Today we’d like to introduce you to Kieran Solik.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kieran. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Illinois, then moved to Indiana when I was nine. I lived with my aunt and uncle until my mom could make a move from state to state. My aunt and uncle had a farm, which is where I learned what hard work was. I would be out before sunrise feeding animals (chickens, peacocks, emu, pygmy goats… you name it, we had it!) and making sure everything was set for the day, then go inside to get ready for school. It was a lot of responsibility at such a young age but that’s where I got my hard work ethic.
Fast forward to 2003, I am now 13 years old and just graduated from middle school. I had a face full of acne, was 5ft nothing and 230lbs. I was never a super-thin kid. I guess being thicker than a snicker runs in the family and a lack of portion control. *insert sweating emoji here* I mean, I grew up in the Midwest with rich Polish home-cooked meals, how was I not supposed to have 2-3 servings?! Little did I know, this was only the beginning of several mental, emotional and physical issues that I would experience.
My high school experience was anything but smooth. I was at the age where I was learning about my sexuality and knew something was different. I had these feelings as a younger kid but didn’t know the meaning. I had an attraction towards girls, but back in the early 2000s, we didn’t even have one “out” kid in school, so it was best to keep your mouth shut. I would get home, look in the mirror and tell myself I’m “Normal.” I struggled for the next three years. I was sick and tired of keeping my feelings bottled up, being made fun of, and hating the way I looked, so I took action. However, it wasn’t a healthy way. I used to starve myself, purge and self-inflict pain. I wasn’t happy at home. I needed to get out of Indiana and make a move. I was 15 and decided to email my aunt and uncle in California. I had only been once when I was ten, and my grandma told me it was worth a shot to ask if I could come out for the summer to see if I liked it. After exchanging multiple emails, I told my mom I wanted to check out CA and six days after my 16th birthday. I flew to CA to start a new chapter. I told my mom I loved it and I was going to stay.
I love that I get to do this interview because I just recently turned 30 and celebrated my 14th year as a California resident. It truly has saved my life.
Has it been a smooth road?
Besides the ups and downs with my body dysmorphia, I would love to tell all of you that it’s been an easy “transition,” but there has been a lot of bumps in the road. That doesn’t mean I can’t put on a bigger set of tires and blaze over them! I put the word transition in quotes because not only am I an outgoing, charismatic, goal-driven, and an eligible bachelor… I’m a transman. I’m coming up on my 6th year of transitioning. What’s that mean, you ask? Plain and simple, I was born as a female at birth. I feel I’ve always struggled with depression and as I grew up, I always felt incomplete and not in the right body. At the age of 24, I stumbled upon an IG page of a transgender guy around my age and my heart exploded. I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. I had no idea I could become the man I knew I was. Even though I was a part of the LGBT community, I didn’t know that the “T” was what I was missing in my life. I only told a few close friends and family members and they were all very supportive and even told me that they knew. I made an appointment to see an endocrinologist and a month later, I had my first shot of testosterone. Shortly after, I made an announcement on Facebook that I was transitioning and to be honest, back in 2014, not a lot of people really knew what that meant either.
I thought my transition would immediately drop my voice, make my fat distribute to different places on my body, and give me a glorious Ron Swanson mustache overnight. My fellow brothers, let me inform you… it doesn’t! Just like everything in life, it takes time. It’s a process and all of us have different genetics. It’s hard for me to see how far I’ve come physically over the years, but when I’m giving myself a hard time, I remind myself that I’ve had to endure a lot of adversity, and everyone’s journey is different. I remind myself each day is a day to grow and a day to learn/ learn from our mistakes and, in the end, make us a stronger person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So to those transitioning in any facet of life, be it gender, job, weight loss, etc… know as long as you have faith in yourself and take it day by day, you can become the person you know you were meant to be.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’ve always known I wanted to do one thing, and that is to let my voice be heard. At a young age, I’ve always wanted to do voice acting. Yes, I love to talk, but it’s much deeper than that. There’s something about talking and feeling the emotions of another via their voice. I love that our voice can really make a difference. In my near future, I know I will be doing voices for cartoons. I will work hard to achieve my goal of landing a role in a Pixar film! I’ve promised myself no matter how long it takes to not give up and lose sight of my goals. You just can’t think these things…you have to KNOW you will succeed! Get up, no matter how many times you get knocked down and remember to keep moving forward!
I am currently working on a new podcast project with my friend Drew! We are ecstatic about building a bond with our listeners and having them be a part of our journey! Keep your ears open because we plan on releasing our first episode of “Drew and Kage: UNCENSORED” in July-Aug, so stay tuned!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I’ve lived up and down the coast of CA… Nevada City, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and nowhere in San Diego. I’ve lived here a little over a year and I can’t tell you how many beautiful, caring, hardworking people I’ve met. To be honest, everyone I’ve met while living in Cali is trying to do the same thing. Live the dream. At the end of the day, aren’t we all? San Diego has really blessed me with amazing views, friendships, and memories. I consider SD a part of me now. It’s a place that I get to cherish and call home in this very moment. It’s a part of my journey, which now all of you are a part of. For that, I am grateful. I wish all of you the best of luck to find yourself on this journey we call life and remember to be kind to yourself and others; you never know what someone is going through. Stay you, stay true.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 805-617-6666
- Email: Kagedvoices@gmail.com
- Instagram: @kage_805, @drewandkageuncensored
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