Denycia Thompson

I was always an artist. Even when I felt surrounded by chaos and unwelcomed in the world, I was an artist. I was an artist as a child when I couldn’t write my name, but I could paint it. I was an artist in elementary school when I was scared of the people around me but still put effort into every assignment. When I doubted my artwork was any good because I thought the other kids were better, I was still an artist. I was an artist when none of my paintings or drawings made it to the refrigerator. I was an artist when I dreamed at night and couldn’t make sense of the images. I was an artist when I denied myself choosing art because in my family that lifestyle does not exist. As I kept quiet as a child and teenager wondering what I needed to release all this rage because I was not good at math, so I thought my future was history, I was still an artist. I was an artist when I drifted from school to career, from school to career, and on repeat until I realized—finally–that I truly have a gift. The universe has blessed me with the spirit and talent of an artist. I know this because I never stopped believing it. In moments of extreme sadness, I have always turned to art. As a child, I drew pictures in homeless shelters. During the pandemic when I felt lost, I learned how to connect with my artist self again. I picked up a paint brush and embarked on a journey with a skill I forgot I had. And now, as a Black American woman and military veteran who knows her talent as a painter, a writer, and actress, I can only say that I. Am. An. Artist. My work is emotional, intuitive, transformative, and layered— just like my life and how I approach all of my artistic endeavors. My art is deep. It is truth. I use tools such as acrylic paint, oil pastels, modeling paste, stage blood, glitter, screws and whatever else necessary to achieve what my soul wants to convey.