LAYLA KERANEN

Marketer & Self-Taught Artist

My story begins as a toddler, where I first explored the art of creativity through coloring books and teaching myself how to draw. From here, I learned different techniques to get the result that I wanted, and it was also where I began exploring different media, such as painting and even video filming and editing. By the age of 9, I had my own YouTube channel, where I would make a range of content, from drawing/painting timelapses to short films and series.

As a teenager at Appleton West High School, I took a marketing class and fell in love with the world of marketing, as it tied in two of my favorite things, Art & Psychology. As time went on, the art lessened, as I had limited time on my hands. This was also around the time where my physical state altered.

Years later at the age of 20 (2025), I am battling several chronic illnesses. I did not stop there. I decided that the only way to live a meaningful life was to make the most out of my time on earth and rather than continue to feel hopeless, I wanted to get back to my roots and do the things that I used to love doing, making art and creating.

I graduated from Fox Valley Technical College in May of 2025 with a Marketing degree, and since then, I have been working on the rebranding of Layla Makes Art to tell my story and to inspire others to not give up on their own unique mind.

Community

Community Involvement

I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate in various art-related community activities as a teenager. My artistic skills and confident personality is what got me here in the first place.

In 2022, I had the opportunity to participate in painting a 100-ft mural, alongside other high school students at the time. With local mural artist, Irineo Medina, together we crafted a beautiful mural and a sense of community over those few weeks in the summer of 2022. I take credit for finishing off the pink flower with the yellow center and twisting it to my art-style.

With this experience, also came a sense of community. We had local business owners, local news crews, and local residents of the Fox Valley. There was a connection that all of us students gained from being a part of this project.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHEAST WISCONSIN 2022 MET GALA

In 2022, I had the opportunity to conduct a live painting of something that I thought represented different cultures and inclusivity. The result was a painting of the Statue of Liberty surrounded by hands of different skin colors, representing inclusivity, diversity, and freedom. During this live painting, there were hundreds of people in the room, watching both myself paint, and the Met Gala hosts talking about the annual fundraiser.

My Big Sister, Amelia, whom I had been matched with since the age of 10, was the reason that I had this opportunity in the first place. The entire point of the Met Gala was to raise donations for the matching system, which matched children, like me, with adults who mirrored their personalities and interests, like Amelia for example. This painting ended up being auctioned off for $700 and the money was donated right back to the organization.