The creative world of Katie Meuser is one that's full of figures, color fields, and moving hues. Using a free-flowing technique to breathe expressionless figures and fluid shapes to life, her vibrant abstract pieces are like a dance on canvas. Getting her start drawing wildlife as a kid, Katie’s style slowly transformed from realism to abstraction. “I was fascinated with abstract art and how you can take away from the realistic element of an object and replace it with colors

Combining a delicate balance of art and activism, Madelaine Walker, also known by her Instagram handle boogerqueen_, uses her creative tools to uplift those around her and beyond. Inspired by illustrations from the feminist and activist circles she follows on social media, along with her love of storytelling, Madelaine felt empowered to contribute to the conversations happening around her. She began doodling as a response to the lowbrow style work she came across, however, Ma

Being surrounded by like-minded individuals is crucial to artistic progress, which can also fan the flames of inspiration. For Grace Kinter, known as withGrace, collaboration was the push for her to surrender to her art and pursue it at full force. Since the age of 15, she knew her potential but was held back by depression and negative thoughts. It wasn't until she finally worked up the courage to approach other artists when her journey really began. "Things really changed fo

Most kids want to be doctors, astronauts, or veterinarians when they grow up, but Rachel Martorana? She always wanted to be an artist. Studying graphic design at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Rachel specialized in medical illustration, thinking it was the most practical track. Much to her surprise, many of her professors and colleagues were practicing artists, which not just inspired her to focus on making art she loves, but also allowed her to realize art can beco

If you're looking to escape reality, look no further than the mystical world of artist Meghan Edwards, known as Crystal Cosmos. Contrasting pastels and bright colors against dark backgrounds, her fantastical artwork is like stepping into a another dimension, a fantasy elevated by its enigmatic elements. What started out as just a hobby for Meghan has bloomed into a lifetime path celebrating her love of art. Honing in on graphic design in college, she propelled her art a step

"Live a life, fall in love with someone or something, get sad, and always get back up—you will find what you are looking for in your art." With a well-rounded artistic background starting from a young age, Roland Santana had dreams of being a Hollywood director. Joining the theater program in high school and making low quality films, acting brought him out of his shell as a kid. Further nurturing his creativity, he soon spread his talents to music, forming bands and dabbling

Using mirrors as her canvas, Mairead challenges others to create their own realities. Mairead Zigulich believes that “if you truly love something and work for it, things will fall into place.” This mantra has guided the Bridgeport-based artist to pursue her art full-time in addition to juggling the necessary side jobs in order to support herself—it's all part of the journey. Using mirrors as her main canvas, Mairead boldly paints abstract faces that challenge perception. Pain

Overcoming his environment, Sudo Black shares his outlook on life. As a self-proclaimed hip-hop head, Sudo Black looks up to the greats. His style is influenced by the likes of Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Migos, and Jay-Z. Well-versed in the Chicago rap scene, hometown heroes such as Saba, Noname, Mick Jenkins and Rich Robbins heavily impact his artistry (and character) as well. Drawing from the real-life emotions and experiences of himself and others closest to him, Sudo's musi

Inspired by linear elements and organic shapes, Dail shares how her story as an artist and educator came full circle. Dail Kirkpatrick felt a pull towards the arts at a young age. Taking as many classes as she could starting in the fourth grade until the end of high school, art programs introduced her to her first mediums of graphite and colored pencils. It was in high school that her art teacher pushed her to pursue art education as well as her personal artistic development,

Finding therapy within the arts, Colette uses photography as a creative outlet to balance out a technical job as an ICU nurse. Sharing the human experience can be humbling, and through Colette’s work, you are able to explore the stories of others through photos. She’s most interested in people; who they are, their mannerisms, what makes them tick. Her purpose as an artist is to use photography to bring us all together. Everyone’s story is unique, and Colette wants to draw att

The poet-turned-songwriter reflects on his summer tour and shares insight into lyricism and his new single, “Heaven.” Will Mackie-Jenkins’ purpose as an artist and songwriter is to relate to people through music. Picking up his first guitar at the age of 14, he considers music to be the “best part of life.” “A sequence of seven different pitches can sound like sadness, or violence, or love. I love that,” he says. After debuting his first EP “Cherries in Bloom” in the fall of

