Interview: Embo

Today we’re joined by Embo. Embo is a phenomenal artist who specializes in cross stitch. She has recently cross stitched a number of Pride badges, which are absolutely beautiful. Embo also does some embroidery and she has recently started dabbling in drawing as well. It’s clear she’s a driven and passionate artist who loves to create, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Ace

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I mostly cross stitch, sometimes embroider, and occasionally draw. Cross stitching is my main art though. I favour working on smaller pieces, and recently I’ve spent most of my time making small Pride pieces.

As for drawing, I’ve taken up doodling fan art of Mass Effect with the intention of writing fan fic in the future.

What inspires you?

I follow many talented people on Tumblr, and seeing their work inspires me greatly! If I see someone has created a wonderful piece of art, I find it spurs me into action and I will immediately start trying to create something of my own. Drawing is more accessible for me, but I can’t resist taking on new cross stitch projects, to the detriment of older forgotten WIPs!

Bookmark

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

Admittedly my reasons for getting interested into cross stitch aren’t very inspiring. I kept seeing subversive cross stitch popping up online and thought it was really funny and wanted to get into that. As soon as I started though, I realised that cross stitch is an amazing craft, really fun, and especially good for stress relief! And to this day, I’ve only produced one piece of subversive cross stitch haha.

I started as a fan artist when I was younger, but found that no matter how hard I tried, I was never satisfied with my drawings. Cross stitch, however, has always been really satisfying.

Butterfly

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?

To be honest, not really. I still haven’t gotten into the habit of signing my cross stitch pieces, which is something I really ought to get into doing. I used to sign my drawings, but I dropped the habit some years ago when I stopped being happy with what I was making.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t get bogged down in getting lots of Likes on social media. Be proud of what you’re making, and don’t stress about what other people think.

Hoop

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Somewhere between ace and demisexual. Possibly panromantic and demiromantic too, but I’m still figuring that part out.

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

The worst I’ve encountered was coming out to a family member and being told that I just hadn’t met the right person yet. This was frustrating, as talking about my asexuality has always been hard in the first place, and I felt like I was being shut down. In response, I just never brought it up with them again. Nowadays I rarely come out, unless it’s necessary for the situation. This… is not a great way to be. I shouldn’t have to feel the need to hide this aspect of myself, but the fear of prejudice tends to take me over a lot. I’ve also had to quit visiting some “LGBT-friendly” websites outright, because the audience was completely acephobic. I realised that I just wasn’t welcome there, which was a shame because I otherwise enjoyed the site. I… was angry and sad for days afterwards. It’s not an easy thing to process.

Pride Badges

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

That we’re all a bunch of prudes. Or that we’re just trying to make ourselves out to be special for something that isn’t even a thing. I also worry that, because I’m in a relationship, people think I’m not ace anymore which… is not how that works at all.

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

Don’t be afraid to embrace yourself! Labels can be greatly helpful, but use them carefully- don’t cling to them completely. You’re 100% valid in who are, and don’t let anyone take that from you. And don’t worry if you find your labels change over time. Mine did, and I had nobody to talk to about it at the time, but don’t worry if that happens to you, it does not make you any less valid!

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

I post cross stitch and embroidery at http://stickyfigs.tumblr.com/ and doodlings at https://potatopotholeakastickyfigs.tumblr.com/.

