Cory McLellan's practice is rooted in lived experience and unflinching honesty. Drawing from survival and transformation, the work reflects a raw and deeply personal process—where creation is not decoration but necessity. Through experimentation, self-inquiry, and a refusal to censor feeling, the work maps a journey from silence to voice, from survival to presence. Each mark, each image, contributes to a wider commitment: to stay, to speak, and to reclaim.

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Name five pivotal lessons you’ve learned that shaped your artistic journey.

✧ Abandoning perfectionism - I used to destroy anything I drew that wasn't 'right.' I was so critical with my work to the point where it didn't help my art at all - it just held me back. I was restrained with ideas in fear of judgement from those around me at the time. I had adopted this view which impacted my practice and life, and it was difficult to unlearn. Something that helped me do this was to look at the journey of my art style over a longer time. It drew my attention away from smaller 'mistakes' in individual pieces. I found it hard to see improvement in my art as I did it every day - so looking at lots of my art from different times in my life helped me see aspects I liked that I hadn't noticed change, and became more motivated. Things I didn't like in my work became a learning point instead of the point I'd put my brush down. Instead of scrutinising each individual aspect of something I'd made, branding it 'bad' and never looking it again, I learned to view each piece as something I'd put towards my art journey as a whole, and this made it easier for me to look at the ways my art has evolved over time. We are always growing, learning, changing, evolving in big ways along with ones we may not notice, and I think viewing my art in the same way helped me create freely.

 

✧ Becoming confident in mark-making. I started experimenting with digital art in high school, and something my tutor at the time said stuck with me. He noted that after a while drawing digitally he'd seen the strokes in my traditional drawings were also more confident. Starting with digital work meant I became less afraid to make marks, as I had an 'undo' button there, if needed. That stuck with me. As time went on I found gestural figure drawing on a short time limit (10-30 seconds) really helped further this development, allowing my drawings to become dynamic and flow freely. I no longer sketch out guidelines. My marks are sketchy, yet confident - if a pen stroke doesn't work out I'll incorporate it into the drawing. Being less afraid of failure helped my art massively, whilst digital art helped me rid the unconscious restraint I harboured, which weighed down my hand when I held a pen.

 

✧ Seeing criticism as a way to learn, not a negative. With the rise of Internet usage as we progress farther into the digital age there has also inevitably come a rise in anonymity. Criticism that is designed to hurt,is everywhere- people will freely type things they'd chance saying in public, or to their loved ones. In a climate where discrimination and biased narratives are more prevalent than ever, a world where those who speak the truth are increasingly silenced, criticism is now often viewed as something to be scared of.. Growing up I was around people who took criticism personally, and it always confused me a little. I feel if somebody offers their insight on my actions or my artwork then I will always hear them out - even if the insight is negative, It's refreshing to hear an outside perspective. It helps me see things to improve on in myself and my art that I might not have noticed otherwise. 

 

✧ Experimenting! When experimenting with analogue photography In college I discovered how crushing it is to have a roll of film come out blank, but also some of the Incredible results that can stem from trial and error based processes, like Chemigrams, Cyanotypes, and Pinhole Cameras. My art really changed once I learned how to enjoy the uncertainty of experimentation. I got less hung up on 'rights' and 'wrongs,' and became very engaged in the creative process.

 And finally, to always approach others' art with an open mind. Even if it's not something I'd put on my wall, I'll learn something. I might discover techniques I hadn't heard of, or learn about people's creative influences, why they make their work the way they do. I am certain that this will never not be something that interests me. Art is something that cannot be categorised, and not for lack of trying either. People will constantly find new ways to create - as long as we are thinking we will keep art alive. People will always push boundaries -the question of 'what is Art' will never have a true answer. Art is unique to the individual, it means something different to everybody. It's an incredibly pretty thing that has always been a part of me and is something I will never not want to know more about. Yes, tell me about your process!!

Describe a piece you’ve created that holds the most emotional weight for you. What makes it significant?

