my art to create engaging experiences for people who want to experience life more deeply.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My art focuses on the feelings we all feel as human beings but often keep hidden under the masks we wear. I believe if we can be more open and vulnerable about how we truly feel we can feel less alone and more connected.

Thus type of awareness leads to reintegration, reducing inner conflict and fostering peace. This type of personal transformation can then ripple out, positively impacting our communities and networks. Many of the the feelings we hold onto become embedded in our experience of the world, making them challenging to identify and express. Yet, releasing these emotions is essential for personal growth and the development of our fullest selves. Art, in both its creation and appreciation, is a gateway to connect to these hidden parts of ourselves.

The driving force behind this mission comes from my personal experiences of trauma from my chronic illness and from other life events. Creating art that comes from the deepest recesses of my psyche and emotional body has been instrumental in my self-empowerment and transformation. I have been told by many others that it has sparked similar personal journeys for them.

By sharing the most vulnerable aspects of ourselves through art, we allow others to see that they are not alone in their experiences. My ultimate goal is to continue creating art that resonates with people on this deeply personal level, fostering a sense of shared human experience.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One significant lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that I lacked the ability to draw. Since childhood, I’ve been a visual thinker, translating feelings into images. Yet, early on, I convinced myself that I couldn’t draw well and I would never be able to, leading me to conclude that drawing was not a viable option for me to express what I needed to express. My work did not look how I thought it was supposed to look. As a child, this discrepancy caused me great shame. Now, as an adult with refined skills, I appreciate the unique style that I’ve developed.

The shift occurred when I turned 40. For many years, I had tried to get my wife (Anna Leighton aka Annatarian, a lifelong artist) to draw the visions that filled my mind. Eventually, out of sheer necessity to capture these visions, I started drawing myself. As a filmmaker, I was accustomed to translating my thoughts into visuals, but the images began appearing so rapidly that I needed a more immediate form of expression than filmmaking could offer.

With no expectation of creating “good” drawings, I started sketching. I believe this absence of pressure contributed to my prolific output and the development of a distinctive style. Having no intention of showing my work to others, I could easily let go of judgment, allowing me to focus solely on the act of creation.

Another crucial and related lesson, Anna helped me unlearn: the original vision that inspired me to paint was merely a starting point, not a stringent blueprint to follow. The end result did not have to precisely mirror what I had initially visualized. Instead, the transformative journey of the vision from my mind, through my body, and onto the canvas was where the true essence of art emerged.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.danielleighton.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DanielLeightonArt
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielLeightonArt
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielleightonart/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanielLeighton
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DanielLeightonArt
• Other: https://holeypeople.com (one of my NFT projects)

Image Credits
Photo of Daniel Leighton by Joan Teasdale All artwork by Daniel Leighton