Talia Jeffrey

Edge of the Known

I love storytelling. Through stories, I can craft fantastical worlds and characters that can explore infinite possibilities. The types of stories that I can tell, and the experiences I can represent are endless! That’s why it’s especially distressing when many stories, when given the chance to include more diversity, opt to omit so many different experiences in favor of exclusionary ones. In a limitless medium, they choose to stay within harmful societal constraints. I am a biracial, queer, neurodivergent, disabled person who loves art, storytelling, fantasy and animals; to say I am underrepresented in media is an understatement. That’s why my goal is to depict intersectionality in my art and stories, to represent underrepresented beings with compassion and understanding, and to create a safe space where all beings are allowed to be unapologetically themselves. Without fear of their story not being told.

I have a background in studying animals, and I use that knowledge in my design work. I want the beings I create to feel believable, their designs rooted in realistic adaptations with a fantastical nature. Enough realism to understand, but leaning on the edge of what we know to imagine what could be. For this project, I looked at my work through the lens of an Archivist in a future universe; one who has met and learned from these beings. I have gathered my notes in a loose-leaf format; allowing the viewer to sift through these scattered documents, scraps of notes and sketches, and begin to see the formation of a larger story.

I’ve made art in many different mediums; but for this project, I chose to use Notability. It’s a note taking app, but I put years of practice learning its tools to make my worldbuilding art. My work uses art and written words; and this medium allows me to mix both in a cohesive way. Notability helped me capture the feeling of the beginning of a story; allowing me to display all the gathered pieces of characters, worlds, and lore all in one place. This project is already years in the making, and yet there is still so much more I am planning to include as I continue to craft this fantastical universe. These gathered pieces are the jumping point that will later form a larger interconnected story.

@tj_worldbuilder