Earlier this year I revisited a zine I made In July 2024, shortly after I got sober. The one from 2024 was the first thing I made after a six-month creative hiatus where I was just too psychically and mentally all over the place to make art. I'd get my sketchbook out and stare at it for half an hour and ended up not doing anything. I didn't have ideas, I didn't have it in me. The zine I made since had some similar themes, but was also full of things I'd done since then which made me happy I'd stayed. Visiting loved ones, seeing exhibits which ignited my passion to create again , starting HRT, meeting my partner and just generally feeling happy for the first time. It was really lovely to revisit that work on a better note, felt like coming full circle in a way.

Do you believe an artist's passion is something destined or a conscious choice? 

I believe this varies for everybody!! For me it feels destined, though. No matter what my life has looked like or how busy I’ve been or what other interests I’ve had, art has always been, just… there. I can’t imagine it not being a part of me. 

Do academic institutions still play a vital role in shaping artists today, or has self-taught creativity disrupted this tradition?

Personally going a more academic route with my art helped me a lot, as in collage my art changed massively, my tutors ideas were inspiring and made me want to experiment, and I went from being an intensely self-critical perfectionist, to a less self-critical artist who came to love experimentation. Trial and error and mixing media and colours is now where I thrive, and I'm grateful that I'm able to study art. But In a broader sense I feel self-taught creatives are needed now more than ever! Schools used to encourage up curiosity and creative thinking, however as time has passed I feel it's more of a stick to X grades and X rules situation. While art is a subject less affected  in this area as it's not usually written exam based, it still happens, I believe benefiting from art as an academic honestly depends on the way you learn environment . If you're studying something you're not engaged in then you find yourself unmotivated and it becomes a chore - also an academic setting isn't for everyone. I feel in a world where conformity is everywhere and often pushed onto us we need self taught creatives especially. People who aren't afraid of making a statement with their work because there won't be someone who scrutinises it to slap a future-dictating number on it later. People who aren't afraid to be true to themselves and their art, who will create no matter what people say or think.

How has your upbringing or cultural heritage shaped the themes and techniques you explore in your art today?

I was diagnosed with autism when I was seven. Growing up I interpreted things quite literally, so while I was pretty good at reading and stuff I was passionate about, feelings usually stumped me. I experienced emotion intensely, all at once. I was never quite able to word or understand it. I learnt best visually, and I found that over time art was a way I could feel things In a way that worked for me. I could draw or make something and see what was going on in my mind and body on paper, in front of me.

And I could then could interpret & process what I felt, because I could see it in front of me.

I was sexually assaulted for the first time when I was eight. The relationship with one of my parents was very volatile from this point on until I turned twelve, when I was sent to a psychiatric ward by this parent for a month after social services found out what had been happening and began investigating. I was subsequently sectioned and ended up in and out of locked wards for 4 1/2 years. I watched people get worse in these places, I spent my teens severely over medicated, where we were held down and injected with medications if we refused to take them, where people died and these companies would pay a fine to whichever board and stay open. After I was finally discharged I spent years switching between different self destructive vices, I did a lot of damage to my body and mind, and am lucky to be alive. I fell into addiction, I took risks and put myself in danger a lot, I'd impulsively risk my life to feel something. I'm lucky I am now at a point where there isn't active trauma happening in my life anymore and I am in a much better place.

My life has shifted a lot in the past year. I had an incredibly warped view of love for a long time and was convinced I would never leave that part of my life behind, that I’d be stuck seeking pain and would keep going too far in pursuit of it, that I’d never care about myself enough to try to stop or change. So I didn’t try, I didn't care about my wellbeing enough and didn't have a reason to.

After leaving the environments I was hurt in, I was able to find sobriety, and my girlfriend who has shown me what it means to be truly loved and cared for. I was able to start Testosterone HRT after being closeted for most of my life, my passion for art came alive again, as did I.

My art changed so much because when I was finally able to, leaving the people and situations that were having a bad impact on me allowed me to become unrestrained, unafraid and unabashed in my sense of self - this change also reflected in my art.