Steven

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

Interview: Renn

Today we’re joined by Renn. Renn is an extraordinary visual artist who also dabbles in embroidery and sings in their state’s LGBTQ+ chorus. They have mainly worked in traditional mediums, though they have recently started branching out into digital art. Their work is fascinating in its use of color and light. It’s clear Renn is an incredibly talented and passionate artist who enjoys what they do, 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 something of an ace-of-all trades (pardon the pun). Most of my work has been traditional pen and ink drawings- I’ve always been the most comfortable with felt pens as my medium since you can re-do the sketch as many times as it takes to get each line juuuuuuust right before finalizing it in ink. Every now and then I’ll do a watercolor- the colors can be quite vibrant and watercolors can blend together in a way markers and ink can’t. Watercolor is something of an exercise in discipline for me; I’m not the most patient of persons even without taking my ADHD into account- so waiting for the paint to dry before adding another piece of color can be trying sometimes. I’ve ruined plenty of paintings only because I just couldn’t wait! I recently started painting digitally with my beloved Huion tablet- a much better way for me to explore painting as a medium because there are no more wait times for colors to dry! And layers! Oh do I love my layers. Working digitally, I enjoy using a limited but vibrant pallet to challenge myself to really bring out the highlights and shadows of what I’m drawing, making the artwork overall more striking.

Sometimes when I have the time + materials + energy, I craft my own cosplays (and bowties!) In my spare time I also enjoy doing embroidery and singing with the Rainbow Chorale, my state’s local LGBTQ+ chorus!

What inspires you?

A lot of my main drive to create comes from seeing the work of other artists. You know how your brain will see someone else’s work and go “Gee I wish I could draw like that!” I take that feeling and turn it into “Well why don’t I go and draw something I want to create that will look just as good that I and other people will enjoy!”

I also enjoy doing art as an out and visible queer asexual person, because it gives other people like me the chance to see themselves reflected in my art and see themselves being represented, even if they themselves cannot be out and visible like me.

Butterflies

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

I’ve been drawing since I was really little, like 4 or so. Creating art through drawing was something I would do to relax after school…  or something I did to avoid taking notes or doing homework… ah ha. For young, awkward, socially anxious me, art was the best way for me to express myself and communicate. So, in a way, I’ve always been interested in creative fields because that ability to create from my own ideas has always been with me. With respect to “wanting to be an artist” (I’m interpreting this as become a professional) drawing as a job isn’t something I want to do. I’m happy to take the occasional commission, or make something as a gift, but drawing as my main profession isn’t for me. Art is an escape for me, for when life gets to be too overwhelming. If that escape was invaded by the stress and pressure to constantly create and keep churning out artwork, then creating would no longer be that escape for me.

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 always sign my work (well, when I remember) with my screen-name (Renaissance Aeroplane) initials “RA” and a little airplane flying out from the “A”. Typically I’ll put it in the corner of digital paintings, and tuck it in somewhere in sight when I do pen and paper drawings.

I’ve had that screen-name for a while, except ‘renaissance’ was spelled with two Ns since spelling wasn’t a strong suit of mine. Thus that turned into the nickname “Renn” which I’ve gotten rather attached to and started using as an offline nickname as well.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Take a deep breath, and relax. Sit back, stretch your arms, and release that tension you’ve been holding in. It’s okay- if you aren’t as popular as that one artist, if that one line just refuses to come out right, if you fudged up the inking, painting didn’t come out the way you wanted it to- It’s going to be all right! There’s always so much pressure as an artist, to keep making more art and be perfect and get likes/reblogs/retweets/site traffic. That pressure is overwhelming and the last thing that will help you improve is pushing yourself so hard that creating art becomes stressful and overwhelming. So take another deep breath, relax, and continue to do what makes you happy.

Palette Portrait

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

Definitely full-on asexual; the frying-pan of sexual attraction feelings won’t be hitting me in the face anytime soon. It’s not a sensation I’ve ever felt, likely will never feel, and I am cool with that being so. I’m probably?? somewhere on the gray-bi-romantic scale of things; every now and then I’ll become romantically inclined towards someone, but it doesn’t happen all that often. *shrug*

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

Fortunately I haven’t had much experience with prejudice aside from the occasional bigot being rude online. What I have encountered more of is well-meaning but ignorant folks coming into my inbox and expecting me to educate them. Which can sometimes be annoying, and other times be emotionally draining and exhausting. So, what I’ll do is send them a few links with good articles about asexuality (or trans/nonbinary issues because I get questions about that too. Yaaaaaay.) that I’ve read through beforehand to ensure all the info is correct. Then I’ll let them know I’m glad they want to learn more, but I don’t have the time/energy to educate them one on one on the basics, that the links I sent contain more info about the subject, and once they’ve read through what I’ve sent and understand it, I’ll be happy to talk with them later.

