Interview: Chimney

Today we’re joined by Chimney. Chimney is a wonderful poet from Germany. He writes mostly for a hobby and his poetry tends to focus on emotions. Chimney mainly writes in German though he has translated some of his poetry into English. It’s clear he’s a dedicated and passionate artist, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to him for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I am a writer and poet. I write a lot of poems about love and being heartbroken by love, but also other stuff. In my writings I concentrate a lot on the emotional side, like how the characters feel, why they feel that way. I want the reader to understand my characters and feel with them. I really want to have this transparency in my stories and poems.

My poems especially are very personal. And I try to throw as much emotions and pain as possible in them, that’s why it often hurts to read them, because their pure emotions.

What inspires you?

I get inspired by a lot of stuff, actually. Obviously I get inspired by real life experiences, but music is one of those things that inspires and influences me the most. When I listen to songs there are always popping up some lines and ideas in my head. But I also get inspired by other people or artist who achieved something in their life. Seeing them getting from bottom to almost the top inspires me and gives me the courage to try my best. And even if I don’t made it there will be always people who I can inspire and that’s it what keeps me going forward.

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

Honestly at first I hated writing poems, because I never was able to rhyme something good. So I first started with writing stories, because some guy in my class wrote a very funny story and I wanted to write something funny as well xD. But after finally starting to rite I realized how much fun this is to me. I love creating stories, telling  stories and share them with others. Being an artist was never my main goal. It was and unfortunately still is one of my greatest hobbies. But I really hope that it someday will be more than just this little hobby of mine.

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 that I’m aware of. I try to change my still very often and I like to experiment a lot. Especially with my poems. I often change the metre and sometimes even use different languages.

But more like snippets or a few specific words. Other than that all I can say is that my writings are full of emotions.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

I would say: “Have the courage to post your art online!“ Why? Because there will always be at least one person that will like it. Art is very important and it can help people, inspire people etc.

So it doesn’t matter how insecure you feel about your stuff, there will be people who supports you and by sharing it you can grow. Be open-minded accept critique and advice, so that you can grow.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as quoiromantic asexual. And I think more on the sex-repulsed side.

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

Yes I did, from one person actually. Who actually very radical and I don’t want to explain the details. They said horrible things to me. First I tried to have a real in-depth conversation with them about it, but after that didn’t worked I broke contact with them, because in the end it was better for my mental health.

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

From what I’ve heard most people think that asexuality = anti-sexuality. Like that we’re all against sex and everything that has something to do with it. Which is just not right.

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

Seriously, the most important part is that you accept yourself how you are and that you understand that you’re fine, lovable and not broken by being asexual. The sexuality is just one small part of you and what really matters is your personality. I can understand that finding out that you’re ace can be frightening, but when someone really likes or loves, they will do it because of your personality, because you make them smile and give them a reason to stay strong.

You’re all valid.

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

So for my German fellas you can always read my work right here: https://www.fanfiktion.de/u/Chimney

For the others I suggest you to follow me on my Tumblr where I’m planning on releasing little English poems and snippets: megahyperchickenwing.tumblr.com (yes, that is my name)

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

Interview: Snig

Today we’re joined by Snig. Snig is a phenomenal poet who has recently come out as asexual. They write a lot of blank-verse poetry and most of it has to do with emotions. They have a book out titled Girl Behind Scars, which is definitely worth checking out. It’s clear they’re a passionate author with an admirable dedication, as you’ll see. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I am a writer/poet on WordPress.

A lot of my work is blank verse poetry usually relating to my emotional status at the time. But more so than often you can find me also ranting about some topic that has caught my eye, or just random thoughts that go along in my head. Ya, I’m pretty much all over the place when it comes to writing.

What inspires you?

To be honest, too many things inspire me. It can be a conversation I’ve had with someone, my mental illnesses, the people around me, a meme I saw online that made me feel a certain one. But I think at the crux of all of them is the fact that they evoked a raw, undeniable urge to write about them.

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

I’ve always written. Even as kid, penning my thoughts down on paper provided me with more clarity than anything else could have. So that’s where it all started I guess, a need for little me to understand the world around her, and so I would write down every perspective or thought I could about something that had caught my eye. If I couldn’t understand how I truly felt about someone or something, I’d write about them.

