Interview: Eli Alaimo

Today we’re joined by Eli Alaimo. Eli is a phenomenal author and former animator. They have written a full-length novel as well as two cyberpunk novellas. When they’re not working on creative writing, they write for a podcast entitled “The Gimmick Room,” which sounds hilarious. It’s clear they’re a passionate artist who loves what they do. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I have to be upfront about it: I’m a failed animator. That sounds grim, I know, but I don’t take it as a bad thing. I have a degree in animation, and spent the better part of a decade trying to find animation work. That’s not meant to be discouraging; I had a lot of other factors going on that I had to sort through. But I did my best for a long enough time that nobody can say I didn’t try. In the end, it wasn’t for me.

Nowadays, I’m a writer. In one way or another I’ve been writing for almost 20 years. I’ve written a full-length novel called Bonneville, and two cyberpunk novellas titled MLAW.EXE and Crystal!. I also do writing for a podcast I’m on called The Gimmick Room, where I and a friend of mine come up with wrestling characters for the fictional company we work for.

Honestly it’s been kind of a big shift for me in the past year switching from animation to writing, but I’ve also been more productive writing than I ever have when animating so while I’m still early in it, it’s a positive career change for me. I don’t feel like my time spent working on animation was wasted, though. At the very least it means that I can design and draw my own covers for my books.

What inspires you?

An important part of my work is whatever project I’m working on, there’s this emotional core to it. Whether it be based upon an event in my life, or a way I felt, or someone I knew, that core is what gives me the inspiration to work on something. It ties into the old saying of “write what you know.” You don’t have to write a 1:1 account of something that happened to you. But you can draw upon the feelings of abandonment you felt during high school and apply it to a medieval story.

Oh, and also cyberpunk. Cyberpunk is rad as hell and a big inspiration for me. Same for any 80’s-90’s anime with two girls teaming up and kicking ass. (See: Dirty Pair or Gunsmith Cats)

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I picked up drawing in high school, and originally I wanted to get into animation to work on video games. (Jet Set Radio helped with that.) Then I wanted to make my own animated TV show or movie. Through everything though, I would work on writing as a hobby. My reasoning was that I’d get into the animation industry as an animator, and work my way into writing from there. (I know now that it absolutely does not work that way and I strongly advise against anybody else doing it.)

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

I decided a while back that nobody in my books would be straight unless it’s explicitly pointed out. At first it was to be kinda cheeky and spiteful, but now it’s more of a “oh, these are the kinds of people I’m interested in writing, and relate to the most.” Plus I want queer people to be normalized. You should never have to explain why a character is queer or not cis. They just are. And I want that to be normal.

Also: one of my favorite things to put into books is scenes with food. I believe that cooking and sharing meals with other people is one of the best ways to get to know someone or help them in bad times. So I always go into detail with scenes where people are eating or prepping food.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

You know that idea you have? The one that you’re like “Oh this is my dream project. I’ve been thinking about it for years! I’ll get to it someday when I’m good enough!” Make it now. Just go ahead and make it now. If it’s a book, a comic, a cartoon, a script, album, whatever it is just work on it and finish it to the best of your ability. Because when you finish that first project, the others will come a lot easier. It took me three years to finish my first book. Honestly if you trace the lineage of it that book existed in some form for the better part of nine years. My second book took me 11 months. Then my third took less than a month. Granted, the second two were novellas, so they were shorter, but I knew I was working faster on them, and I knew the quality of my writing was getting better as I did.

The point is: you’re not going to get anywhere waiting for your ‘perfect idea’ to be executed. Just make it. I promise your next idea will be even better, because you will be better.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m asexual. I was undecided on whether I was aromantic or not, and I don’t think I am. But I haven’t really thought about it in years. But even realizing that asexuality was A Thing helped put a lot of things into perspective from when I was younger.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Ignorance definitely. An astounding number of people don’t know what asexuality is, and those who do have next to no correct understanding of it. I try to be courteous when I correct people’s misconceptions, or even tell them about asexuality.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

That asexual people don’t have a sex drive at all. In reality, sometimes the truth is even more hellish because you can have a libido, but also be asexual which means now you have this energy but don’t feel attraction to anybody. This also helped put a lot of my earlier life into perspective.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Don’t let anybody tell you it’s not real, or that you’re invalid, or that it’s a phase, you’re not “queer enough” or any other hot trash take. Ace people are part of the queer community, and never feel like you’re not. It can be tough because a lot of times the community can feel “sex positive” in a way that can make a lot of people uncomfortable. But remember; it’s not a failing on your part.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

Currently you can find my books on my Gumroad and my itch.io pages. They’re pay what you want! If you wanna download them for free, go ahead!

https://gumroad.com/ealaimo
https://ealaimo.itch.io/

The podcast I work on is the Gimmick Room and we update every two weeks: https://thegimmickroom.simplecast.fm/

I also use Twitter more than any other social platform: https://twitter.com/ealaimo

Be warned I say a lot more cuss words on there than this interview would lead you to believe. But I’m also really funny. We all make sacrifices.