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

That eventually I’ll “grow out of it” or “there’s always the possibility you meet the right person!” *barf* I get that for some people, sexuality can change or you can discover something you didn’t know about yourself, but that is not me. I already did all my soul-searching and exploring and I am quite happy labeling myself as ace, thanks very much. That and there’s something so gross about the insistence that I will become sexually attracted to someone. Euggggh.

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

It’s helpful to ask for advice or experiences from other ace folks and to ask other LGBTQ+ folks about their experiences to help you figure out what you’re feeling- BUT what determines your sexuality, above all, is what YOU think and how YOU feel. So, if you think “Well I’ve never/rarely/only sometimes feel sexually/physically attracted to people” then congrats! You’re ace! And that is for you to decide whether or not you want to label yourself that way.

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

Y’all can find me on Tumblr at renn-aeroplane-art.tumblr.com where I post all of my recent works or if you want to trawl my old Deviantart for some of my older stuff I go by Senkokura there. If you like goofy cat pictures interspersed with the occasional drawing or selfie, then check out my Instagram at renaissance_aeroplane!

The Witch

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

Interview: Kate Urquhart

Today we’re joined by Kate Urquhart. Kate is a phenomenal artist who does a number of things. She participates in choir and chorale, a talented singer. Kate also does a lot of writing. When she’s not doing either of those, Kate is a dedicated crafter who does a number of things, including embroidery. She has included a truly gorgeous embroidery that took her two years to complete. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m a singer, a writer, and a craft lover. I’m currently a member of two different choirs/chorales. I’m still not sure what the different is between choir and chorale, but anyway… One is definitely a choral, and the other is a small church choir. Between the two I get the opportunity to sing and perform heaps of different songs. So far this year I’ve performed Beatles classics, cheesy love songs, old show tunes, a small Latin number, and a lot of songs about Jesus (church choir, obviously).

My writing is just something small I do on the side as a way of coping with life. Sometimes I write poems, sometimes its snippets of stories, and sometimes it’s just a stream of consciousness to clear my head.

Alongside singing and writing, I also do knitting, crocheting, quilting, embroidery (cross stitch), and baking.

What inspires you?

I guess the need to cope ‘inspires’ my singing, writing, and craft. It gives me an outlet to deal with emotions. When my mind feels cluttered and fuzzy, I need a way to redirect whatever I’m feeling, and this is the best way I’ve found.

The internet is also a big source of inspiration. If I see a cute blanket or scarf online that is too awesome to be real, I can’t help but give it a go. Sometimes I’ll just happen upon an image that fills my mind with words, but I also follow a few writing prompt blogs to help generate ideas.

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

I’ve always had an interest in creative outlets. Over the course of my (short) life so far, I’ve had a go at all sorts of things. I have little to no talent in drawing, painting, photography, dancing, acting, or playing a musical instrument, which I discovered in each and every one of them. But along the way I found where my true passions lie.

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?

Ace characters. Literally always. Every single character, narrator, or persona in my writing is somewhere on the ace spectrum. Even if you don’t know anything about their sexuality, they are secretly ace.

I am also particularly fond of the oxford comma, so if you read a story or poem and it doesn’t have said grammatical necessity, please know it was not written by me.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

I’m not sure I really have any advice to give. Just do whatever you love. Be passionate about it. Even if you think your work isn’t great, it is, and if you love it you should keep doing it. The world is an ugly place at times, so by being an artist– by making beautiful things in an ugly world, you are doing something wonderful and brave and amazing.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I am asexual and biromantic (I think – I haven’t quite figured myself out yet, but that label has worked so far). More specifically, I’m a sex repulsed ace. Quite frankly I’d rather eat a bowl of brussel sprouts. Ew.

