Vesper found stability and confidence through art.

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As far back as she can remember, Vesper felt out of place in her own skin. She always knew who she was deep down, but was not yet comfortable being openly trans. Growing up, she experienced instability in her personal and family life, and eventually dropped out of high school. She worked on and off in the foodservice industry and tried to make it on her own, but got caught up in the criminal justice system and endured periods of homelessness and addiction. She spent most of her time and energy focusing on just trying to survive.

Vesper was depressed, lacked positive outlets, didn’t value herself, and didn’t have inspiration to create. She didn’t have the resources available. That changed three years ago, when a street photographer told her about Path with Art.

  “I love Path with Art because it has inspired me to be my most authentic self.”

Her first experience with Path with Art was a dance class. Dancing in a positive and accepting environment helped her to feel free and embrace her body as her home. She felt empowered to be more expressive. She was so inspired by that first class, she continued to sign up and tried out new and different mediums, challenging herself and practicing Sumi painting, photography, and more. Now, she feels creative and empowered. Vesper’s developing confidence and sense of self-worth allowed her to be open about who she is and to see her transition through.

 

“I felt pretty hopeless. I had lived in homelessness and was dealing with substance use disorder, but Path with Art motivated me to become more stable, giving me a creative and constructive outlet for my emotions.”

Vesper is now taking an Intermediate Photography class at Path with Art and exploring photography as a career path. She loves taking pictures of people, getting to know their stories, documenting their milestones in life, and wants to provide her photography to the queer and trans community on a sliding-scale basis. Vesper’s future goal is to create a housing service that supports queer and trans people, allowing those who don’t have family support to choose-their-own-family and build community in a safe space like the one provided at Path with Art.