The Milwaukee emcee's crisp bars $urf above spaced-out instrumentals in his debut album, "Cirrocumulus." It's been a busy season for A.C. the Ruler. Cirrocumulus' rollout had the lyricist searching for balance between home life in Milwaukee and creative sessions in Chicago. A.C. is one fourth of a collective called "The Outsydus," a group of engineers, producers, and artists. Chicago artists Rich Robbins and FreeThe3rd both have feature spots on the project and Since'93 funct

The multi-faceted artist shares a personal playlist, inspirations, and his recent deal with FOX's "Empire." With a name like John Renaissance, it's only fitting he's a multi-faceted artist embracing many dimensions of himself. An R&B singer, songwriter, pianist, illustrator, actor and entrepreneur, John is now adding "writer" to his growing resume, after receiving an exclusive writing deal for FOX's hit show, "Empire." John's sound is a blend of R&B, pop and trap, his soothin

The eco-friendly thrifter shares her favorite fashion decades, the importance of upcycling, and what she can't stop listening to. Kaitlin Stewart is a breath of fresh air in this city. Between her bubbly personality and keen fashion sense, her mission is to make others feel confident in themselves and their style choices. Oh, and save the environment at the same time. Known as "The Windy City Thrifter," Kaitlin believes fashion has a positive impact on identity and self-expre

Meet Sean Conway, a cartoon artist who is not afraid to overly exaggerate his visuals. Sean Conway's artistic inspiration is obvious upon first glance. His outlandish characters with exaggerated facial expressions is reminiscent of old comic book cartoons. It drives the viewer to think, to come up with a narrative just as crazy as the caricature on the canvas. Growing up on shows like Pinkie and the Brain and Cat Dog, where expression is essential to the characters, he became

The unapologetic artist speaks her mind freely, hoping to connect and empower women. Meet Asia I Robinson, otherwise known as, A.I.R. The young R&B singer from Aurora, IL expresses the constant struggles women face on a daily basis. Her music is honest and confrontational with a purpose—she strives to spark conversation and empower women to speak up. Inspired by pop culture icons like Nicki Minaj and Drake, Asia views music as symbiotic communication with the outside world. W

By fusing classic sounds into contemporary music, Derrick proves saxophone is both timely and timeless. Hear his playlist of the music that inspires him. Saxophone may not be your typical instrument in hip-hop, or mainstream pop for that matter. But through his covers of contemporary songs by Drake, SZA and more artists, Derrick Griffin proves saxophone isn’t just a colorful component, but a dynamic enhancement of the live music experience. Growing up with smooth jazz around

The sensational singer shares her playlist that's just as moody as what we can expect on her upcoming EP. If you're a fan of Sabrina Claudio and Alina Baraz, good news—we've found your newest obsession. Meet Mai, R&B singer/songwriter and queen of the moody ballad. Her slinky sound will make you want to crank up the volume and soak up every drop of its fine-tuned finesse. Since releasing her first single "Show Me" in February, Mai has made waves on Instagram. From teasers of

Inspired by sci-fi, space and tech, Kevin's illustrations evoke a mood just as much as the music he listens to when he creates these worlds. There's a fantastical element to Kevin Deasey's work that's very easy to get lost in. Extraordinary detailing, lush surroundings and robot-like characters dominate the worlds he creates. Imagine "Game of Thrones" meets "Westworld," full of futuristic motifs along with humor and curiosity that at times, feels nostalgic. Hailed from the ti

The Chicago-based blogger shares her favorite music and affinity for storytelling, the Midwest, and the springtime spot she can't get enough of. The Midwest is known for lots of things: beer, cheese, lake-effect snow, and mediocre sports teams (even though we'll never admit it). But look deeper and you'll find an intimate hub of culture not just around Chicago, but in underdog cities like Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Detroit. Just ask Bria Carter, founder of online magazine S