We love learning more about our contributors, and an interview seemed like a fun way to hear more about the writers and artists we publish, so we gave them a choice of questions to answer. We hope you also enjoy hearing more about the artists and their works. Check out Issue #27 for work from Leyelle Mesa-Graham and more.


What was the inspiration for the piece published in the issue?
That’s a pretty complicated story, but I’ll try my best to condense it into something that makes sense. At the most fundamental level, this piece was inspired by impostor syndrome, but that isn’t what the piece is about.

Earlier this year I made a piece of art inspired by a song I was into. My instagram stories informed me that the artist who wrote this song actually saw my art, but they didn’t react to it, for better or for worse. While it might seem dramatic to get upset over that, it hit me hard. For most of my life, I’ve been a very assertive person who never hesitated to walk up to someone I found interesting and start a conversation, even if they were a total stranger. But the lack of reaction made me start wondering if I had the right to “waste” someone else’s time if said person was more successful than me. Hence, I had what I call a “self-improvement meltdown” – determined to make myself worth my heroes’ time.

Zeitgeist is one of the pieces I created while obsessively trying to “level up” my skills, but the concept itself is based on my long-standing struggle with societal perception and gender identity. I wanted to symbolize the way the world looks at you, sometimes with pure-hearted curiosity, but oftentimes with scorn, when you don’t fit neatly into the boxes society has built for your gender.


What is your creative process? Do you plan pieces out or let them happen as they come?
My creative process usually revolves around short drawing “sprints” intermingled with reading whatever book I’m into at the moment, looking at art and fashion related content on instagram, and sometimes even watching kpop vlogs or comedy shorts on Youtube. I find I’m much less productive when I try to force myself to work nonstop until my pieces are “perfected.” 15-30 minute increments work best for me, at least right now.

As for whether I plan the pieces in advance or let them happen, it’s definitely a combination of both. Sometimes I have a theme I’m working with, so all my pieces fit within those perimeters. Other times, I just tell myself “I need to be drawing,” sit down, and create whatever on earth comes to mind.

Honestly, even when I think I have a clear idea of what I want to do, the end result is almost always notably different from my original plan. I can’t tell if this is because of limited skills or random strokes of genius that turn the tide of every project.


What turns you off when you see it in a work? What are your creative pet peeves?
Any art that feels like making a mockery of people or objectifying them. Gratuitous sexualization of characters pisses me off. It’s especially hard to find art representing plus-sized people and black women that don’t fall into one of these two categories and that’s part of the reason why I’m so passionate about the work I do. I want to show that women of all shapes, sizes and colors can be doted on, adored, and appreciated without being exploited. Yes, women are beautiful, but there is a big difference between sexy and sexualized.

The lack of skin tone diversity in modern art bugs me as well. I see red when someone tells me that one dark skin tone can or should be substituted for another as if all brown shades are exactly the same. People of color are individuals, not ideas.


What is your favorite vice? What are you drinking at happy hour, in a literal or a metaphorical sense?
Oof. I’m too degenerate for this question, but I think I can give you a top three.
I’m 19, so there is definitely no happy hour drinking in the literal sense. My top three favorite “vices” would probably be tea, any kind of Hwang Hyunjin choreography or freestyle, and really vibey, sexy love songs – the kind that your mother definitely doesn’t want you listening to. Rock music may be my favorite genre, but there’s something about pop and r&b love songs that just crawls into your veins. That’s to die for.


What is your "white whale"?
This is going to sound unnecessarily flowery, but my ultimate goal is to promote unity and healing through my works. That’s the reason why my stories and art feature characters – especially friend groups and couples – of all different races, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. One artist’s work may not make much of a difference, but if I can remind even a few people that forgiveness and love are an option, no matter our histories, then maybe someday the world can be a kinder place. In that way, I suppose my white whale is more of a metaphorical starfish. I know I can’t change the world just by imagining a better future, but if I can inspire even one heart, it’s still worth it.