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

I’m not all that out there, both with my sexuality and with what I do, so I haven’t really come across prejudice. Generally speaking, though, I have come across a bit. My mum initially told me I’d grow out of it but she’s become a lot more accepting/understanding recently, and some of my friends had never heard of the ace spectrum before (but they fully supported me after they found out).

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

“It’s just a phase.” What more do I need to say? It’s not a phase, I’m not being dramatic or ‘unique’ or picky or prudish. It’s just who I am. I was born this way; I will most likely die this way. Asexuality is valid and real.

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

Don’t let anyone else tell you who they think you are. You know yourself best. If someone tries to say that you’re too young to know, or you’re not valid, or it’s just a phase, bite their head off. Seriously, bite. Their. Head. Off. You get to pick which labels you want, and you get to decide who you are.

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

Please visit (and follow) my blog: http://www.passive-soldier.tumblr.com/.

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

Interview: Momo

Today we’re joined by Momo. Momo is a wonderful and incredibly creative craft artist. They specializes in flower crowns and adorable little fairies. They work in a variety of media and have a true passion. Momo is actually the 400th artist interviewed on Asexual Artists (YAY!) and is hoping to make some extra funds for textbooks. So please, check out their work at their Etsy store. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’ve always been creative, and thankfully I was born with parents that encouraged individuality and my mad experiments with mixed medias. One of my favorite things to do is knit, because it just makes sense in my brain and I can do it without thinking about it too much. I also crochet, do several types of embroidery, and use various medias to create pictures. I taught myself how to make flower crowns out of fake flowers and yarn, because why not? I’ve written poetry and prose for a long time now, but favour poetry. I’ve also been taught basic wheat weaving, which is a traditional art that involves plaiting strands of wheat together.

What inspires you?

Mostly I create because I can, but the oddest things will cause a spark in me. Sometimes I’ll see or hear or smell something that sets me off on a creative tangent. I have a lot of anxiety, and crafting helps me soothe myself and get out the negative emotions so that they won’t build up and eventually hurt me even more. This causes a dichotomy in my work that I think is unique. On one side I’ll have sunshine and daisies, and on the other is a graphic representation of how it feels to be part of several minorities in a globalized world that worships Normality.

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

I’ve wanted to be an artist, most specifically a writer, since I was young. Sadly, my over-pragmatic brain has kept me from perusing it as a career. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome type III and I need to get a career where I can save up plenty of money for the medical care I’ll eventually need. Special-order braces, various levels of pain medication, and carpal tunnel surgery are inevitable.

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 sign my pictures with an MH, where the right side of the M goes down to form the left side of the H. It’s easier to explain than describe.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t ever try to blend in. You were made unique, and your worth is not lessened by the fact there’s so many other humans.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m a Demiromantic Asexual.

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

I’m still mostly closeted, and it’s never come up in conversation for me before.

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

When I came out to my big brother, he thought I meant that I was genderless at first. To be fair, I started the conversation by asking how he’d known that he’s transgender. Other than that, people I’ve come out to are mostly confused about how I’m Asexual and make so many sexual innuendos. I know that one of my oldest friends still has a difficult time wrapping her head around the notion, even though she never says anything about it.

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

Your orientation is something entirely unique to you, and only you really know how you experience it. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it can be difficult to find somebody with the same experiences. Believe in yourself, because even if you feel alone there are so many of us out there. We’re hidden under the eaves and marching in parades and living fulfilling lives.

You are not alone.

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

I have an Etsy shop called RomoMomoMakes.

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

Interview: Marthe Ney

Today we’re joined by Marthe Ney. Marthe is a phenomenal and incredibly versatile artist who works in a variety of media. She’s from England and currently attending university where she’s studying Costume with Textiles and it sounds fascinating. She does a number of character-based textile drawing, character designs, costume and clothing illustrations, constructs costumes, and creates character-based textiles art. As if that’s not impressive enough, Marthe also does fanart and character art on her blog. Her work demonstrates an imaginative individual who enjoys her work. It’s clear that she has a genuine passion for art and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of her work in the future. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I work in quite a variety of ways and media. The more casual work I do, for myself or for my Tumblr blog tends to be character-based fanart, usually pretty rough sketches using pencil, occasionally adding colour and detail with watercolour ink and fine liner. I am also beginning to experiment with digital drawing and colouring.

