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

Hi Dylan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I have worked on so far was a painting about my transition. I am a trans man that has been transitioning since 2021, and I received my top surgery (a surgery to remove me breast tissue) in August of 2023. The painting which I will try to submit shows a man with his arms about his head laying in grass, clovers, and other foliage with his body starting to transition into the ground. The man is shirtless with top surgery scars on display in zigzagging shapes, and his smile is one of pure bliss. I crated the painting to show not only the joy and peace that came from having my own surgery, but to show that transgender people are natural. In the USA we have been facing more and more stigma and hate for our existence, with many of my experiences making me feel dehumanized. In medical settings as well as out in the world when people find out I am trans they speak to me as if I am an alien that they have never seen before, instead of another human being that walks the same streets and breathes the air they do. I am constantly asked invasive questions, pushed up as a spokes person for all transgender experiences, and ostracized from spaces. While how other people view me is a struggle, transitioning and being myself has made me happier and more comfortable in my own skin then I have every been. Every choice to be myself is a choice that I have been proud of making and grateful to have to opportunity to. This painting signified all of this as well as how regardless of the treatment of transgender people we have always and will be here. We have always and will be people worthy of happiest, love and respect.

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 Dylan St John and I’m a fine arts major that is a student Mt San Antonio College pursuing a degree in illustration. I have been building my portfolio while attending school for my AA and plan to transfer hopefully to an art school or university with a good art program by next year. I am 24 years old, so a bit older then some other student starting out due to having to take time off to work and save for school. I am paying for school myself and overcoming financial barriers has been a large part of my school experience. I’m excited to get into the industry illustrating for books and anything else I get commissioned. I also absolutely love creating characters, stories, and concepts, roles that fit into visual development.

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

A goal that drives me for my creative journey is not only the passion I have for creating, but the possibility of creating art the resonates with others, represents important experiences of especially underrepresented minorities, as well as creating connections with both the audience of my art as well as within the industry. Creating has always been an outlet to me for my feelings and experiences, whether I was creating or consuming it, making it a large part of my life. Art has helped me through every tough period in my life. As transgender person of color who often feels alone due to the social climate art is what has made me feel seen. I am heavily impacted by others art and wish to create the same connection to others through me work.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think the best way for society to support artist and creatives, is to not only recognize the amount creativity is used into our everyday lives, and to pay artists appropriately for their work. Art is not just a painting on you wall or a illustrated book cover, but also our clothing, bed spreads, wallpapers, the music we list to, the designs of bottles and logos or any product or brand you buy from. There is thought and design integrally part of our lives. Art deserved more credit and appreciation then we currently give it. Secondly, we need to pay our artist more for their work. Unfortunately, due to over consumption in our capitalistic model, we have reached a point where past cheap products are the first thing we grab instead of paying accurate prices for artwork or creation. Understandably, in the current recession people need products to survive, but many of the fast created products from sites like Shein as well as ‘fast created’ AI art steal from artists. These artist who put their lives work into creation are being exploited for the sake of free or cheap products. Things need to change not just for the artists but consumers. If we as a society are to make a change not only to support artists and creatives but to as actively support the environment, we can make lots of positive change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kittycrickets.carrd.co/

Image Credits

All artwork are credit to me and pictures are of me.