Kayla Branstetter

Her Art, Her piece, Our Voices

by Sarah Ann Eroy

Silence is a practical tool in survival as youngins. But as we grow old, we make it our mission to get our ideas, opinions, and voices out there for others to hear. We don’t have to yell at the top of our lungs as a way to get our thoughts across, but we can do it in ways we do best.

It may have started as an escape, but as time went on, Kayla Branstetter worked hard to develop her voice and creativity over the years.

“In 6th grade, my poem, ‘Mother’ was published in a national anthology. During this time, my mom was married to an emotionally and physically abusive man, and my form of survival was silence. I desired to be invisible and remain out of his sight,” Kayla shares with NRM.

“I endured a toxic home environment, and suffered being bullied at school. My imagination, writing, and art served as my escape. People, music, books, and my surroundings are my greatest inspirations,” Kayla adds.

As Madeleine Albright said, “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent” And just like the former secretary of state, Kayla then begins her journey to get her voice heard, with no plans on stopping.

Who is Kyla Branstetter?

“I actually love this question because finding my voice and being proud of who I am was a struggle,” Kayla answers.

I decided to use the pain and experience for art and writing to raise awareness to not only domestic and child abuse, but to offer support for victims and survivors.”

Kayla Branstetter is an artist, writer, professor, and mother to two beautiful daughters. She possesses a passion for the arts, and as much as she enjoys creating them, her true love involves introducing art to her daughters and students.

“My daughters’ favorite pastime is painting on a blank canvas. They mix colors and allow their imaginations to come to life. I teach writing and most students are intimidated with this craft, but when my students realize the power in finding their voices, it is like magic.” Kayla says. “My favorite writers and role models are strong women such as my mom, my stepmoms (I had a few), my sisters, Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou, Anita Diamant, Michelle Obama, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Gloria Steinem.” Kayla shares.

For art, Kayla fell in love with the Abstract Expressionism Movement during graduate school.

“Because I related to the themes and ideas associated with this movement. Life does not make sense sometimes. My favorite artists are Jackson Pollock, William de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Pablo Picasso, Jacob Lawrence, and more contemporary artists like Judy Chicago and Jacob Burmood.”

Outside of engaging and advocating for the arts, Kayla talks about her love of travel: “I’ve visited several countries, tried a plethora of food, and met beautiful people, and these experiences serve as inspiration to my art and writing.”

Whether in creating art or writing, most of Kayla’s works revolve around nonfiction, touching true-to-life experiences and issues.

“I struggle with writing fiction, so the majority of my writing is nonfiction and I have an array of topics that have been published: my experience with surviving abuse, my miscarriage, witnessing a Jewish wedding during my trip to Israel, raising awareness to Native American history, my travels, my childhood, my daughters, and women’s rights.” She deduces.

“I am currently writing a nonfiction book and the only information I can give is the content centers on women. Most of my artwork is activism—immigration, women, and human rights as a [a] whole; however, my artwork is also inspired by nature and happiness. Art is whatever we want it to be, and the practice does not always require a serious, threatening, and sad connotation, but a joyful, auspicious, and fun tone.” Kayla shares.

CASTE In this issue of NRM, Kayla brings us one of her works, Caste, an art piece she created after witnessing the riots over the summer of 2020. “I decided to read about the movement, and this led me to two influential books: Just Mercy and Caste. These books opened my eyes to the injustices minorities have and continue to face.”

“I chose to have a white male in the center because for many centuries many white men have been at the top of the caste system, whereas minorities and women must continue to fight to have their voices heard,” she explains.

Kayla’s art has been involved with the Human Rights Festival in North Dakota for the past three years. She hopes to be part of the festival again for the 2022 season.

“Two years ago, our exhibit was next to the Salvador Dali exhibit and I could not believe I had a painting next to an influential artist like Dali.

“I am in this waiting period. Artists and writers must develop a lot of patience because it takes months to hear from these publications. I experienced the most success this year, and I am hoping for a more successful 2022. I am putting much of my painting on hold until I complete my book. However, it is a longterm goal of mine to have a solo exhibit for my painting.”

On dreams, imaginations, and an artist’s life in a pandemic

“I am a writer and artist, so I live in my dreams and imaginations. To create a story or a piece of art demands imagination to bring this idea to life. I use imagination to produce my art and writing, but I rely on my dreams to showcase my art and writing.” As with most people in the world, COVID brought much uncertainty and anxiety into Kayla’s life. “I was teaching when I received the email we were shutting down. I expected the news, but digesting the decision and the events occurring around the world proved overwhelming,” she recalls. Kayla went from being a working mom with a predictable routine to being a working stay-at-home mom with a four-year-old and seven-month-old (at the time). Though taken aback by the change, Kayla is grateful for the silver lining that came with it. “As stressful as this time was, I am grateful for the extended time with my children. I witnessed my youngest daughter learning how to crawl and walk, and if it were not for COVID, I may have missed those important milestones,” she says. “I didn’t have the time to paint or write. Instead, I read books in hopes to make sense of not only the COVID situation but the political and social climate surfacing the country. I read several books, but The Innocent Man, Caste, and Just Mercy challenged my thinking the most and forced me to view the country’s history and judicial system through new lenses. COVID forced me to take a step back and selfreflect on who I want to be as a writer and artist.” To you, aspiring artists and writers, Kayla says...

“Have patience, believe in yourself, and surround yourself with a support system. You will receive more rejections than acceptance letters, but the rejection letters are proof you are trying. Be your biggest advocate. You must actively seek those opportunities and make connections. NETWORK! NETWORK! NETWORK! Finally, immerse yourself in your craft and BE PERSISTENT. The most successful people failed and failed often, but their persistence made them successful.” Kayla advises. Kayla will continue to cultivate her art and be the voice for the silenced and the NRM team wishes her the best of luck in all her endeavors.