Vivian Shaw has a vague memory from the late '80s of painting "comically oversized" owls. She has spent the past decade independently (sporadically) studying the arts in various forms, including writing, graphic design, and music.

A graduate of New York University with a B.A. in gender studies and literary theory, Vivian is particularly interested in the arts as a strategy for expanding social consciousness and pushing change. She currently works in public health, programming services for populations facing disparities in infant and maternal health.