Today we’d like to introduce you to Elijah Faulkner.
Hi Elijah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started art as a way to express myself without speaking to others about my feelings. I always thought growing up that I loved to draw just to draw but then as I got older, I realized that it was actually like a diary for me. My art is very personal to me and it’s always there for me when I’m at my lowest and highest. It’s really my way of expressing the thoughts I can’t put into words sometimes and I’m able to communicate with others through my art. This journey that I’m on didn’t start with an intent to become something, it grew into something way bigger than that for me. Once I saw how it impacted others around me, I realized that this was a gift that I had and it was a way for me to show people what I’ve been learning as I go through life towards being more authentic. God allows me to use my gift for whatever I want and I choose to inspire.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This road has not been smooth at all. The only reason being was because of my own mind and how I allowed others to alter my way of thinking when it came to myself, my art, or anything I did in my life. I cared too much about how others perceived me that I ended up not caring about myself as much when it came to what I could do. I just wanted to fit in and be accepted but for some reason, my soul would never allow me to fully go through with that because I always found myself miserable. So I would go through this cycle of losing myself and finding myself again and now it has become clearer to me. I’m able to do the things that were hard for me and really focus on me and the goals I want to accomplish.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I simply love art. I allow life around me to inspire me in my art. I allow myself to inspire myself. I believe I’m known for a lot of things but what makes me stand out is my drive to show the truth.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the diversity in our city but what I hate most is how that same diversity can be looked down upon and misunderstood so it doesn’t allow those people to really be who they are fully. But that’s what makes most of us want to be ourselves even more.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/coziestkid?utm_medium=copy_link
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/coziestkid
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/kid_eli
Image Credits:
Photographer for the b&w: Wyatt Mason
