We recently connected with Gavin Krogstad and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gavin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I came up with the name The Dragon’s Spark when I was still in High School. It was inspired by a book I had read and loved the concept of; The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey. In the book the artist made clay dragons that would have a spark of life in them and would be a reflection of who it was made for. I kept with the concept by none of my dragons are the same and with customs, I personalize them to their owner. I had actually never touched clay until I had read this book. I asked my mother if I could have some clay and with a mechanical pencil as my only sculpting tool I got to work. I try to pour as much personality and individuality into each dragon I make.

As for being an artist I had played with the idea of doing it more professionally but did not end up going that route for many years later. It wasn’t until a friend of mine, who helped run a comic convention, said I should get my vendor’s license and sell them. With a push, I got my name officially licensed and ran my first table. It was both terrifying and a blast. It was such a rewarding experience.

Gavin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For a long time, art – in all forms – was just a hobby. It wasn’t until a friend pushed me to sell my clay art at a Convention that I realized I could do more. From there, I started selling what I lovingly refer to as my Con-Derps. Then, with the support of my family, I realized I could do more with my photography and video editing, leading to Freelancing. As a result, I’ve done everything from weddings to senior photographs and various videography. Today I focus more on Freelancing Photography and Video Editing, only attending one or two Conventions a year.

My photography is what I tend to do the most. I focus on candid shots as I feel those show the purest emotions. Of course, I also do staged photos but have gotten radiant comments about the other moments no one would think to photograph. My favorite moment was of a bride and groom sharing a moment at a table together alone at a table. The way they looked at each other as they were goofing with their food was adorable and had so much emotion.

After the photographed events I spend a lot of time going through the many photos I take to filter out the best ones, touching them up with a bit more color or fixing the lighting. Never enough to remove the initial atmosphere but just the little details to bring more life into the photos. People always appreciate the individual touch to the photos instead of a generic filter applied to all; every photo is a little bit different after all. I pride myself in the approach I take after each event.

Sadly most of my Video Editing is just for me, as a Let’s Play YouTuber, but I enjoy it just the same. I have had only one gig but it was a rewarding experience. It was working with a composer that wanted to showcase their work. They then hired me to do a second job for them in a charity to try and bring about change. It was a sad but beautiful piece they composed about an environmental issue that had caused the deaths of a lot of animals. I felt like my editing the video and music together was an experience I treasure and hopefully it helped shed light on what was going on.

With any video I edit I enjoy the minuscule details. I’m not afraid to zoom all the way down to the smallest seconds I can to find the exact frame I need to edit or spend the time to get a sound effect just right. If I could do just one thing forever it would be this work.

Really in everything I do I spend the time to get it right.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It has not always been a smooth road. Since I started creating art, I’ve always been my worst critic. I always believed I wasn’t good enough or wasting my time, so I focused on other things. This was only compounded once I was honorably discharged from the Navy. I did not have a pleasant experience while serving, and it left me with PTSD and a lack of confidence mindset. I struggled for years, but through the support of family and friends and personal growth, I have become a better person and Artist.

My next hurdle was more of a self-discovery route. I’ve always struggled with identity and appearance. Finally, I had enough and kicked down that closet door. I spent most of my life pretending to be feminine but that wasn’t me; a Trans and Non-binary. The best moment was my first Freelance gig – after coming out – for a wedding with my short hair dressed in my best masculine clothes and being called Mr. Photographer. That person will never know how amazing that made me feel.

I had spent so long encouraging and helping others to be their best self but never allowed myself that until now.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it is bringing even a spark of light into someone’s bad day or helping someone remember one of their most special days.

I have done a lot of wedding photography, it might not be my favorite gig but it is one of the most rewarding. Helping immortalize that special moment between two people is beyond words and catching those candid instances shared between people in love is rewarding.

I have two creative ‘jobs’ that are some of my favorite things to do but my least requested and money made (if any at all); that being my YouTube channel and wildlife photography. I put myself out there to video edit but it is a hard-to-come-by gig without fancy degrees and such so most of it is done for myself.

I’ve always loved to play games and long ago made a YouTube channel but never did anything of it until roughly 5 years ago. I pride myself on spending the time to get my edits just right. I very much enjoy putting sound effects, music snippets, or reactions into them but in a way that showcases the game. I record the games steeped in story. I allow myself to get creative. It is a passion that even if it never gets anywhere the few people who get enjoyment from my videos is enough for me.

One thing I wish would get traction would be my wildlife photography. It is such a peaceful experience to spend hours to get that one perfect shot of some faraway animal just living its life. Nature is such a reward that many do not get to experience it in a more intimate way that photography can bring. I know when I look upon a good landscape or animal just existing it brings a sense of calm and I hope others feel that when they see my photos.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thedragonsspark.net
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedragonsspark
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDragonsSpark
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedragonssparkvideos

Image Credits
Portrait drawn by AJN Designs: https://ajn.myportfolio.com I have permission from her to use it for official use to promote myself since I very much do not like photos of myself. Amazing person!