Draper was born in Central Illinois in 1995 to his two parents Laurie and Martriono. In his youth he never took much interest in the arts, although Draper always admired the drafting skills of his father. In 2017 he decided to continue his education by enrolling in business courses at Heartland Community College. Getting back into the groove of being in school took its toll, and stress began to compound; a release was needed, so Draper decided to devote some time to learning observational drawing. This new hobby quickly consumed him, and when it came time to register for courses again, he found his way into a drawing fundamentals course. This time marked a fork in the road. Draper chose to finish his AA degree focusing in the studio arts.

 Once leaving HCC he was admitted into The Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University. Printmaking remained Drapers primary focus throughout his first three semesters at ISU, until he signed up for a Glass I course with John Miller. The course was originally taken to simply fulfill a graduation requirement and it was the only course that fit his schedule for the upcoming semester. Ever since then the material of glass has hypnotized Draper as it has many before him. Soon after that Glass I class Draper was accepted into the highly selective Bachelor of Fine Arts major within the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts and decided to pivot his attention and resources to exploring the artistic possibilities that sculpting glass had to offer.

            In the spring of 2023 Draper was awarded the distinguished Marshall Dulaney Pitcher Award that included a solo exhibition hosted by University Galleries in Normal Illinois. In the same semester he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree after completing his solo exhibition Meditations on Fabrications. Draper can still be found at the ISU glass house today, where he continues his professional education as a Master of Fine Arts candidate within the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. Most of his time is occupied by a grad assistant where he spends most of his time instructing and assisting in the instruction of glass courses, exploring materials, and creating new work. It is anticipated he will graduate with his MFA in glass come spring of 2026.