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 don’t think I have any unique signature, symbol or feature that I include in my work.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Art has very little to do with success and more to do with how it personally makes you feel and that’s what make someone a true artist. So no matter what art form you choose to pursue or do as a hobby, always keep it true to yourself and your perspective on life. Success will follow.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as panromantic asexual.

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

In my field? Not really, but that’s probably because my sexuality isn’t something that’s ever brought up in my discussion with people. However, I have encountered people in daily life that do think me identifying as an asexual, is just a typical “women” thing because apparently women aren’t sexual beings. A thought process which is just appalling.

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

That it means we will never have sex or enjoy sex. Nah bruh, it just means I don’t have to deal with panties in a twist just from seeing someone particularly attractive.

Also people who confuse it with asexual reproduction and then say “oh so one day you’re just going to split into two”, not funny guys, not funny.

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

You aren’t broken. I know in the hyper sexualised world that we live in it can feel that way, but you aren’t broken. You are just as valid an orientation as someone who is gay or lesbian, and even though the LGBTQ+ community may sometimes also treat us as broken, there are many of us out there who exist and will always be willing to help you out. You are queer and you are here.

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

As of now most of my work is on my WordPress blog, Semblance of Normality.
https://justanotherdepressedsoul.wordpress.com/

But I’ve also had a poem be published in a collective anthropology called Girl Behind Scars
https://www.amazon.in/Girl-Behind-Scars-about-Writing/dp/B078WQJSDX.

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

Interview: Hana Golden

Today we’re joined by Hana Golden. Hana is a phenomenal visual artist who specializes in digital art but also works in traditional mediums as well. She does character design, capturing expressions and emotions through a masterful use of detail. Hana also frequently draws canines and her ability to capture dog’s personalities with color and lines is amazing. She’s an incredibly talented artist, as you’ll soon see. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m mostly a digital artist, but still work with a variety of traditional mediums. I enjoy watercoloring, spraypainting, stippling, and simple illustration work. I like to focus on expression cartooning, character design, and heavily enjoy fanart as well. Canines specifically have also always been a go-to for me and is one of the things I’ve always been known for. I also like to create my own custom Funko Pop figures as another side hobby.

For my art, I’d say that I like to focus heavily on expressions and making you feel what the character is feeling. When someone feels the same emotion I’m drawing by looking at it, that’s the best thing. Either way, I love drawing faces and just sketching in general.

What inspires you?

Let’s see … kinda tough question cause there’s so much that inspires me. From an early age, my oldest sister was an artist, and my biggest inspiration and drive to improve. Now, I’d say that Disney/DreamWorks is my biggest inspiration. Watching certain films and shorts just make me want to push myself more and more. From the character design to the emotional feelings you get when you look at a scene, that’s what I want to create. I want to capture that one moment that made my heart pound, where I pause the scene and just stare at the characters face for a long time. It was that face that gave me a feeling, and I have to be able to do it too. I can get pretty obsessed about it actually, haha. I’m just super into animation, and hope to animate again. I use to do it a lot as a kid.

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

Like I had stated above, my oldest sister was the one who got me into drawing. I wanted have that one thing in common that we could do together. Watching anything animated/cartoon pushed me to draw those characters constantly. I remember being in my room drawing the covers of old VHS Disney movies, drawing Pokémon cards, really anything I could get my hands on. I was just drawing all the time.

I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil, like most everyone else, but I’m not sure to be honest. It never really occurred to me that I could partake in making these movies, or designing these characters. I’m not sure why, I guess it was never pushed on me or talked about as something I could potentially be a part of, not even by my teachers.  I knew I loved to draw and wanted to do it all the time, but I never pursued it the way I feel like I should have. My mentality about it was all wrong compared to how to feel about it now, and I wish I had pursued it more seriously. For the simple short answer, yes, I have always wanted to be an artist.

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?

Honestly, there’s really nothing this deep in anything I do haha. I have a simple signature that if it’s not out in the obvious, then it’s small and hidden in the picture. I’ve never been a fan of putting my signature on my work, but since I had multiple works stolen, I’ve gotten to the habit of hiding it in the picture so it couldn’t be erased haha.