Thank you, Eli, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Lucas Wilga

Today we’re joined by Lucas Wilga, who also goes by luci online. Lucas is a phenomenal game maker and writer. They create tabletop role-playing games and the first one is entitled Sundown, which sounds fascinating and I highly recommend checking it out. Lucas has recently branched out into writing short stories set in the Sundown universe. It’s clear they’re an incredibly passionate and driven artist, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I make tabletop role-playing games, and I recently branched out into writing fiction as well. The first game I’m creating professionally, Sundown, is currently in an open playtest. It’ll have an official launch sometime next year. It’s light on rules, and it’s set in this cyberpunk, biotech inspired fantasy setting. It has transhumanism, politics, and sword cowboys. My work on it is mostly done, so I’ve started occupying my creative time writing a serial of short stories set in Sundown, starring a sarcastic young monster slayer.

What inspires you?

Other games and works of fiction. I’m always itching to design something new after I read a new game. Sundown itself came out of a modification of a different game I’d recently picked up at the time.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always been imaginative. I entered the hobby at eleven, and I started running games and designing adventures at fourteen. This eventually turned into creating my own games, but I didn’t know I wanted to make a career out of it until a year ago.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

My style is all about keeping people engaged, so my signature has become brevity. I keep things short and snappy. Whether teaching a game or weaving a narrative, it pays to avoid toiling too long on the nitty gritty.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Especially when designing a game, start small. Keep your scope limited. Know what you want to say and cut anything that isn’t in direct support of it. Don’t overthink it. Don’t spend too long thinking about one specific thing. Don’t try to create the perfect piece. You’ll burn yourself out chasing perfection.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I don’t know if there’s a word for this yet, but I’m okay with sexual things that take place entirely within my imagination. Things like smut. Sometimes images are okay, too. But I have no desire for, and am usually repulsed by, sex ‘in real life.’

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I’ve had folk tell me to tone down the queerness in my work, but I haven’t really encountered any sort of acephobia. There is a strong queer independent tabletop role-playing game community, so I don’t really have to try to sell to, or interact with, non-LGBT+ spaces.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

The most common misconception, I’d say, is the idea that asexual is synonymous with aromantic. Especially for ace folks in relationships, it can get tiring to explain the difference.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

This might be hard advice to follow, but just don’t give it so much weight. It’s okay for your sexuality to shift or change as you grow as a person and learn more about yourself.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

Grasswatch Games is the company my two creative partners and I created to work on Sundown. Its website, grasswatchgames.com is the hub for our current work. You can find Sundown itself there, as well as my first short story. You can also find our Twitter, Facebook, and the Discord server we’re running Sundown’s playtest on.

Thank you, Lucas, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Signal Boost: “Centralia 2050″ Kickstarter

Hi everyone!

The ace author of Centralia 2050 is launching a Kickstarter to fund the first volume of the comic today! A female-led cyberpunk mystery written by an incredibly talented ace author, what’s not to love?

Here’s the press release:

CENTRALIA 2050- Lonely, never alone

THE COMIC

CENTRALIA 2050 follows Midori, who wakes up lost amidst the hi-tech metropolis of Centralia. Without memories, her only connection to this place is a psychic link to a missing child.

With the help of her new friend(?) Grey, Midori sets off in search of answers– but soon finds that this pristine city has a sinister underside. What’s more, there’s something about these two that’s putting them in more danger than they realize…

The comic explores themes of isolation, trans-humanism, and technology’s effect on our lives, for better or worse.

Volume 1 of CENTRALIA 2050 contains chapters 1-3 and is the first installment of the comic. It features over 100 pages of stunning black and white artwork that captures the vastness, isolation, and mystery of Centralia as our protagonists navigate the dystopian city.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

CENTRALIA 2050 is the creation of storyboard and visual development artist Michelle Stanford. She emphasizes creating narratives with well-rounded, relatable female characters, having often felt alienated by the representation of women in media. She has been creating CENTRALIA 2050 since late 2014 and plans to eventually publish the comic as a graphic novel.

THE KICKSTARTER

Volume 1 of CENTRALIA 2050 contains chapters 1-3 and is the first installment of the cyberpunk mystery comic. The book is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter.

