“I've always felt like I could express myself through art,” confides Saelym Degrandpré, an urban Inuk artist living in Ottawa. Her art has been self-expression, a way of communicating connection to community and feelings in the moment. Her style has evolved from predominantly black and white then moving into colour. Her creations have followed her emotions and her expression has grown and diversified over time.

Since Degrandpré was a small child, she’s been an artist, drawing and eagerly showing off her creations. 2020 was when she got into digital design and started posting her work online. She started to get a following at that point that amazed her. After work, she watches anime with her partner. She also sews, beads and carves.

Her family is from Baker Lake, Nunavut, though she has been living in the city her whole life. After high school, Degrandpré studied Indigenous studies at Algonquin College and then worked with a program for Inuit in Ottawa before pursuing studies at Toronto Film School. She just graduated from Toronto Film School for graphic design and interactive media. She’s going to be pursuing a bachelor’s degree next.

Degrandpré works as a graphic designer, doing digital work and branding. She helps companies figure out how best to represent themselves, grow and build a cohesive brand and she also works with youth and teaches about her culture through art. In addition, she carves and creates digital drawings.

When it comes to obstacles, getting in the headspace to work has been hard, as has time management. Addressing her home environment to feel more cozy and at home and her schedule to be more conducive have helped with getting things done. Not having family support in becoming an artist has also been a challenge, hearing people talk about how unstable a career path it is brought up seeds of doubt for her. When she started to get inquiries from organizations about her work, her confidence bloomed. She also remembered that she creates for herself and not just for her work to be seen.

To keep her mental health in check, Degrandpré goes into nature, exploring the forest and looking at water. As a teen struggling with depression, she found solace sitting near the Ottawa River and sifting through her feelings. Taking a break from the world and going camping, spending time alone has been helpful for her wellness. Gaming is another pastime she enjoys that takes her mind off of challenging things.

Growing up, Degrandpré was inspired by her uncles who were artists. “Seeing that and knowing that even as an adult, I could keep creating art, it felt great to see that,” she muses. One of her uncles was a painter and the many paintings in her basement inspired her to continue expressing herself. “Sometimes words aren't able to encompass completely how you're feeling. So sometimes a painting or a drawing will be able to really pick up everything that words cannot,” she explains.

Her advice to aspiring artists is to “try almost every art style you can.” Pottery was something she enjoyed in high school, for example. Degrandpré would also say, “really believe in yourself and just continue sharing your work. Sometimes, even now, my work doesn't reach how I'd expect, and I don't take it as something personal. I know that art is subjective. People see different things when they look at it, and really let your work speak for themselves, as well as have your own meaning also shared out there, because both are very important, while sharing work."

Thinking of her goals for the future, Degrandpré would like to have her work in galleries. She would also like to complete her bachelor in creative arts. She aspires to become a creative director in the future, or to create an independent project that combines learning culture through art. Art was how she connected to her culture, after all. “Being an urban Inuk, here in Ottawa, being able to have that physical creation that knowing my ancestors would do this for 1000s of years, and seeing my grandma do it and her teaching me, made me feel super connected,” she reminisces.

Finally, to inspire Indigenous youth, Degrandpré says, “to really put your all, especially even when you're nervous…. To get your foot in the door really is a great start. You don't have to make something perfect the first time. You just got to get it out there and you can work on it in the future. I still am learning so much about art and life, and I just get my work out there and then refine it in the future."

Expressing herself through art and making a living through it, Saelym Degrandpré has turned her inspiration into a creative life personally and professionally. She found connection to culture through art and creation and she has big dreams for how she might help others do the same down the road through her artistic passions. By getting her foot in the door, she is pursuing opportunities and sharing what she’s learned along the way.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.