Creativity Beyond the Classroom with Gugan Karthigeyan

At just 16 years old, Gugan Karthigeyan is already making an impression as both a writer and visual artist. A rising junior at International Academy East, Gugan recently published his debut poetry collection, Luminary—a heartfelt and creative project that blends his love for writing, research, and photography into one powerful message: everyday people can be heroes too.

Luminary is a collection of poems about individuals throughout history who have done extraordinary things but never received widespread recognition. “I wanted to tell their stories and shine a light on people who deserve recognition but don’t usually get it,” Gugan explained. The idea came to him during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he began researching lesser-known historical figures and was struck by how many had gone unnoticed in traditional narratives. “I was confused why their stories weren’t being told,” he said. Combining his passion for poetry with a growing interest in visual storytelling, Gugan decided to take action in the most creative way he knew how.

The project began as a personal project for school, with Gugan challenging himself to write one poem a day. After four months of writing and editing—and an additional month of formatting—he successfully self-published the book. “Writing came naturally,” he said, “but formatting and publishing were a huge learning curve.” He taught himself how to self-publish through online research and was eventually able to list the book through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Patch, and several international platforms.

But Gugan’s creative expression doesn’t stop at poetry. Photography has been one of his passions for most of his life. “I love capturing nature and animals, and I try to take photos that make people feel like they’re actually in the moment,” he said. He even took the photo that appears on the cover of Luminary, bringing a personal and artistic touch to the project that reflects both his vision and his skills behind the camera. He hopes to one day merge these passions into a photography-based coffee table book, blending images and poetry in a way that is both immersive and inspiring.

Gugan shared his book with the community at the Creative Guild’s Open Air Fest, where he sold copies, signed books for friends and teachers, and connected with readers who were moved by his work. “The feedback has been really positive,” he said. “My teachers were especially supportive—they really helped me through the writing process.”

Although Luminary is his first published work, Gugan sees it as the beginning of something bigger. He’s already considering expanding it into a series and continuing to explore new ways to combine creative writing with photography and storytelling. He’s also deeply interested in biology and hopes to find opportunities to blend that interest with his art in future projects.

What makes Gugan’s work stand out is not just his talent, but his intention. He’s motivated by a desire to uplift others and tell stories that matter. “Even if you don’t have a big budget or access to a lot of resources, still try to pursue your passions however you can,” he said. “Do your best with what you have—you never know where it might take you.”

Whether through words or images, Gugan Karthigeyan is telling the kinds of stories that remind us of the power in everyday people—and the beauty of seeing the world through a creative lens.

Blog post written by Jayla Turner, Communications Intern.