When I work on commissions, I really try to pull the person’s personality (or animals) out on paper. I want people to see their pet, s/o, or themselves in my work. I want them to feel like their personality is right there. That’s really important to me.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Please, just don’t give up. I know it’s what everyone says, but it’s so true. Too many people I know who use to draw and loved it, don’t do it anymore cause they said they were intimidated by other artists, or just got too down on themselves and came to a stop. It takes work, and you just have to push past all that stuff and focus on you. Compare your work to your own, not someone else’s. Look at how far you’ve come and embrace that. Just keep going.

Also, don’t be afraid of referencing/copying when starting out. That’s how you’re going to learn such a variety of things and all the different styles and types of art out there. You’ll develop your own style eventually by dropping things that don’t work for what you visually like, and picking up parts of others that you do and adding it to your own. Drawing from life is important though to learn proper proportions, lighting, color, etc. Don’t rely fully on cartoons or anime to teach you that stuff haha. It’s okay to copy other people’s work as long as you’re not claiming it as your own, just give credit where credit is due. A good rule of thumb I always worked from was if you copied it, keep it to yourself. If you had help from another artist’s work, credit it.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as Asexual. I’m not super sure if I lean towards gray or not, but I’m comfortable just using the term Ace. Finding out there was a word for how I was feeling, and that others were like me, was one of the most important parts of my life. I can still remember how I felt the minute I typed that word into Google and discovered its meaning haha.

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

Not really to be honest, at least not to my face. If anything, with some people I just got a feeling that they didn’t truly believe me or fully understand. It’s tough, because I want to have a family someday. I’ve always wanted children, and people who know me, know that. When I told them that I was ace, most of them will point out “You know how to get children, right?” I hate when people say that because I’m not stupid, yes I know about sex, I understand how it works, but I don’t like it, and don’t want it.

I even went to go see an Endocrinologist (a hormone doctor) cause I do actually have an issue with my hormones. I asked her about my libido and stuff like that (before I identified as ace, I thought my hormones were the problem) and she told me that with the way my hormones are, I should have a high sex drive and crazy libido. I laughed and cried the whole way home, because that wasn’t me, and I still got no answers.

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

That we don’t want a family, a significant other, or refuse to have sex in general. That’s not true for many people who identify in this orientation, and for some, it is. There are many asexual people who want their own children, want to be in a relationship, and even like having sex. All of that is okay, being Asexual just means that you don’t feel sexual attraction.

For me personally, I still struggle time to time. I want to be in a relationship, cuddle, hold hands, and I want a family. I just don’t want to have sex so it’s tough when I tell people that cause they don’t understand. Most people just tell me that when the time comes, I just need to “suck it up and do it” if I want kids.

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

Don’t just ignore your own feelings and please teach others. I went to great lengths to get an answer as to why I was afraid to be close with my boyfriend, or why I didn’t feel anything when it came to kissing or avoiding situations that would make the other feel like we could take the next step in our relationship. It was awful, and not fair to either of us. It was hard to admit to people I get more of a love feeling walking into an art store or watching an animated movie, and then I got going on a date. In the end, it wasn’t a doctor that helped me, but a person that I follow online who just happened to use the word asexual in a sentence, and I decided to google it. I wish that I was exposed to the idea that you don’t need to have sex. It can be scary when all of your friends and people you are exposed to daily are all talking about something you just can’t relate too. You look at your own life and see how old you’re getting, and you haven’t had sex yet. It’s normal, and it’s okay to not want that in your life.  Just talk, educate others, and be open about it! It’s important to teach people to listen to your own body, and don’t do something because you feel you have too.

You’re valid and important, talk about it openly, because it will help you to be more comfortable with who you are.

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

Sorry this got lengthy! I like writing. I post my art mostly on my Instagram! You can also follow me on my Facebook page, Sebatticus, and my Tumblr Sebatticus as well 🙂

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

Interview: Megan Olson

Today we’re joined by Megan Olson. Megan is a phenomenal visual artist who specializes in painting. She’s currently a student and is working towards a degree in art. Megan enjoys painting natural scenes and even paints canvases that reflect her emotions. Her work is brimming with color and detail, making it absolutely stunning to look at. It’s very clear Megan has an incredibly bright future ahead of her, as you’ll soon see. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I have been doing art for a little over 2 years now, while going in and out of phases of different mediums I was fond of. I have finally settled on painting to be my favorite medium, but that is subject to change as I grow as an artist. I usually paint with acrylic on stretched canvas, but I’m in College to Major in Studio Art and Art history, so oil paints are in my very near future.

