Episode 261: Art and Disability Advocacy – with Justin Valenti

The episode transcript is below.

Carolyn Kiel: Welcome to Beyond 6 Seconds, the podcast that goes beyond the six second first impression to share the extraordinary stories of neurodivergent people. I’m your host, Carolyn Kiel.

Carolyn Kiel: On today’s episode, I’m speaking with Justin Valenti, a 29-year-old artist, author, and advocate who lives in Maryland. He enjoys creating artwork in his home studio, and he’s an artist at the VisAbility Art Lab at VisArts in Rockville, Maryland. He’s the business owner of Artistic Expressions by Justin K Valenti. He’s exhibited artwork in Maryland, Virginia, and California.

Justin has been an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities since childhood. He’s been on the Board of Directors for the Arc Maryland since 2020.

In 2022, Justin designed a community mural with a focus on inclusion, acceptance, unity, and diversity with The Arc Maryland and Montgomery Parks. It was installed at Wheaton Regional Park in Maryland. In November 2023, Justin received the Maryland Governor’s Award for his outstanding achievements in Disability Culture.

Justin, welcome to the podcast.

Justin Valenti: Thank you.

Carolyn Kiel: I’m really excited to learn more about your art business and your advocacy. Growing up, what was life like for you as a person with disabilities?

Justin Valenti: Life growing up as a person with disabilities was rough. I moved around because my dad was in the Air Force Reserves. Fortunately, my dad retired and I was able to keep the same group of friends. When I was in school, my parents and my teachers were in a constant struggle to keep my support. And lastly, I was included in general education classes from kindergarten through high school.

Carolyn Kiel: I can see already how that would help fuel your advocacy, just your own experience growing up and in different schools and trying to get supports all the time. It can be challenging, it sounds like, for sure.

How did you discover your interest in art?

Justin Valenti: When I was in school, I took several art classes and really enjoyed learning about all the types of art that there are. I also participated in several school art shows in middle school and high school where I discovered that I liked sharing my art with others. I went to a couple of art camps, also, including some workshops in California in a local filmmaking and editing camp.

Carolyn Kiel: That’s really cool. What is your favorite type of art to create?

Justin Valenti: My favorite type of art to create is fluid artwork. Fluid artwork is pouring paint onto a canvas and moving the canvas around until all the paint covers the entire canvas. I enjoy fluid art because I like mixing different colors and seeing how each painting turns out. Every fluid painting I create is a one of a kind piece that cannot be recreated.

I also enjoy creating digital art because each subject that I choose to draw or create is unique and every piece has a special meaning for me.

Carolyn Kiel: Your digital artwork, is that with software like Adobe Illustrator?

Justin Valenti: Yes.

Carolyn Kiel: Are there certain types of themes you like to draw for that, or just sort of whatever inspires you?

Justin Valenti: It’s whatever inspires me in the environment around me.

Carolyn Kiel: How many hours a day do you spend on painting, or does that depend?

Justin Valenti: It depends on the day. I also have a day job, so I do it outside of my day job, so probably about like four or five hours.

Carolyn Kiel: Wow. That’s quite an investment of time! That’s really cool.

And you’ve had your art displayed in several different places. We mentioned some of the different states in your introduction where it’s been shown. tell me more about some of the places where your art has been either featured or displayed.

Justin Valenti: So my artwork has been displayed and featured in many art shows and art festivals throughout my life. Currently, I have artwork displayed inside the Maryland State House, at the Oasis Gallery in Westfield Montgomery Mall, and at the Concourse Gallery at VisArts in Rockville. Last year, my artwork was included in art shows in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. I also had a solo show last year at Main Street Connect in Rockville.

I enjoy meeting people and sharing my art at local art festivals, including Poolsville Day, Artisans Festival at BlackRock Center for the Arts in the Rockville Art Festival. I’ve displayed work at the National Disability Rights Conference in the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education Summer Institute.

In 2022, I designed a mural with The Arc Maryland and the Prince George’s Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as Montgomery Parks, that was installed in Wheaton. And I also have artwork that I created in books that were self published right by myself and with assistance from Tink Tank Animate LLC.

Carolyn Kiel: Wow. So you’ve had art displayed in a lot of different places. You must have to go out and meet a lot of people in order to find the opportunities, or do some of the opportunities kind of come to you?

Justin Valenti: So it depends. Sometimes I meet people and sometimes I submit proposals for different art shows and galleries. It just depends on what the opportunity is that I’m given.

Carolyn Kiel: Wow, that’s really awesome. And it’s so cool that you have your own business around this as well, to show and display and sell a lot of your artwork. That’s really cool.

I’ve seen you talk about this a little bit in other talks and online, but you’ve shared how creating art actually has helped your mental health and wellbeing. Could you talk more about how does creating art help your mental health?

Justin Valenti: So creating art helps my mental health because it allows me to relax after a busy day, and also during times when life is stressful. Artwork also helps my mental health because it allows me to express how I’m feeling using different colors. Like for example, when I paint, it allows me to like see the colors and like relax my mind so that I can create freely. And for my digital art, it’s similar.

Carolyn Kiel: I could see how that type of expression helps. It must be very calming and it’s a good creative release and expression. Yeah, wonderful.

