Meet Aiden Brown | Writer and Multimedia Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aiden Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aiden, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was little. I used to tell stories with my friends– we’d draw characters we created, workshop plot points– and then it was kind of straddling play and creation, since I never really wrote anything down. I think part of me was afraid to fail, even then. I still have that fear of failure, to be sure, but the stories I like the most are the ones that could only have come from the author telling them, and I know I have something to bring to the table. I think everyone who wants to pursue art should do it–the world needs more stories that don’t feel like they’ve gone through an AI generator. Really though I guess the best answer is that this is the mark I want to leave on the world while I’m here– my stories and my art.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m both a writer and a visual artist. It’s good for me to have more than one outlet so when I’m frustrated with one project, I can switch to another medium. The two are really intertwined for me, though. I paint a lot of scenes, landscapes, or emotions that I associate with books or characters or moments within them. I’m really struck by the relationship between literature and art historically, and I get a kick out of reproducing that in my own little way. I’m proudest of work I can point back to its point of inspiration, I’ve noticed. Or when I’m able to capture the way I see something through my own particular lens, that’s always a feat to me. Professionally, I feel like I still have a long way to go. I’ve sold a few paintings, published a book and a few assorted pieces, but I’d like to write a full-length novel. I’d like to host my own art show. I just started my own reading series, and I’m excited to see where that goes. I only started publishing within the last year, so I’m very much at the beginning of my career, and very excited for what’s ahead. Along the way, I’ve learned (or I’m constantly learning) to define success on my own terms. Art is so subjective, and it’s okay if not everybody likes what you have to say or what you make. What matters is that I like it, and that I put out something I’m proud of. Conversely, when I look back at something I used to be proud of and think “well this sucks,” I’m trying to take that as a sign that I’m improving. I don’t know that I necessarily have a “brand” so to speak. I hope my work speaks for itself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Stories would be my first stop, of course. Skylight would have to be on the list. El Prado’s kind of cooked at this point, but fun if you can get there when it’s not too crowded, and I have a soft spot for it (and its snacks). I don’t go to Zebulon much anymore unless I’m seeing a show, but I’d go for the promise of Astro Diner afterwards. Karaoke night at the Red Lion, 4100, Thai Angel, Verdugo, House of Pies. I’d always make sure to catch a show or a reading– both, if I can swing it. Little Secret and Non Plus Ultra are also necessary detours, for those in the know.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been really embraced by the literary community here in LA. Without those people, I don’t think I ever would have had the confidence to submit my work for publication, or read my work aloud on a stage. Caitlin Forst hosted my book launch at Stories, Sammy Loren invited me to read at his reading series Casual Encountersz, Emily Ann Zisko and the rest of the Currant Jam team inspire me constantly, and I would never have found the scene at all if not for Erin Satterthwaite of Car Crash Collective. Every artist needs a community, and I majorly lucked out with mine. I’m constantly surrounded by brilliant, kind, conscientious people who create for the sake of creating, who value art for art’s sake, and who want to build a community around it. I also have an incredible partner, musician Kris Balocca of Phaeic, Sun Colony, and In Covert, who’s always got time, a hand, or an ear for me. I have a few friends in the music scene, and they’re all such warm, talented, brilliant people. I’ve been insanely lucky in LA with the people I’ve met and befriended.

Website: https://ajbrownarts.com

Instagram: inthefallofasparrow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557576541512

Image Credits
@anyagta4ever, @_xxtoska, Kris Balocca, Jordan Phillips