You can follow updates and announcements about the comic on Michelle’s Facebook, Twitter, and Patreon.

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I’m really looking forward to this comic and I hope a lot of you are as well.

So please, donate to the Kickstarter if you can. Signal boost if you can’t. Show Michelle some love 🙂

Thanks everyone!

Interview: Michelle

Today we’re joined by Michelle. Michelle is the phenomenal artist and creator behind the comic Centralia 2050, a “female-led cyberpunk mystery comic with themes of isolation, oppression, and transhumanism.” The comic has a variety of diverse characters and Michelle puts a lot of importance on creating ace-friendly material. Michelle is soon going to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the first volume of the comic, which I’ll post a signal boost for in about a week (so keep an eye out for that). Michelle is an incredibly talented and passionate artist, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m a storyboard and comic artist, currently working on my original cyberpunk mystery comic Centralia 2050. Right now, the comic is just starting its 4^th chapter, with a volume 1 book in the works. I also work as an artist doing live-action storyboards for commercials and music videos. Now and then, I like doing watercolour painting, too.

What inspires you?

Usually the people around me. Each person I get to know inspires me with their unique life story, their struggles, their aspirations. A lot of that gets subconsciously channeled into the stories I write and the characters I create.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always been drawn toward telling stories, and drawing is the easiest way for me to get my ideas out. I’m not great with words, so it’s often easier for me to just show what’s in my head. It wasn’t until I was in middle school that I thought about pursuing art professionally, though I didn’t know what kind of job I wanted. Eventually comics and storyboarding became the most natural path to satisfy my love for storytelling.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Nothing I’m aware of! I’m not great at noticing those little trends in my art, honestly. Like, I couldn’t tell you what my style is or any direct visual inspirations. I just draw what looks right to me.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Perfection is the enemy of finished. A lot of young artists hide their work because they feel it’s not good enough to share, but the world can’t know about you if you hide everything you create. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, and have a constructive attitude towards failure. I think that’s a quality that every successful artist must possess.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m a heteromantic ace.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

In my field, no. I don’t typically make my orientation known, largely because it only invites a lot of awkward questions. Of course there’s going to be ignorant people in the artist community, but I’ve been fortunate to not have to deal with any of them personally in my career.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

That I’m ace because my partner is lousy in bed. It sucks, because I’m inclined to not “out” him as having an ace girlfriend– I don’t want to potentially embarrass him. When you tell people you’re ace and in a relationship, they want to know how that works. It’s different for every couple, and I don’t think it should be anyone else’s business.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Find ace-friendly communities online. I didn’t even know what to call myself until I was in my mid-20s, and it caused me a lot of grief. I hear a lot of aces say they thought they were “broken”, and I absolutely felt that way before I realized asexuality was a thing. I felt a lot better when I started reading about other people’s experiences and having the validation that I wasn’t a broken person.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

You can read Centralia 2050 at centralia2050.com. There is also a Kickstarter for the first volume of the comic, which you can find at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michelledraws/70043576?ref=355027&token=8e80ddd4. (Kickstarter will be live on October 15th)

I’m Art of Michelle Stanford on Facebook, at michellestanfordart on Instagram, and at Michelledrawz on Twitter.

Thank you, Michelle, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Sarah Pickard

Today we’re joined by Sarah Pickard. Sarah is a phenomenal writer who specializes in genre fiction. She writes a variety of genres and has a wide array of LGBTQ+ characters populating her work. Her passion and enthusiasm shines through in her interview, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

While I’ve been published for poetry, I mostly work writing LGBT+ genre fiction. In my experience as a reader, too much of LGBT+ media is focused on the coming out process, so I try to fill a niche of writing fantasy, steampunk, cyberpunk, etc. novels that has a full LGBT+ cast. There’s none of the angst that comes with the discovery or coming out process. Instead we have a cast with a full range of gender identities and sexualities who are out living their lives, commanding airships or working in underground street-racing teams. When you already had to live through the experience, sometimes you just want to see a lesbian punch a dragon.

(I also have a personal pledge to only ever write one straight character, which to this day I’ve maintained.)

What inspires you?

I think every comment about ‘pandering diversity’ or ‘if you want representation, go out and make it’ fuels me to take these genres that have been traditionally very heteronormative and queer the fuck out of them. For anyone who widely reads fanfiction, the transition back to reading traditional literature is always a jarring one as you remember how white/straight/cis everything really is. And there’s no reason it has to be! Diversity breathes life into plotlines – not stifles them. Why close yourself off to possibilities? I mean, when we add nonbinary people to high fantasy, think of all the curses/prophecies that get foiled. And why deprive yourself of all the puns? Yes, that’s it. I’m inspired by all the pun-possibilities.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve wanted to be a writer…always. Honestly, my first written work was dictated to my grandmother at the age of four. And in some ways it’s terrifying to have no idea who I’d be without writing, but I count myself very lucky that I found my calling at such a young age. There was never any specific moment or event that triggered it. I probably came out of the womb this way.