I use an even wider range of media in the work I do for my degree- Costume with Textiles- for my illustration module I use largely the same media as for my personal work, mixed in with collage, markers, pastels and sculpture. The other work that I do tends to be fabric based, I am specialising in embroidery so I do drawings to inspire this using loads of mark making techniques and different media, based on the research and inspiration for the characters I’m designing for. When I am creating textiles samples I use different techniques of stitching, cutting, folding and embellishing (depending what we’re covering in workshops) on different combinations of fabrics to create samples based on my drawings and characters.

What inspires you?

Usually stories and characters. Although I’ve been drawing for a long time, I really began to hone my skills and learn to draw properly through fanart, and drawing my favourite characters is how I’ve gotten all of my practice. Ironically enough a lot of my art is based on fandom ships, usually because the emotions of characters are what inspires me about them. The work for my degree (and hopefully my career one day) is based on characters as well, the script, the subtext, everything I can find out or theorise about the characters and then visual research that comes from that. Though I usually try work in some of my personal interests into it to give my own personal spin.

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

I have for a very long time actually, I think originally I wanted to be vet, then a journalist, and I settled on fashion design when I was about 10. I went to stay with my auntie for a while and didn’t bring any toys so I made myself a paper doll, and I kept working on it and adding to it for years, I stopped working on it a few years ago, it must have over 200 outfits and 15 different hairstyles. I did a GCSE in textiles, then an extended diploma in fashion and clothing and an AS Level in theatre studies, while I was at college I decided that the fashion industry just wasn’t for me, and that I wanted to go into costume instead. The drawing and fanart kind of came along side it as I started to experiment with art that wasn’t clothing based.

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?

Not really, I have my own style of illustration and drawing, which I guess has certain features and attributes but there isn’t anything that I consciously add and include.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Well, I still kind of am a young aspiring artist, but I’d say to work with references, find artist styles that appeal to you, and look to places like Tumblr or Pinterest for guides and tutorials, and keep practicing.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as completely aromantic and asexual, though I would like some form of relationship I guess? I’m not romance or sex repulsed, just a bit confused and weird about the whole thing. I have a preference for girls though so if I did have a relationship it would be with a girl.

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

No, not in my field. I’m out on the Internet, but there are only a few references to it on my art blog, and not many people in real life know. Not that I try and hide it, it just doesn’t seem to come up. Since a few people I’ve told haven’t reacted all that well, I don’t always like bringing it up if no one asks. Not that I’ve really faced prejudice, just some ignorant comments that could be kind of hurtful.

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

I’ve had pretty much everything on the ace bingo card. Pity, confusion, hurtful misconceptions about my ability to feel love. A bizarrely threatening insistence from a classmate that she was “going to come to your wedding when you get over this and tell your husband what you said and see how he likes it” which I didn’t really appreciate. But yeah, I’d say that the whole “unable to feel love” thing is the most common thing I’ve heard.

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

This is a tricky one, because I do still struggle with my orientation myself. One thing I do that really helps me is things like this interview and this blog, things that raise awareness and promote positivity. Because helping other people who may be struggling with their orientation or may not be aware of asexuality even though it applies to them always really helps me when I’m struggling in a kind of “fake it till you make it” way.

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

I have a personal blog at http://marthe-with-an-e.tumblr.com that is a bit of a random collection, but has quite a bit on asexuality, aromanticism and my experiences and awareness. But to find out more about my work and see more of my art see my art blog at http://teafortheheart.tumblr.com I’ll try and put up some more examples of my degree work to show some more examples of different media.

Thank you so much for featuring me and thank you for reading.

