Today we’d like to introduce you to Nat Raum
Hi nat, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a multimedia artist, writer, and publisher. I’ve been creating since I was very young, and “entered” the art world in 2014, when I started attending the Maryland Institute College of Art for Photography. My practice later expanded to include other media, including creative writing, digital collage, and bookmaking, which led to me attending the University of Baltimore and earning my MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts. Currently, I work in marketing by day, teach bookmaking on the side, and run a small press (fifth wheel press) focused on publishing queer, trans, and gender variant creatives.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Putting aside the struggles that plague many creatives—time, money, burnout, creative block, among others—I don’t often see a place for myself within existing systems. As a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent creative, it’s been my tendency to believe that the best solution to this is creating my own community that is inclusive of my many intersecting identities. It’s an uphill battle to build a community space from scratch, but it always ends up the best decision I could possibly make when I am consistently surrounded by others with similar struggles.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Many would probably say that my creative output sets me apart from others—I have 17 books and zines currently in print, published by both myself and others. I’m not inclined to disagree with those that think I’m exceptionally prolific, but I think it’s always been more complicated than just “making new work” for me, so I have a mixed relationship with discussing my relative productivity. I used to be (and objectively still am) a photographer, and as a photographer, I have always thought in series. I never took just one photograph; I was always constructing photo essays, and that eventually led to me working in the book form. Now, especially as a poet and writer, I feel like I think very similarly, and am able to use the skills I learned while attending art school (rapidly creating fleshed-out proofs of creative concept) to iterate around a theme or topic with relative ease.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
It’s hard to say. Right now, I don’t know anyone who earns a living solely from their creative pursuits—we all have day jobs and side hustles. I don’t think AI is going to kill creative industries, but I wonder how much harder it’s going to be to make a living on the side with the rise of generative AI. By and large, though, I already see things getting scrappier. I see people getting bored with the same tired, exclusive institutions that have held prestige for decades. I don’t know if I have a prediction, but I have a hope that we see a rise in DIY culture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://natraum.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/gr8earlofhell
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gr8earlofhell
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/gr8earlofhell.bsky.social
