Meet Andrew Lygo-Yarn

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrew Lygo-Yarn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Being accepted to show my work at New York Fashion Week challenged me to overcome my imposter syndrome. I was given barely over a month to prepare. I did not have the time or money to make my ideal collection. My ideal collection would make everyone say ‘wow’. Somewhere in my mind I thought I could make something that would finally ‘prove my worth’. I could finally make something that justified my existence.
I was given this incredible opportunity, one I had waited years for, yet I was not given the time or resources to make something I felt everyone would be impressed by.
I was faced with the choice, turn down a life changing opportunity, or make peace with the fact that not everyone would like what I made. I had to make something that I was proud of, something I could stand by. I could not concern myself with the thoughts of others. I had to dig inside and pull out the pieces that were important to me.
The collection was such a challenge, both mentally and physically, that my brain no longer had space for doubts, self hatred, judgments and imposter syndrome.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My name is Andrew, I am 28 years old and a proud transgender man! I have worked under the artist name Pocket Bean for the last 9 years. My main passion in fashion design but I am also a digital artist, candle maker and activist. While art has always been in my blood, I entered college believing I was going to be a lawyer and I worked at a non profit between classes. Through dealing with some mental health issues I turned back to art more seriously and eventually started my own business. In 2019 I took a risk and quit my job to pursue art full time. I have been incredibly fortunate and I’ve had the honor of building a loving community around my work. The support I have received has allowed me to go back to some of my activists roots. I donate my time to run charity fashion shows, art classes and to help others start art based businesses.

Most recently I had the privilege of showing my work New York Fashion Week. I created a collection around my experiences as a transgender man and aimed to use fashion to reframe trans bodies. I partnered with dozens of trans men from all across the globe to include their voices in the music and to have their stories stitched into the garments.
This collection is now on display in my hometown of Portland Maine till Nov 30th. Visit it as 15 Casco St.
My work is deeply centered around my experiences. I create art that celebrates queer folk, trans folk and disabled folk. I hope to be a source of positive representation for my community.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Experimentation is key to success. That experimentation will always include failure and mistakes. You have to give yourself a nonjudgemental space to work. Find joy in the mess and lack of skill. Giving yourself space to learn and experiment will provide you with so much more skill than just sticking to what you are already confident in.

Make something you like first. Don’t make something just because it fits a trend or you think it will make money. Make sure you like it first, the trends and money can come later. People can tell when something is not genuine.

Make some art that has no purpose outside of being art. You don’t need to post it, or show it to anyone. Keep something for yourself. In this hyper digital age we are lead to believe that everything must be content. It will save your brain and your own creativity if you keep something for yourself. Don’t try to monetize it. Let it be special for you.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Burning Down the Haus: Punk Rock, Revolution and the Fall of the Berlin Wall by Tim Mohr
As a fashion designer and an activist I can sometimes feel tangled between two worlds. This book reminded me how impactful fashion is to our world and our history. Fashion is instrumental to our social understanding and communication. Fashion helps us to know ourselves, and knowing ourselves is a form of resistance. Fashion is a weapon. I often forget how much power I have as an individual, fashion is a way for me to channel that power.

Small actions matter. You do not need to weigh yourself against others. Do what you can, that is enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pocketbeancrafts.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pocketbean
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pocketbeancrafts
• Other: https://linktr.ee/pocketbean