Wildest Dreams

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

Interview: Johanna

Today we’re joined by Johanna.  Johanna is an incredibly talented and versatile artist from Sweden.  She enjoys artistic pursuits judging from the variety of mediums she works in.  She definitely has a creative spirit and it shows in her work.  My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

There is some mature content in this interview (and in some of her work on DeviantArt)

Bilbo

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m very diverse when it comes to the mediums work with. I write, draw, paint, knit, photograph, crochet, embroider, quilt, tat, and do pottery. My style is admittedly a bit naive, but that is mostly because I don’t just focus on one thing long enough to perfect it. I often feel like a need to do many different things at the same time and can’t contain myself before starting something new.

What inspires you?

At the moment it’s mostly fandom stuff. I enjoy most of the Marvel movies, Sherlock, and of course Harry Potter that was my major gateway drug in to fandom. I’m a huge slash-fan so often it’s the relationship between two male characters that inspire me. What fascinates me about slash is probably because it is about two men and as a cis woman I don’t have any way to identify with them sexually, only emotionally.

Outside fandom I mostly look to nature or music for inspiration, or just my own imagination.

My dream is to write an original fiction and then illustrate it, working towards that goal is very inspiring.

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

Ever since I learned to read at about age four or five I wanted to be a writer. I guess it comes from there, being able to create worlds and images not only with words but with drawings as well.

My mother taught me how to knit, embroider, and quilt, otherwise I’m self-taught through books and inspired experiments.

For fandom and slash it was Harry Potter that got me sucked in (I came for the Harry/Severus and stayed for the Harry/Draco). Though I must confess that I was seventeen when I read the first book and I didn’t know about fanfiction, or even the possibility of pairing characters -let alone male ones-, until I was about twenty-six. I have made up for lost time though.

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 as such, but I do have a special flower that I often return to in my drawings. The style and shape of my initials JLB are also quite fun to play around with.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t ever think as you get older that you are too old to enjoy something because you think you should grow out of it. I once met a woman of almost eighty who was the biggest and proudest Dr Who-fan you’d ever see. I want to be her when I’m that old.

It’s also okay to change things up and move from the things you love to try new things. The best thing about art is that leaving one thing behind is that it’s still there when you want to return to it.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I just identify myself as asexual. I can sometimes get momentarily aroused at the fantasy or imagery of sex, but any attempt to do something IRL have either disgusted me or left me feeling nothing.

I’m not sure where I identify on the romantic spectrum. I have never been ‘in love’ in the sense that love is usually described, but I have had several crushes, mostly on males but some on some female and trans-people as well.

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

Not per se. Since I’m diagnosed with depression and anxiety, most people I associate with have some kind of psychological disorder or have experience with disorders. Not that I see asexually as a disorder in any way, but I think that people who have met with prejudice are less inclined to give prejudice. The biggest ‘shock’ about me to other people is that I’m 35 years old and never had sex.

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

I have met some guys that think that they can ‘cure me’ or ‘be my exception,’ they have a hard time to accept that asexually doesn’t work that way. People are also confused by me making sexual jokes, having crushes on celebrities, or me being so interested in sexual male/male relationships.

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

Just go with it. Being asexual doesn’t mean that you are broken. On good or bad, asexually isn’t as openly stigmatised as homosexuality and more often easier to ‘hide’ in public.

I think the biggest problem with being asexual is the more likely prospect of being alone in older age. Don’t sacrifice your comfort for a partner. Sitting around feeling sorry because you can’t find a comparable partner doesn’t help you one bit. Try to find good substitutes, like friends, pets, hobbies, or classes.

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

My art can be found as Naturegirlrocks on both Tumblr and Deviant Art. (My main Tumblr is multiplefangasms were I mostly reblog fan things. I also have asexualstripclub on Tumblr were I reblog asexy things.)

My newer fanfiction can be found on http://archiveofourown.org/users/naturegirlrocks, (the older ones are on fanfiction.com)

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