CleanSlateMoCo is conducting interviews of local community members. These are people that though they do not hold office, are important voices in Montgomery County. They represent the fabric of the county; individuals that might have had a unique experience, or maybe are involved in a unique activity, or maybe are just normal folks trying to build a life of happiness and fulfillment in this county. Hope you enjoy. If you know of someone that is willing to be interviewed, please drop us an email at inquiry@cleanslatemoco.com or DM us on twitter at @CleanSlateMoCo
Community Profile: Justin Valenti
How long have you lived in Montgomery County?
I have lived in Montgomery County for 22 years. Before living in Montgomery County, I lived in Florida and Ohio for a couple of years. After I moved to Maryland, I went to public school in Montgomery County and attended school within MCPS. I attended Diamond ES, Lakelands Park MS, and Quince Orchard High School. I graduated from Quince Orchard High School in 2014, but no one clapped for me at my high school graduation.
What aspect of living here do you enjoy the most?
The aspect of living in Montgomery County that I enjoy most is the public transportation aspect. I have found getting anywhere in Montgomery County to be fairly easy, even without owning a car. I use public transportation to go to work when I work in person.
On your twitter account (@Valenti2Justin), you tend to talk a lot about your art work, can you tell us a little about how you became interested in art?
I became interested in art after taking art classes in middle and high school. I first started creating graphic arts in my free time at lunch during my day at school. Art slowly became one of my hobbies first and then I started creating art as a career.
How did you get involved in VisArts?
I got involved in VisArtsCenter when I was looking for something to fill my time. My mom introduced me to VisArts and I tried their program. After trying out their program, I really liked it because it was a good fit for me. I started attending the VisAbility Art Lab program in January 2017 and I have been involved ever since.
Correct us if you wrong, but the two major areas of art you pursue are fluid painting and graphic arts, what led you to enjoy these the most?
Yes, the two major areas of art that I pursue are fluid painting and graphic arts. In 2017, I started creating art professionally as a career and I started out with just creating digital art in the studio and at home. I was introduced to fluid painting a year and a half later in Fall 2018 by one of the instructors at VisArts, and that is when I became interested in doing fluid painting. During the pandemic, I balanced my third office internship with creating digital art and painting. I became really good at fluid painting and I improved my skills as a digital artist during this time, and I have been enjoying fluid painting and graphic arts the most ever since.
Do you have any recommendations for young artists in Montgomery County that want to further develop or expand their talents?
I recommend that young artists in Montgomery County that want to further develop or expand their talents start out by taking art classes at either a college or an art studio. There are also online tutorials on how to work on DIY art projects. I also recommend that young artists in Montgomery County develop or expand their talents by working using a sketchbook and then they can work their way up to creating art on the computer.
Do you have a website where people can buy your art?
Yes, I have two places where you can buy my artwork. The link to my online store on my art website is http://www.jkvalenti2014.com/store. You can also buy my artwork using Etsy or you can contact me via email or through my art website if you prefer to contact me about a particular piece directly.
You are also a published author, right? What books have you published? And when did you start writing?
Yes, I am a published author and I have published three books. My first book is “Blast from the Past”, which is a coffee table/picture book of some of my early digital artwork. The second book is “Meeting the Girl”, which is a romance novel about my life that tells my story. My third book is “The Zania Virus”, which is a graphic novel about a scientist and a fictional pandemic that I worked on during the first year and a half of the pandemic. I started writing in September 2018, which is when I started writing my second book.
I am working on a new book now. It is a 32 page children’s book about a shark who has trouble with social skills and it will be published later this year.
In looking through your social media accounts you are very upfront in living with both autism and mental illness. Are there support communities or services in Montgomery County that you have found beneficial?
There are many different support communities in Montgomery County that I have found beneficial. Two of those support communities are the people in my job training program with Supported Employment Enterprise Corporation (SEEC) and all of the artists in the VisAbility Art Lab program at VisArts.
What is one thing you wish more people understood about those with autism?
One thing that I wish that more people understood about those who have autism is that everyone who has autism has a different personality and has different strengths and things to work on.
Do you feel that your unique voice is heard in Montgomery County by those that are elected to office?
Yes, I do feel that my unique voice is heard in Montgomery County by those that are elected to office. I believe that many of the opportunities that I have gotten over the years have come to me because an elected official has heard my voice.
If you had the power to change one thing in Montgomery County tomorrow, what would it be?
If I had the power to change one thing in Montgomery County tomorrow, it would be to make housing more affordable for people living in low-income communities.
Lastly, can you tell our readers what makes you the absolute happiest?
I am the absolute happiest when I see positive change happen in Montgomery County!
Related posts:
MoCo CM Will Jawando’s Interesting Church and Democrat Party / Think Tank “Elite” Connections
Re-Branded as “Action Youth Media”, Gandhi Brigade Youth Media (a MoCo Taxpayer Grantee) Still Appears to be Promoting Only Certain Types of “Activism” Through Art
A Radical Maoist Activist Keeps Popping Up in the Annual MCPS ‘K-12 Student AAPIHM Poster Art Contest’