We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robyn DeGraves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Robyn, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve been writing most of my life, with most of my work being poetry or short stories. I always wanted to write a novel, but I never got beyond the planning stages or the first few chapters. It was frustrating and I never really thought I was going to actually find a story that stuck or something that I felt like it was going to be good. About ten years ago, I was inspired to take a character I had been workshopping with my significant other and start writing an epic that would never be told through her perspective. I’ve been steadily developing her and the viewpoint characters so that they all have unique stories to tell and voices that need to be heard. It’s been ten years and I steadily work on it as life grants me time, but I’m looking forward to it once it’s done.

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.

I’m Robyn DeGraves, I’m an author, twitch streamer, and artist on TikTok. While my writing is something I have been working on, my art is what’s generated the most attention. About two years ago, I decided to bid on some paint made out of makeup from a creator on TikTok. She sent me my winnings and a significant amount of coloring pages. At that time, my tiktok had no direction, and I thought I was always going to struggle to find an audience. I started painting and filming my art process. It was a slow process but suddenly my artwork took off and I found myself catching followers regularly for my watercolor painting.
I work in watercolor paint and often provide voice over as a form of blogging. I also use it as a way to promote other works, like the writing that I’m working on.
What sets me apart is the connection I make and the community I try to foster. I always try to support the people that I follow and are mutuals with me. From streamers on twitch to fellow writers, to artists and makers I meet on TikTok, I always provide positive encouragement and feedback, and do the best I can to be a motivation that people need.

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

This answer has evolved over the years. When I was a kid the answer was always “I want to be famous..” The thing about fame is you lose your privacy and you’re always under a microscope with scrutiny every step of the way. Now it’s that I have a stories that I want to tell, experiences that I want to share and ways that I can help others realize that they’re not alone. I have main characters who are nonbinary or are an allegory to the neurodivergent experience that I hope can find readers who connect with them. I hope that as my art evolves it evokes thought and interpretation that can make someone stop and wonder, with hope that it might change how they think of things.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There’s two answers for this: the outlet and the community. Being able to look at a blank piece and lay out my art on it is something tremendously rewarding. I’ve finished works on a canvas before and just said “I made that” and felt pride. When I’m frustrated or overwhelmed or feeling something I can’t really process in that moment, the creative process lets me turn my mind off and just focus on the lines, the colors, or the story I’m trying to tell. It’s very rewarding and usually puts me in a different mindset when I’m done.
My little creative corner of the internet has given me a community where we support each other. Without that, I probably wouldn’t be continuing to make art or write. Sometimes we need that little external voice saying “you’re doing great, keep going!” It’s nice to have it and it’s wonderful to bring that to others as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Robyndegraves
• Youtube: RobynDeGraves
• Other: TikTok: RobynDeGraves Threads: Robyn DeGraves Bluesky: Robyndegraves.bsky.social Twitch: hey_listen_streamer