The subject matter I use in my art is landscapes, there is something I love about the wildness of nature, how it does as it pleases and lets itself be what it wants. I paint scenes that reflect my emotions, I have a difficult time expressing those emotions in words to my peers or to myself so I paint until what is on that canvas matches how I feel inside while I’m painting it.

What inspires you?

A lot of things inspire me. But everything inspires me in different ways. Other artists inspire me to never give up, because those artists didn’t start out amazing, and neither will I. My mother inspires me to follow my dreams and pursue my passions for art; despite everybody that says art is a “difficult market” she has always had my back. My emotions inspire me to paint the way I feel, so that those emotions don’t stay bottled up due to my lack of ability to express myself in words.

Nature inspires me in the way it makes me feel, A sunset that bathes not just the sky but the entire earth in a pink ambiance, makes me feel like I am seeing things for the first time. A grassy meadow with a small stream nearby with the sun glistening off of the water makes me feel like everything is okay, and calm, at least for that moment. The ocean, raging and storming with deep, dark, never ending clouds above, makes me understand the tightness in my chest, and the horrible thoughts in my mind, and it makes me feel content that for a brief period of time, I am not alone.

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

I’ve been interested in art sense I was a little kid. Although as I got into my early teen years I was told I basically wasn’t good enough, and so I stopped doing art except, I thought I wanted to do a lot of different going through middle school and high school. I wanted to be a psychologist, a businesswoman, an author, an editor, a teacher, a child psychologist, a police officer, and even a sleep scientist at one point. But the spring before my junior year of high school, I signed up for an art class in the fall, sense I needed it to graduate (at first I was very pissed because I wanted to take music appreciation instead), then over the summer I started doodling and drawing in little bits in an itty bitty sketchbook. I had some art supplies from previous times I had been consumed with my love for art, so I didn’t need to go out and buy too much. That art class changed everything, I re-fell in love with everything to do with art and I haven’t deviated from that love sense!

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 with the same signature, it’s my initials, MO, but the M is circled by the O like an @ symbol.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Don’t let anybody tell you that you aren’t good enough, and that you should just quit. If you’re not immediately amazing (which nobody is) the only way you’re going to get better is by practicing.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as a Panromantic Asexual

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

So far I have not experienced ace prejudice or ignorance in my field. Although I am rather new to the identity and I expect that to change.

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

That asexuals are prudish and can’t stand talking about sex, and if somebody talks about sex around them then the ace gets mad at them.

Also people saying that asexuality isn’t a thing, or you’re just looking for attention and have “special snowflake syndrome”

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

Don’t let other people, friends, family, or romantic partners tell you that asexuality doesn’t exist and you haven’t “met the right person.” I identified as asexual for about half a year my freshman year of high school, but then I started dating somebody and they made me think I wasn’t asexual, and then I didn’t reconnect with the identity again until my freshman year of college. So don’t let anybody manipulate you.

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

So far, I don’t have my work up on any place except Instagram, at megan.olsons.art, but if you would like to ask me questions about my art or would like to commission anything from me you can email me at Megiboo99@gmail.com!

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

Interview: Christian De Mohun

Today we’re joined by Christian De Mohun. Christian is an absolutely fantastic visual artist who has a number of inspirations (a fellow Da Vinci fan!). His work is incredible and there’s a touch of dark surrealism to a few of the pictures. The wings in some of the pictures are so beautiful. This is an artist with a lot of passion for his medium. My thanks to him for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Angelic Wishes

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

My art’s very much a mish-mash of things. Though I specialise in people, I pull from varying things I love – from surrealism to pre-Raphaelite to whatever emotion I’m working from at the time. Mostly I’ll draw something spontaneously. I’m not good at planning drawings out and the amount of times a single piece will go through re-dos entirely depends on my level of focus at the time.

Bad Day for Scum

What inspires you?

Things that have happened to me, music I’m listening to – if I hear a piece of music that immediately puts a picture in my head, I’ll listen to it on repeat until I’ve finished it, for instance – varying roleplays I’m in and games I play. I draw inspiration from my favourite artists as well – Dali, Da Vinci, Hugh to name a few – and also from abstract things like emotions, my own nightmares/personal things, and from my transition.

