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

Hi Kirin, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

If my mother was replying to this question instead of me, she would say that I’ve known since I was 4 or 5 years old.

I think it took until high school for me to really make up my mind. I was always the ‘art kid’ in school- I’m sure you either were one or at least know who I’m talking about- always drawing on whatever I got my hands on, the first one you go to if an assignment even mentioned the word “draw” in the brief. I’ve done woodworking, ceramic sculpting/throwing, crocheting, knitting, cross-stitching, embroidery, sewing… if I found something where I could use my hands, I tried it. I was also very active in theatre- one of my first *paid* creative jobs was as the lighting director/assistant stage manager at one of my local theatres when I was 16/17. That job introduced me to a lot of people that worked in art as their main job- often their only job! It was really eye-opening for me, especially because my parents, and extended family as a whole, had more stem-leaning jobs (both of my parents are material science engineers, and my mom has a PhD!) My coworkers encouraged me to do what makes me happy- regardless of what it was.

I think I really made up my mind the summer between my junior and senior years of high school- I was fortunate enough to get accepted and attend NC Governor’s School to study technical theatre for the summer. That summer camp solidified for me that making art- any art- made me happy- and I didn’t want to push it away to make room for a ‘real job’ anymore.

Kirin, 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?

My name is Kirin. I am a non-binary fashion designer that loves color and pattern. I went to school for Fashion Design and specialized in patternmaking and adaptive design. I love to take apart things that already exist and put them back together new and improved.
I think that you should be able to wear whatever you want- no matter who you are or what shape your body takes. Clothes are one of the very first forms of self-expression we give ourselves. I design clothes because I know what it’s like to not feel comfortable in your own skin- the things we put on our bodies shouldn’t add to that.

Art is just as important to me as my heartbeat. If I’m not making art, I don’t feel alive.

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

The most important thing you can do to support artists is LISTEN TO THEM.

Pay us fairly. Give us better working conditions. Don’t steal our work. Understand that art is a SKILL.

Go to an artist when you have an idea instead of AI. AI- especially “art” ai- only exists because HUMANS created the works that they were ‘trained on.’ (Often against our will or without our knowledge)

I think that there needs to be a radical change in how art and artists are perceived- especially in today’s constant stream of “content”. Art is not “content”. Art is art. The whole point of art is that it makes conversation, makes you think, and you engage with it- even if the thought is “I don’t like that” or “why???”.
Understand that making art in any form is often presenting the most vulnerable parts of ourselves to the world, knowing that others feel entitled to our work, instead of grateful to share in the experience.
If your response to a Pollok painting is “Anyone could do that”- why haven’t you?

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’m not kidding when I say this- youtube. The internet in general. I grew up fairly involved in online spaces, but it wasn’t until college that I really tapped into the frankly endless resource that is the internet.

Art is synthesizing at its core, in my opinion- exposing yourself to as many different perspectives as possible, your own personal experiences, your visual dictionary… it makes you a stronger artist. It’s really daunting.

Many of my friends also have said to me that they’ve learned more from resources on the internet (for free) about animation, game development, filmmaking, etc than they did in school. Not to discount school/college in general- but the ability to fill in the gaps that you need to grow by finding things online is such an important tool. I’ve learned so much from connecting with other creatives online too- something that I wish I had started doing much earlier on in my life in general.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kirinajames.wixsite.com/kirinbydesign
• Instagram: @kjkoopa
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirinjamesdesign/

Image Credits
Photos by Sam Williams