We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arthur DeHart. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arthur below.

Hi Arthur, thanks for joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

Growing up I was always interested in art or just anything creative. However, this doesn’t mean I was any good at it. I’m from Roane County TN originally, and I am also a gay trans man from a pretty religious household. Being misunderstood is something that just comes with that territory. I am not a prodigy at anything by any means. I have had to work really hard at refining my craft in artistic disciplines for years. I have been a very devout follower of art for some time now. Growing up, I was told by my peers and family that I never was going to amount to much when it came to my art. I still have a lot of hours to put in, but I am living solely off of my art at the age of 23 which is a huge accomplishment.

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?

My name is Arthur DeHart! I am a gay trans man originally from Roane County, TN. I own an indie publishing company called Naked Cat Publishing, a podcast company called Deep Wood Productions and I’m an author and painter. For Naked Cat, my husband and I publish indie authors with the ethos that everyone deserves a voice. We mainly publish poetry, but also branch out with short stories, plays, and full lengths! The publishing world is so hard to crack into, especially for queer creatives, and we wanted to make something that could amplify voices and get work out there.

Deep Wood Productions is my podcast company. I write multiple audio drama shows like Dreadwood Press Radio, Hiker Gothic, and The Delivery Boy which we produce with an array of talented voice actors. We also host shows like DreadPod which is a DnD lets play podcast DM’d by Amay Orion! We also now host a show called Just People where I interview indie creatives around the world! I am a very big advocate for the indie art scene and am always accepting new artists or individuals with certain talents to come on and chat with me!

Finally, I am also a writer. I have written many poetry books, plays, and novellas which you can find at most bookstores near you!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think society can support artists in a variety of ways. That can range from sharing your friend’s art that they post on Facebook, showing up to events, or even purchasing some artwork. I don’t think society realizes how much it relies on art and the hard work of artists. We wouldn’t have TV shows or movies without a creative thinking up the plot. Be loud about your artist friends, because word of mouth means more than money. Also, never shame anyone for wanting to make art their career. Art is and always will be an important pillar of society.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

So, my husband and I moved into a van for a year to work on art. About midway through, we ran out of money in California. It was hard to find work, so we just didn’t eat while we worked relentlessly to try and get my work/art out into the world. We weren’t #VanLifers because that implies, in my opinion, that there is a conversion of some sort. My husband and I shared a two-person hammock and cans of food until our hard work finally started to pay off in that unconverted electrical van. We were very much homeless. Our van didn’t have AC for a part of the summer and it never had heat for the snow we endured in Flagstaff, Arizona. There were moments when I really thought I was going to die, and no one would hire us because we were homeless. A million people want to tell me how I could have made money better, but at the end of the day not many people struggle like that and not many people realize how close most people are to financial ruin and homelessness. In July of 2023, we started our publishing business and we were able to move into a modest house and get out of the van within 4 months of starting the business. The van was the hardest year of my life, but it taught me so many important lessons, one being that I can survive anything.

Contact Info:

• Website: artdehart.net
• Instagram: @arthurjuldehart
• Twitter: @artjuldehart