FASHION WEEK DAILY: Queer POC Artist Christopher Saint On Using Art and Enterprise To Create A Healing Movement
Healing means many different things and it comes in many forms. For those belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, it is acceptance and understanding. For people of color, it is an equal opportunity. As someone who is queer and is a proud Asian-American artist, Christopher Saint knows firsthand what it’s like for those who have suffered similar experiences of marginalization as he has. He has been through it all and wants to help others in their journey by healing through art and enterprise. “I think in today’s modern world, we are very bottom-line driven. For most industries, money is the biggest driver, not love. I’ve reimagined my career to re-center on how the businesses I create and develop can produce more healing in this world. Along with my art, I’m currently working on ventures in spiritual wellness and online education for social and emotional learning.” Christopher is a singer-songwriter who is renowned amongst the queer community for his mission in spreading love and empowerment. He always emphasized that everyone is made of love and it’s in their nature to express it. However, this feeling has been buried in their hearts because of fear. Hoping to make a change as a business leader, Christopher was recently named to the Forbes Next list as one of the top faces of entrepreneurship in the country.
“This new paradigm of conscious capitalism demands more accountability and responsibility. For the groups who don’t naturally benefit from our current system of economics – women, POCs, queer people, and others – we must continually innovate to build new systems of structural change. I learned that being a business leader and thought leader in media and education has afforded me a level of privilege. I can have a seat at the table because of my career to actually advocate for change. That being said, I’d like to build a new table for people like me.” Many belonging to the LGBTQ+ community are scared of coming out and being ostracized from society because of their preferences. While hiding their authentic selves, they have also lost the ability to love who they are, leading to self-hatred. This is where Christopher’s role comes into the scene. He uses his experiences and skills to provide a way to heal those who forgot what it’s like to genuinely love themselves. “Love is our birthright. As an artist, my work has appeared in film festivals across the world. I’ve yet to crack mainstream success as an artist, but my success metric is just having the opportunity to tell my own love stories. Love stories are a form of currency that has so much influence and power. I hope through my songs I can help others feel seen and heard.”
In 2015, he founded Palette Studio LA to start a change in the world with his ideas. Through it, he was able to help influencers, celebrities, and brands tell their story and speak their truth. He’s also a part of the Mostly Angels LA, which aids him in his mission to lead a spiritual conversation for the LGBTQ+ community. Christopher has many achievements under his name, whether in academics, communications, or entertainment. His experience as a musician has made him build a strong career for himself. “Healing can come in many forms but one of the things I hope to continue to do as an artist and entrepreneur is to create safe spaces for communities to come together. It’s time that we use the brightest minds and boldest hearts to better understand how we operationalize and galvanize love in this world. The only reason we come together shouldn’t be to become rich or famous, or whatever. We should come together to foster and cultivate more love in this world. That is our purpose here.” Made in Love Movement is a platform for artists to use their talents as a form of healing for the queer community. The members of the community share their stories, including the struggles they have been through, simply because of who they are. Their journey to how they didn’t let others’ negative perceptions of their sexuality bring them down has empowered many people in the LGBTQ+ community.
There are many ways to heal, so Christopher helps others with it the best way he knows how. According to him, emotions are people’s saving grace. His mission is to remind them of the love and acceptance they deserve to have through art. He has delivered his message through his songs and further strengthens his influence through it. During his career as a musician, he has received numerous recognitions. Among many is the “Choice Music Video” award during OutWebFest in 2017. He has also performed on the City of West Hollywood stage during the LA Pride 2019. It is where he flashed the message “God Loves All Of Us” on the electronic screen. This year, Christopher also wrote the campaign theme song for Revry and McDonald’s first-ever “House of Pride” event. The campaign visual featured a host of other queer artists including RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Laganja Estranja, Violet Grae, and Emily Vu. “I wrote this song, ‘We’ve Got Love’ with a simple intention. Amidst the resounding wave of fear and hate in this world, I believe that love can and will reverberate louder. The fact that McDonald’s and Revry used the song for a global campaign for Pride Month was a huge honor and a historic moment. My younger self is beaming with joy!” Christopher believes that love is the strongest force that binds humanity. Those who can communicate and express it through art can spark that emotion in many people who have lost hope for it. Once the love buried deep in their hearts is ignited again, people will be in the first step of the healing process.