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

This’ll sound very bad, but my first ‘art’ was graffiti! And not even pretty graffiti at that. I was a ‘tagger’ – someone who scrawled a nickname on a wall – though I’d occasionally do little pictures with it. After I cleaned up and found my now-fiancée, she asked me if I could draw angel wings for a tattoo idea she had. I decided to try, and she encouraged me to keep doodling. I never thought I’d be good enough to be professional, though, until I was accompanying a friend to a college induction and just for the hell of it I thought I’d look into the art courses. I showed my sketchbook to one of the lecturers, and despite not having any qualifications he enrolled me on the spot based off of that.

I took the opportunity with both hands, and I’ve never regretted it.

Hooded Icicle

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?

If it’s not my initials – CDM for Christian De Mohun – hidden somewhere in the picture, it’ll be some little nod somewhere or – in the style of the old classics – the picture will be full of symbolism.

I like symbolism!

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Never, ever give up. Remember art is personal, and whatever style you use, you rock it because it’s your style. Never let someone dictate it for you. Learn from other artists – if you see a picture that has a technique you think looks amazing, study it! Don’t be afraid to ask – artists as a rule love to pass on knowledge because someone’s showing an interest. Even if you’re not pumping out masterpieces like you feel you should be, always be drawing – doodle something every day, whether it’s a stupid little face or something you use as a base for something bigger, ALWAYS draw.

Jack Angel

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

This one’s a weird one. I’m a hypersexualised Ace, meaning I enjoy sex a lot but have no sexual attraction. At first I thought I was more demisexual as I am attracted to one or two people, then grey ace, but as I searched harder I discovered I didn’t really know what attraction was. It didn’t help I felt bad because I do have sex and I enjoy it a lot and I didn’t want the partner I have it with to think that I didn’t find them attractive, because I do, I’m just … not really bothered if I don’t get it. It’s like chocolate – I like it, if it’s there I’ll have it, but if it’s not and there’s none in the house I won’t go looking for it.

And just to confuse things further, along the way I also discovered I’m quoiromantic too – in other words, what the hell is romantic feeling and what do I do with it, does my best friend have a crush on me or are they just being nice, oh my god are they in love or is it platonic?! About the only thing I know for sure is I’m in love with both my fiancée and my partner (yup, I have two in a happy polyamorous relationship) and they’re in love with me. Beyond that … nope.

Jack

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

Personally? No. I’ve had prejudice for being trans, but not Ace. However, I’ve seen the erasure and such and some prejudice towards my fiancée and when I didn’t know better and was – frankly – dumb I was just as bad with said erasure and ignorance. Luckily, through no small part of my fiancée’s patience, I got better.

Oh, there was the fact we aren’t really welcome in Pride marches, being as at the time I was considering myself Bisexual and I’m trans and my fiancée was Ace. That wasn’t really nice.

Otterme

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

The sodding ‘reproduce asexually’ thing. That and ‘is your partner going to see a shrink about that? You’re really brave, I don’t think I could last that long without sex’. That was quoted from my tattoo artist, but I’ve heard the ‘you can go to a psychiatrist for that’ from too many people. The ‘you haven’t had a real man in the sheets’ was one particularly hurtful one towards my fiancée, as in one fell swoop they’d erased her sexuality and misgendered me at the same time.

Phoenix

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

Screw ’em. Remember, they aren’t in your head, they can never know how you perceive and think, what you enjoy or why. It’s not up to them what you identify as, they’re only labeling you against their own desires and perceptions. Do your research, find what makes you comfortable, find your safe place and stand proud. It’s also none of their business – you don’t NEED to ‘come out’, you don’t have to tell them anything.

You are not broken. You are not alone. And you do not need to force yourself to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You are you, and unique, and strong. Be proud of that fact.

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

These days, it’s pretty exclusively found here on Tumblr at http://rimewasted-icequeen.tumblr.com/tagged/mine – though I will warn, I do have NSFW pieces. They’re tagged, though, so if you have Tumblr Savior or a similar blocker that has ‘NSFW’ added they shouldn’t show up. I hope.

Remix

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