We’re looking forward to introducing you to Billy Clifton-Strawn. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Billy, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I think the thing most people misunderstand about my business is my art itself, how it’s made and how it’s shown. When I tell people I create digital media that can be displayed on screens, printed as archival prints, or turned into large tapestries, I usually get a puzzled look. I think a lot of people still don’t realize that digital art can absolutely be fine art. My process is really thoughtful and layered, and I put the same care into each piece as any painter or photographer would. I also like to explain that my work isn’t limited to one format or size. It can be something small and intimate, something that fills a wall or immersive filling an entire space.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As an Atlanta-based digital and mixed media artist working under the banner “Created in Pixels,” I came to art later in life after careers in landscape design and kitchen design. What began as sketches on my iPhone has grown into a practice centered on layered digital abstractions, floral motifs, and surreal compositions. My work blends photography, digital painting, and design to explore identity, transformation, and the sublime.
I’m also a proud member of the FRANK Queer Art Collective, a community of Atlanta-based LGBTQIA+ artists united by the belief that art can spark visibility, understanding, and change. Formed in early 2025, FRANK creates safe, inclusive spaces for queer voices and challenges norms around art, culture, sexuality, and gender.
I am passionate about elevating digital media into the fine art realm through gallery exhibitions, installations, and limited edition prints. My recent shows in Atlanta include Digital Duet at Gallery 72 with Callahan McDonough, Colors of Love at Coca-Cola, and Being Frank with FRANK at Ansley Mall.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I was taught by society and the church that I was outside of God’s love because I was gay. I absorbed the message that my identity placed me beyond what faith communities were supposed to embrace. I thought that because I did not fit the heteronormative model, I was somehow less than, less deserving of love, acceptance, and belonging.
As I have grown, I have come to understand that those beliefs were never truly about God’s love but about human prejudice. I am a Christian and an Episcopalian, and I am married to my husband David Clifton-Strawn in our church, a place that affirms and celebrates who we are. My faith has deepened as I have learned that God’s love is not conditional and that I was never outside of it.
My art is part of that reclamation, a way to speak truth, celebrate identity, and live fully in both my faith and my queerness without apology.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, there were many times when I almost gave up.
Life has required me to start over many times. I have faced job layoffs, failed relationships, and long periods of distance from my family. We were never very close, not as children and not as adults, and that distance often felt like another kind of loss. There were also seasons when close friends all seemed to move away at once. Those moments left me feeling unmoored and uncertain, wondering if I had the strength to begin again.
I have also faced my own struggles, including acknowledging that I am in recovery from alcoholism. That truth was painful, but it became a turning point. Accepting it allowed me to rebuild my life with clarity, honesty, and purpose.
All of this has made it hard for me to meet new people or warm up to them. I am mostly an introvert, and I often feel more comfortable observing quietly than stepping forward. Each setback has forced me to choose whether to retreat or begin again. Again and again, I chose to keep going. Those experiences did not just test me, they shaped me. They taught me resilience, humility, and the power of creating a life rooted in authenticity and self acceptance
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
I am enough.
I am worthy of love.
I will survive.
It’s okay to be who I am.
My beliefs are valid.
These are the truths that live deep inside me, quiet but steady. They have carried me through job losses, failed relationships, distance from family, and the hard work of recovery. They remind me that my worth isn’t defined by circumstance or by anyone else. They remind me that even when everything falls away, I can still stand.
I don’t always speak these words out loud, but they shape how I move through the world. They are the foundation beneath everything I build, create, and become.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes I could,
I’ve lived through enough to know that real strength comes from within, not from applause. As you may have learned from my previous responses, for much of my life I’ve had to rebuild quietly, without recognition.
What matters most to me is showing up with honesty, giving everything the best I have, and standing behind my work and my choices. Praise is nice, but it isn’t the point. Creating, growing, and living fully on my own terms is what sustains me.
So yes, even if no one ever praised me for it, I would still give it everything I’ve got. Because I’m not doing it to be seen. I’m doing it to be true to myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.billycliftonstrawnart.com
- Instagram: @billyciftonstrawn
- Facebook: Billy Clifton-Strawn Art, Billy Clifton-Strawn
Image Credits
David Clifton-Strawn, Billy Clifton-Strawn
