Inside/Outside

 

Personal experience is often described as the most authentic source of artistic inspiration, but authenticity does not always translate into visibility. When work is shaped by cultural specificity, economic precarity, migration, trauma, or unglamorous realities, it can sit uncomfortably outside dominant narratives of what is considered “relatable,” “marketable,” or even “art.” In these cases, lived experience becomes both a source of depth and a quiet barrier to exposure.

This issue asks what happens when inspiration comes from within, but access exists outside. It explores how artists navigate cultural gatekeeping, translation, and self-censorship—questioning who gets seen without explanation, who is asked to soften their truth, and how creating from the inside can be an act of resistance as much as reflection.