Meet Kevyn Way

We recently connected with Kevyn Way and have shared our conversation below.

Kevyn, 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.

One thing that has helped me work towards overcoming imposter syndrome has been getting artist residencies and fellowships. Specifically 2727 California Street, which was a residency that was ran by queer & transgender Black artists. Being in that space made me feel like my projects are valuable and having established artists encourage and believe in me pushed me to believe in myself.

Ive also been able to overcome imposter syndrome by applying to and getting accepted into dream residencies like with The Laundromat Project in Brooklyn. The Laundromat Project felt like a particular creative milestone for myself because it was a well established and a well known organization for artists.

Having Black & queer specific artist programing has hugely aided in working towards overcoming imposter syndrome.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Hello! My name is Kevyn Way (they/them)!

I am a writer and storyteller who founded And We Write! which is a creative writing group for queer and transgender adoptees of color. I created this group as a way to connect with other adoptees in a space that allowed participants to explore the complexities and experiences they have had as not only an adoptee but also as a queer and/or transgender person of color. This group meets online and in person and a risograph poster is designed to encapsulate the themes and discussions of the workshop. Are you an adoptee looking for community? Come to a workshop! https://www.instagram.com/_andwewrite/?__d=1%2F I am currently looking for residencies or grants to allow me to continue hosting on a larger scale and continue expanding on my risograph skills!

In addition to And We Write! I am a multi-genre writer, writing creative nonfiction, short stories and plays. I have an anthology called Transcendence, which consists of of interviews from Black transgender and nonbinary people who have had top surgery. In Transcendence we hear about the joy, process and reflections of those who have gone through the process to feel more aligned in their body.

Outside of art, I work as a personal trainer who focuses on helping queer and transgender people of color feel more comfortable moving their bodies and going into a gym. I offer sessions online and work with clients to encourage and support them while working towards their fitness goals. I operate from a fat positive, queer positive and body positive approach, meeting my clients where they are at. Interested in training? Book here! https://www.helloswolepatrol.com/

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Writing classes have had a major impact on my journey. Specifically ones for people of color. These classes allowed me the space to learn and feel safe(r) to write about themes that were relevant to my life. Finding queer and transgender authors and writers opened the doors for me to realize that my work has value.

Residencies and fellowships have also been supportive because they affirm the projects I am brining to life as well as offer funding and mentorship to aid in my creative growth.

If you are early in an type of journey i’d recommend finding a group or person to act as a teacher or mentor.

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?

Surviving the White Gaze: A Memoir by Rebecca Carroll was a book that played an important role in my development. It was a hard read but also one that I deeply resonated with. I resonated with being raised in racial isolation and struggling to find my identity for the majority of my teens and young adult years. I name this title because even though Rebecca was struggling to find her place, she still used her skills to travel and interview to write Sugar in the Raw: Voices of Young Black Girls in America. I found this inspiring because telling our stories are important and I was inspired to create Transcendence due to learning about the work that Rebecca Carroll had done. I wrote a review of this book that you can read here. https://pactadopt.medium.com/book-review-surviving-the-white-gaze-a-memoir-by-rebecca-carroll-bf407744a37e

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kevynway.com/ https://www.helloswolepatrol.com/
• Instagram: _sweetpoppa