Today we’d like to introduce you to Baylor Padgett.
Hi Baylor, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I grew up doodling on anything I could get my hands on, but being told art was not a legitimate career. After a while, I listened and gave up art completely. My home life was not great and I was more focused on financial security in my future profession than actually being happy. My life took a surprising turn and I found myself in foster care then later adopted.
What was supposed to be my rescue turned out to be years of several forms of abuse and extreme control by a family member. In October of 2018, just a few months into my freshman year of college, I reported it all to the police and left everything I knew behind for the second time in my life. In the wake of what seemed like endless court dates, I was slowly falling apart and didn’t recognize myself anymore. I had no outlet for the hurricane I had inside me until I threw myself back into my art.
It was easier for me to let everything flow onto the canvas than to talk about it. Seeing myself create something beautiful from such ugly emotions changed my whole perspective. Slowly I started to turn back into who I had been and began to pick up the pieces. I transferred to a different college and changed my major to art. Soon after, I realized that not only did I need a new start but I also had an undeniable urge to help people.
I set out on a new path yet again, and I am currently a sociology major at Emory and Henry College. I truly believe that art is a universal way to reach people’s humanity. My goal is to take the knowledge and research skills I’m learning in the program and combine it with the power that art has to facilitate real change for those who desperately need it.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My path has definitely not been a smooth one, but in some ways, I’m thankful for it. After leaving the art program I felt like a failure. I had no confidence in my art or myself. I had to learn to love the frustration that comes with this. There are always going to be setbacks; things are never going to turn out perfect. I had to learn those lessons very quickly.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My main work is fluid acrylic paintings. I feel like the style really stands out because it’s definitely not traditional! I also try to use unique color palettes that really catch people’s eyes. I love the unpredictability of it, you can never really create the exact same painting twice. I am also really proud of my photography.
I love being able to catch the personality of a place in a photo. I tend to do closer shots to really get the detail of what I’m capturing. In the past year so I began to create digital art using my iPad. Those can range from colorful work that looks like paintings, to tattoo sketches. A few of my designs have actually been tattooed on people!
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I have been lucky enough to find a support system that encourages me to continue my passion. Good luck is the best kind, but unfortunately, it’s not the only one. While bad luck has played a hand in making it hard to find the time to create anything. School, life, and work can also get in the way quicker than you realize.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b.k.creates/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BkCreates-109658594109912
