We were lucky to catch up with Pepper Auerbach recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Pepper thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
I am schizoaffective, so I experience psychosis and other symptoms some use to dub me “crazy.” Since I was a kid I’d illustrate things from my unique experience in sight, which had parents and teachers concerned. After years of seeing things and drawing them, I thought everyone could. I played childhood games where we’d try to hunt monsters around school, but eventually I realized that the game ended for other kid. As I grew up I heard people on the news discuss mental illness as inherently violent rather than something that should be assisted with psychiatrically. People didn’t see it as a disability, but a danger. I suppose my art tries to tell people that there is a huge line between violence and the mental illness it’s so vehemently blamed on. I want to start a discuss and destigmatize, because I know many like me who are just as kind and respectful as anyone considered “normal.”
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Pepper Auerbach. I am an artist and writer from NYC, and I have been practicing my skills since elementary school; I started taking illustration seriously since the 10th grade. I was accepted into the School of Visual Arts in 2019, from which I graduated in 2023. As an artist for hire, I have illustrated stories, merchandise, custom clothing, and holiday cards. A portion of the proceeds I make go to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, where I am an ambassador and participant. In my own work I focus on themes of mental health as well as the genres of science-fiction and horror. I’m very proud of my art and my ability to merge horror/suspense with my love for discussing mental health and tough topics.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My creative journey is driven by the joy I feel while creating, and my goal has almost always been to help people with my art. I illustrate for fun, of course, but I also have learned that art can be used to educate people in poetic and beautiful ways. I seek to illustrate stories that help people comprehend the complexity and nuance of humanity. I create more horror art and stories generally, but in the long term I want to destigmatize topics related to mental health.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My audience on social media is decently sized, and I’m very grateful for those who follow and support my endeavors. Unfortunately, social media is vital today to gaining a base of supporters and commissioners; for me, my following has only been built since 2019 or so, which is a year after I joined Instagram. Patience in yourself is important, and passion is even more so. Don’t be afraid to post art that you think is not the best, because with the right hashtags and timing any post can successful. Lately, reels have been helpful to me, but it’s also important to be careful regarding timing: consistency is helpful. The more you practice, the more you post, the more people will see you improving. And besides, you can always go back and delete less successful posts if they’re not doing well after about a week. I’d also say that sometimes it is better to separate the personal account from the art account. Not only does this keep you safer, it allows less bias when it comes to what people think about you versus your art. And another plus is that you can portray yourself however you want on the art account, then have a face reveal if you deem it necessary.
Contact Info:
- Website: HellPepperArts.com
- Instagram: @IWasATeenagePepper