The stuff I dealt with before ruled my life for a long time and it still does in ways, which is hard at times. But I cover all feelings in my art. It used to completely be about my past and my feelings towards it now that I was finally away - I still include my feelings on the bad days in my art. After getting sober I created daily for hours at a time. I was finally in a place where I could just allow myself to feel things instead of running away from it by taking drugs or risks. I include the bad days in my work because they are still significant for me, But it's nice to have my art not completely revolve around those aspects of my life anymore. I was never happy until recently as I was in survival mode, trying to just disconnect and get through each day the best I could. And while that time was really difficult it makes me so strongly about the good around me now. I appreciate it so much. The time I spend with my loved ones, how much they mean to me, about my art and moving forward after spending a decade convinced I wouldn't make it to eighteen. I'm still angry about a lot of my experiences but I'm not destroying myself over things anymore. I have my own life now away from that, and I treasure it very much.

My work helped me work my way around around how jarring it felt finding happiness and safety after spending years in abusive environments. How I have to catch myself when spiralling now as I got used to self sabotaging so I could control how things went wrong, because they always did. How hard it is to switch off when coping with trauma. The inbetweens of remembering the repressed and wanting to move on with life, the ways trauma seeps through cracks and it’s not something I just ‘can’t think about.’ How it’s a part of me and my life,HowI have to work with this and not against it. About how important honesty, humility and genuine care are to me now, and what these things mean for me. How seemingly insignificant actions can keep you going when you have nothing. How being content feels surreal. How I had no recollection of the majority of my life until recently. 

My work concerns ups and downs and inbetweens. My feelings and surroundings in their entirety. The importance of being human. the significance love can have, and how the things we associate love with can change.

How has your artistic style changed over the years? Are there specific influences, styles or experiments that marked a turning point?

I feel like my style has really shifted this past year or so. I was very restrained with my artwork for a while, I feel that the more comfortable I’ve been in myself over time the more I’ve found my own style, I started being able to create for me in the way I wanted to. when I stopped trying to run from my emotions and alter myself for the people I was around, I stopped trying to change my art for anybody as well. I make art the way I like, and I let myself feel things as they are. I’m not hiding from myself anymore and my art has flourished as a result.

How do you continually challenge yourself to grow as an artist while staying true to your voice?

By Not being afraid to ask questions! - Especially with art. When I see a piece I try to dissect it in my head. I view it as a puzzle - using elements of what I see in front of me to think about different things that this might've meant to the creator, and to figure out what this artwork means to me. Why did they put this element here instead of somewhere else in the composition? Why is that interesting? How does the piece communicate - Does the work reach out and abruptly grab you by the shoulders to pull you in, or does it reel you in quietly, turning your head as you walk past? or a different way entirely? If there is colour, How is colour used, and Why is this important to the particular artwork? If monochrome,how does this impact the piece? Does an absence of colour add to the art's impact or take away from it? Does the work make you feel big or small when standing in front of it, and in what sense (I.e subject matter, scale, display technique) is this work interactive? Mentally, socially, physically, visually, politically interactive? Multiple, or none of these?How does it make you feel? Does it speak to you? Why or why not? Does the work change depending on the direction or method you view it in? What do you know about the artist? Why did they create this in the way they have done? What might have inspired the thought process behind this colour combination/chosen media/method of display/method of application? Was there a thought process at all, or was this created on a whim? What influenced this artist and their work - why do they create in the way that they do?I'm reminded of what I was always told to do during artist research in school, and was to not just select artists whose' work you like. Whether or not you like their work is irrelevant, we'd always research & analyse them in our writing anyway. This stuck with me and is important. It's necessary that I don't dismiss work because it 'isn't my thing' - I make an effort to put the puzzle together in my head, and ask the same questions about all art - creations that I desperately resonate with and creations that make me feel nothing at all. I'm glad I learnt this when I did, and I stand by it. I don't ever want my own opinions on something to discourage me from learning about it.

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Not shaped by institutions or trends, but by trial, risk, and relentless truth, this practice holds space for pain, joy, memory, and growth—equally. A body of work that does not look away. The sketchbook becomes a record of unfiltered emotion and slow healing. Creation becomes a method of grounding, a way of witnessing what once felt unspeakable. A process still unfolding, now rooted in care, community, and unshakable self-respect.