You’ve achieved so much with your art from shows and awards and grants and recognitions, and I guess as an artist, like what are some of your achievements that you are proudest of?

Justin Valenti: So the achievements that I’m proudest of are my Maryland Governor’s Award for Disability Culture that I got in 2023, and the mural that I designed in Wheaton Regional Park in Silver Springs, Maryland. Another thing that I am proud of is the grant that I was awarded by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County in 2025.

Carolyn Kiel: That’s cool. Like, getting a grant that’s awesome.

You’re also an advocate for people with disabilities. So tell me more about your advocacy that you do for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Justin Valenti: I have been advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over a decade. I’ve spoken to many groups of people about my experiences as someone with a disability, and I also advocate through my art.

Got started with my advocacy when I was asked to speak about having a service dog at my elementary school in 2002. I also spoke on a panel in front of Congress in 2009, and I spoke to the Maryland State Senate with Best Buddies Maryland in 2013. I also serve on the Board of Directors for The Arc Maryland as their Executive Secretary, and I have experience with training self advocates for People On The Go of Maryland.

Carolyn Kiel: How do you find the opportunities to advocate? Do people come to you or do you identify local organizations and network with them?

Justin Valenti: So for a long time, I got opportunities through the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education. But over time that has changed. Like, I have found myself finding more opportunities on my own, and then occasionally someone will reach out to me as well.

Carolyn Kiel: That’s awesome. It sounds like you have to speak publicly for at least some of the advocacy that you do. Is that something that you enjoy, like giving public presentations? Is it something you have to prepare a lot for? Like, what’s that like?

Justin Valenti: So I spend weeks practicing speeches for events and then when I go up to speak, I really enjoy it because it allows me to share my story and about my experiences.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah. It’s really great because some people find it challenging to speak publicly, so it’s always really cool to see someone who, you know, enjoys it and you make such a difference through the speaking that you do with this. That’s powerful.

You’ve achieved so much already in your advocacy and with your art. Looking forward, what are some of your goals that you have for your art and your disability advocacy?

Justin Valenti: So my two goals for my art are to be able to accomplish more as an artist and have more solo art exhibitions like the one at Main Street Connect. One of my goals for my advocacy is to promote other artists who are neurodiverse and share my interest in advocacy. I would also like to continue talking to other people about my experiences.

Carolyn Kiel: That’s very cool. Yeah.

What specifically are the disabilities that you have?

Justin Valenti: The disabilities that I have, I have autism. And I have a genetic disorder that’s rare that’s called 5P Minus syndrome, it’s also known as Cri du Chat. And I also have schizoaffective disorder.

Carolyn Kiel: Your own lived experience and the advocacy that you do for other people with disabilities, I think is, is really powerful, that combination. Yeah, I think it’s awesome that you’ve really found ways to use your talents to, you know, express your creativity and have a business and help other people as well.

Justin, what’s the best way for people to get in touch with you if they wanna either learn more about your art or about your advocacy?

Justin Valenti: So people can visit my website at www.JKValenti2014.com to find out more about me and my art. I also have a contact form on my website that can be used to get in touch with me and I have an email address where they can email me and I check my inbox regularly.

Carolyn Kiel: Are there certain types of opportunities that you’re most interested in getting more of right now?

Justin Valenti: So right now I am more interested in getting shows from different art galleries around the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. And also more advocacy opportunities where I can find them.

Carolyn Kiel: I will put a link to your website in the show notes of this podcast so people can click on it and find your contact form and hopefully reach out.

I also wanna mention you also sell your art, like you don’t just display it, you actually sell it. Can you tell more about the types of ways that you sell it through your business?

Justin Valenti: So for my business, I sell through my art studio that I’m part of at VisArts. And I also sell independently, like on my website’s online store. I accept cash, Venmo, different types of payment. And I also have like my own business account which helps me like not lose my benefits when I’m selling my art.

Carolyn Kiel: Do you sell your art as prints or note cards or other types of forms?

Justin Valenti: So I have prints that I sell, digital prints, I have note card packs, I have tote bags, I have t-shirts. I think the most recent product that I have is stickers with my digital art on them. And I also have like canvases that I sell too, and original artwork from me as well.

Carolyn Kiel: That’s cool. Yeah, that’s a, a whole variety of things. And the types of art that you create are really varied, so I’m sure there’s something for everyone! So I encourage everyone to check out the website to learn more.

Justin, it’s been great talking with you. Is there anything else that you’d like our listeners to know or anything else that they can help or support you with?

Justin Valenti: So I would like to invite listeners to check out my work on my website or through the Visibility Art Lab. It is the 10 year anniversary of the Visibility Art at VisArts. People can donate to keep this program going through VisArts’ website, www.VisArtsCenter.org. And I love to meet people in person, so come see me at one of my upcoming events.

Carolyn Kiel: Very cool. Yeah. Well, Justin, thank you so much for talking more about your experience and the really awesome and cool work that you do in art and advocacy and your business. It was great talking with you. And thank you for being on my podcast.

Justin Valenti: You’re welcome. I hope that your listeners enjoy this podcast.

Carolyn Kiel: Yeah, absolutely.

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