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Yes! So, I basically write my own novel length AU fanfiction. That is, I have a set cast I work with in all my novels and genres, and the fun comes from exploring how they and their relationships grow and change and develop under different circumstances and settings. And most of my readers find comfort knowing that just because their favourite character died in one novel doesn’t mean they won’t survive the next. How many works can boast that?

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

If you really love something, do it. Do it in every free moment you have. If you wait for inspiration, you’ll never be inspired. Writing is hard work (no matter how easy Stephen King makes it seem) and it never gets any easier. Most of the time it gets harder as the years go on! You start worrying about sentence structure repetition and never using the word ‘was’ and staying in the active voice and before you know it you’ve rewritten the same sentence ten times because something’s wrong with it and you can’t figure out what. Yeah, some days words will fly off the keyboard like little fairies with minds of their own, but most of them time you’re going to slog through it one word at a time.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as asexual, and I have no idea what my romantic orientation is.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

While I haven’t personally encountered any writers who are against asexuality, I have run into the old rhetoric of asexual characters being boring to write about. But honestly, if you need sex to move your plot along, you have a pretty terrible plot?

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

That we’re all either Childish, Sociopaths, or Geniuses instead of actual people.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Right now, Tumblr is probably the worst place to be if you’re struggling with your asexual identity. Nearly every LGBT+ space I’ve encountered in person has been warm and welcoming and accepting. So just forget all the bullshit about whether or not you’re a part of the community – because you absolutely are – and figure everything out on your own terms. Also aromantic heterosexuals and heteromantic asexuals are 100% queer (no take backs) and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

I’m afraid I don’t post any of my work online. I’m soliciting my first novel right now and it can’t be previously published – and some publishing companies consider posting online as ‘previously published’. But if anyone wants to Beta any of my work, they can contact me at reallifeisfiction@gmail.com. I’m always happy to get feedback and constructive criticism!

Thank you, Sarah, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: James Loke

Today we’re joined by James Loke. James is a phenomenal writer who has written in a variety of genres. Aside from being a novelist, they’re also a journalist. It’s very obvious that James is incredibly passionate about art, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m an author! My first published novel was Dead Ringer, an m/m romance about Brandon, a down-on-his-luck guy who looks exactly like his grandfather, who was a Marlon Brando, James Dean-esque actor in the 1950s. Brandon parlays his genetic luck into working as a look-alike escort, and meets a young film enthusiast shut-in with juvenile arthritis.

My upcoming book Kill Switch is completely different, hahaha — it’s cyberpunk, about a girl obsessed with XXX-rated horror fetish video games. She’s hired by a shady game developer to test their brand-new virtual reality horror games, only to realize there’s something not quite right about the company’s programs.

And for yet another completely different twist: after Kill Switch, I’m planning to turn my attention to writing speculative and contemporary YA.

What inspires you?

Other people’s art, mostly! My office walls are plastered with pieces of art, from paintings to short comics to newspaper clippings to screenshots from films and TV shows. I’m a super visual writer—I cast actors for all my characters and often keep folders of scenery inspiration like shots of cityscapes, streets, parks, the insides of shops, etc. When I’m writing, I’m watching the scene in my head.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, yes. The first thing I ever wrote was fanfic for the middle-grade series Animal Ark. I think I was eight or nine. And I sort of just…never stopped writing after that. In like sixth grade or so, I distinctly remember turning in an enormous tome of a horror story for a creative writing assignment and horrifying my teacher. Coming up with stories was one of the very few things I was effortlessly good at.

For, a long time, I never thought of myself as A Real Writer, though, and I never thought I could make a future out of writing. All through high school, I swore up and down I was going to go to college to be a forensic psychologist, because I was always told writing couldn’t be a career. But hey, I ended up going to journalism school, and now writing is my entire job, even if not all of it’s fiction. 🙂

Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?

Oh, I don’t include anything on purpose. Except queer characters! All my books have queer main characters and I doubt that’ll ever change.

