We live in the age of screens: work screens, social media screens, the streaming scre
ens trumpeting in the Golden Age of Televisio
n. Psychologists write all the time about how this pixelated world has also ushered in a Golden Age of Loneliness. People have trouble making time to see the people they love most in the world.
It isn’t surprising, then, that so many writers ask: is even possible to find time to write? How can I make space for myself?
In a recent interview with Kayte Young, Indiana Public Media “Earth Eats” radio show host, artist, and writer her answer was very clear: “Community has been the one thing that brought me into a consistent creative practice,” she explained, “The subject matter that I am working with is emotionally intense, and focusing on painful memories as long as it takes to write and draw them can be exhausting. Joining with others on a similar journey allows me to keep going.”
Young, who will teach Drawing Stories this winter, is author of the chapbook series Eleven, and last year her illustrated story, “What Does it Mean To Be ‘Groomed’?” was published on The Nib.
“Lynda Barry has been a huge influence on me. Reading her books, What It Is and Syllabus, got me back into drawing,” Young said. “I am also really inspired by the late Geneviève Castrée. Her book, Susceptible, continues to inspire me every time I pick it up. She tells the story of her troubled childhood through moments and scenes that stand out in her memory. It is fragmented yet holds together beautifully as a narrative. Her drawings are so moving, and her style is strongly developed and stunning.”
Young was inspired to write “What Does it Mean To Be ‘Groomed’’’’ when the far right began using the word in their anti LGBTQIA+ propoganda. “Ït really struck me,” she said, “It had been such an important word for me in understanding the way in which the person who abused me established trust with me as a child. It angered me that they were [mis]using it I wanted to expose their misuse of the term, and I felt my personal story could be a powerful example.”
A meticulous journey brought her idea to life.
“I drew several drafts of this starting with pencil thumbnail sketches on index cards,” she explained. “The final comic was sketched first in pencil. Then I used Micron pens for the line work, and the gray washes are made with ink from a Chinese calligraphy ink stone. I almost always work in gray tones. I appreciate the softness and the low-key vibe,” Young continued. “I feel like I can best tell my story without the use of color.”
Though Young had written about her abuse in Eleven, preparing herself to share her story with a larger audience made her nervous, initially.
“I published a graphic memoir chapbook with stories about the sexual abuse I experienced, but it was a small press with very limited distribution. To read it, you had to know about it and seek it out. This comic was published in The Nib, and their daily newsletter was sent to the inboxes of thousands of people. My comic was just a click away.”
However, as it went through the publishing process, Young experienced a significant shift in her creative journey.
“I was surprised to realize that I was comfortable sharing the story with the world (and my closest friends had already seen it),” Young shared. “The terrifying part was thinking about the people in-between: co-workers, acquaintances, people I might run into around town. I was nervous about those folks having this intimate and disturbing information about my past. At the same time, I was proud of the piece and believed that the message was important. I wanted everyone to see it. I expressed my fears to my loved ones. I sat with the shame I have always carried and the fear of being judged. I braced myself and remembered that it was important and worth the discomfort I felt. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and people have been very kind and encouraging.”
Now, Young herself advises aspiring illustrator-storytellers, “If you have an idea, don’t wait. Seize the moment, make your art, and share it! You have no idea the difference it can make in someone’s life until it is out there.”
“Find a community of creators to connect with. Share your work and give each other feedback. This is the best way to strengthen your work and, more importantly, to break out of the isolation of making art alone in a room.”
Young is currently working on crafting a graphic memoir, a project she describes as “a long and involved process.” The main focus will be to shed light on her own experiences and the profound insights she has gained from her early encounters with abuse.
“The language we use matters,” she said. “Many figures on the far right understand the power of narrative. They don’t need to be factual; they don’t need to be accurate. As long as they keep telling the same story, with keywords repeated, the message has power, and it can become policy. Those of us with different narratives–based on experiences and facts–need to challenge these messages at every turn.”
by Rowan Fellowship Intern Niamh Clarke
