Today we’re joined by Jam. Jam is an incredibly talented visual artist and fanartist who does a lot of video game art. Judging from the attention to detail in the work they sent along to go with their interview, they have an incredibly bright future ahead of them. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.
WORK
Please, tell us about your art.
I’m mostly a digital artist and I like to draw stylized figures and fanart of video games. I’ve also done some traditional work such as painting, sculpture and charcoal. Lately I’ve been branching off into more original work so I can build a college application portfolio. I want to expand into doing landscapes and environmental art, too (both 2D and 3D)!
What inspires you?
Video games are my main source of inspiration. I want to become a video game artist, so I’m always amazed whenever I see the work and the beauty in the virtual space of a game, or the concept art of the characters.
What got you interested in your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
I only started drawing when I was a kid because my sibling started to, and I always copied what they did at that time. It’s thanks to them that I’ve gotten this far.
Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in our work that you’d be willing to reveal?
Nope! I just sign either my alias or my full name.
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
Instead of being disheartened when you see the work of more skilled or more experienced artists, I think it’s better to be inspired by them. For me, I would see amazing artists putting out absolutely incredible pieces of work, and I remember thinking that I wanted to be that good, that I wanted to improve. I very rarely started feeling down about my own art. Looking up to other artists is what helped me improve.
Also, don’t feel bothered about having a style! My drawing style changes all of the time. What’s important is to keep exploring new areas of art and to keep creating.
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum do you identify?
I’m an aromantic asexual.
Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field? If so, how do you handle it?
Not particularly. I’m in a pretty tolerant community of artists, so there hasn’t been much prejudice. Although, there are many people I know who aren’t aware that I’m asexual.
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
A lot of people seem to think that asexuals haven’t found the right person yet, or that sexual attraction is like a switch that suddenly flips on when you’re older. I dated one person without realizing that I was aromantic and asexual because the media celebrated romantic and sexual relationships, and I was in love with the idea of being in love (I frequently pretended to have crushes so I could fit in with my friends and their romance troubles). In the end, I learned that I just didn’t truly experience romantic attraction nor did I experience sexual attraction to anyone, and it was fine.
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
I think it’s important to realize that experiencing “love” romantically and sexually isn’t that important. A lot of the time, people think that dating and loving someone is what it means to be human, but it really isn’t. Once I learned this, I became much more comfortable with my identity and my life. There is so much more to life than dating someone.
Finally, where can people find out more about your work?
Here is my official website, which will turn into a portfolio site in the future. http://www.jasmineling.com/
Here’s my Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/jasminelingdraws
I’m most active here on my Tumblr. http://jamdraws.tumblr.com/
And here is my YouTube, where I occasionally post sped-up recordings of my drawing process. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ia0O1jideP4qAdvEwaRdQ
Thank you, Jam, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.
Asexual Artists 