But I guess storytelling-wise, my books tend to have a trust theme. I like enemies-to-lovers stories, I like tenuous situations where people have to trust one another against their wishes in order to succeed, and I like writing about people fighting to learn to trust, or fighting to gain someone else’s trust. Trust is a hard thing for me to give, so I guess writing about people who freely give or receive it gives me the warm ’n’ fuzzies.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

A lesson from my mistakes: Don’t be too eager to “get up there.” Don’t get it in your head that you have to be published at 17 or a star at 21 or have your life together by 25, or 28, or 30. Or 40, or ever, really. Don’t look at the hard numbers of ages and compare your success to others’ based on how low that number is. Being published when you’re young and not yet ready is way worse than not being published till your forties or fifties.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Asexual, alloromantic.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

I haven’t encountered it from any of my coworkers or fellow authors. I’m lucky enough to have LOTS of colleagues who are also asexual, and the queer romance sphere—where I’ve spent all my professional publishing time so far—tends to be a super supportive environment for people of all orientations and genders.

However, I have noticed pushback from readers when it comes to books with asexual main characters, especially m/m books with asexual characters, so that’s disheartening. I’ve seen readers go so far as to question why anyone would even want to write books about people who don’t want sex.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

There are two: (1) that we don’t have any sexual anything at all (2) that we can’t tell if someone’s attractive and/or can’t be attracted to people. With (1), there’s a huge misconception that we don’t masturbate or get aroused, and that’s waaaaay off base. In my experience, sex with yourself is a very different thing than sex with someone else, and ace people have all kinds of different levels of sex drive, just like allosexual folks.

And with (2), if I never have to see another “joke” where someone gasps dramatically because an ace person said Jason Momoa looks great soaking wet, it’ll be too soon.

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

Find someone asexual to talk to. Hell, talk to me. Through all my comings-out, being able to talk to other people who ID the way I ID has been invaluable. Obviously you can Google and learn everything you ever want to, but talking to a real live person who maybe shares your fears and doubts and questions of legitimacy is incredibly affirming.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My website: http://www.jamesloke.com

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/jameslokewrites

Thank you, James, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.

Interview: Rebecca

Today we’re joined by Rebecca. Rebecca is an amazing and versatile artist who sent along some truly beautiful pictures to go with her interview. She’s a visual artist who works with digital mediums. Rebecca is also a very productive writer who specializes in the speculative genres: fantasy, sci-fi, cyberpunk, and steampunk. She is truly a passionate artist. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Android Girl

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m a digital artist and writer. My artwork is mostly created with Paint Tool SAI – I use a Wacom Intuos tablet for illustration work and a Cintiq for comic work. Most of my art is of my original characters and I like to work with bold, sharp lines and bright colours.

The novels I write tend to fall into the fantasy, steampunk and sci-fi genres. My current project, Wired, is a cyberpunk story about an android living undercover among humans and those who are sent to track him down.

What inspires you?

Everything! I know a lot of comic artists who I’ve been fortunate enough to meet in person at conventions and it’s always really motivating to see their work grow and watch them improve. I often get ideas from music too – just one line in a song could inspire a full illustration – along with fashion and books.

What got you interested in your field?  Have you always wanted to be an artist?

I’ve always wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember, along with wanting to be a writer. I was set on being a professional artist until I attempted freelance work for a year and realised it wasn’t for me. I’m not the kind of person who can churn out drawings constantly without losing motivation. So now I work on my art and writing in my spare time and find it works out a lot better for me.

Decay

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?

Not particularly. My signature has always just been my initials because I’ve never thought of a good alias for my work!

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone else struggles with their work as much as you do and everyone learns at their own pace. Turn envy into motivation. Also, practice! Yes, it can be boring drawing the same thing over and over, but it will pay off in the long run.

Dorian

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Aromantic asexual.

Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field?  If so, how do you handle it?

Not intentional prejudice, but a lot of people who just don’t understand and ask questions that aren’t really appropriate. I’ve also been told I’ll change my mind when I’m older – so many times it’s become tedious. I’m 24 – I’m not sure how much older they want me to be before my identity is seen as valid.

What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?

That it’s just ‘an excuse for people who can’t get laid’. And that makes me want to tear my hair out in frustration. Asexuality is the simplest concept and yet so many people can’t – or don’t want to – understand it.

Either that, or that we’re all plants.

Wyntercon Poster

What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?

You are valid, and there’s nothing wrong with you. I only discovered asexuality was a ‘thing’ after the AVEN group popped up on my Facebook news feed because one of my friends was a member. That was only a couple of years ago and I wish I’d found it sooner. Do your research and discuss it with people you feel it’s safe to talk about it with – it’s such a relief to finally find a community you fit in with.

Finally, where can people find out more about your work?

My main website –  http://rb-illustration.co.uk
Tumblr – http://rb-illustration.tumblr.com
Facebook – http://facebook.com/rbillustrationart
YouTube – http://youtube.com/rbillustration

Egyptian Girl

Thank you, Rebecca, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.