Interview: Jacen

Today we’re joined by Jacen. Jacen is an incredibly versatile artist who works in a few different mediums. She’s a very passionate visual artist who does both original work and fanart (her Eevee is truly delightful). She hasn’t met a medium she doesn’t like and uses both traditional and digital mediums. Aside from visual art, she’s an incredibly dedicated oboist who was an admirable love of music. It’s very clear that she loves creating art and that’s always awesome to see. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Ahsoka

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I am a digital artist, primarily, but I love to experiment in all different mediums. I’ve worked with pencils and pens, Copic markers, watercolors, oil paints, India ink and more, and I like to combine different mediums as well. Be it fanart or original works, I enjoy taking an interpretive approach to my pieces.

In addition, I am a passionate musician. I’m one of the few oboists in the city and even though I haven’t been playing for all that long, I have an extensive background in music and theory.

What inspires you?

With my art, a big part of my inspiration is geometrical shapes. I like arranging irregular shapes and making them work together to form an image. As someone who heads out to the Rocky Mountains on a regular basis, I also enjoy taking inspiration from nature, both living and inanimate. And, of course, my favorite TV shows and movies. I just really love seeing my pieces come together and make sense.

My music is a lot of the same idea. I absolutely love just the sound of my oboe, and I actively enjoy practicing on my own, but my real passion is for sitting down with the entire band and hearing all the parts together. My favorite pieces are always the ones that send chills down my spine to hear and to play. I’d say that’s really why I play, to hear mine and everyone else’s parts combine to make something incredible.

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

Ever since I was very young I’ve drawn and played instruments. Growing up as a longtime student in the Gifted program, creativity was always massively encouraged. I would definitely say that being in such a program was what got me continuing to draw and make art into middle and high school. I wouldn’t say I’ve always wanted to be an artist, it’s more something that slowly and unconsciously evolved into a hobby; I’ve never really been interested in a career in art, but it’s still a big part of me.

As for music, I actually hated piano lessons when I was young, and I stopped playing anything for a long time. In eighth grade my best friend convinced me to join band and I started out on the clarinet, which I can still play, and the next year I took up oboe. That, I can see myself continuing for a long time, for sure.

Flareon

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 mentioned earlier incorporating geometric shapes into my work, that’s really my thing. I like the challenge of taking an image and turning it into shapes, and making it still make sense. That’s something I do with a lot of my work, even sometimes when I do semi-realism.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

You really have to stop worrying about getting it right. Especially if you’re a perfectionist like me, you have to stop trying to get it right every time. You gotta experiment with styles and techniques and mediums and don’t feel that you have to know anything about that medium to just try it. If you like it, that’s when you do your research, take some classes, whatever you want. Just practice your art without worrying about how it might turn out.

For any oboists who may or may not be reading this: FIND A GOOD TEACHER. Band is great but oboes are so weird and specialized that you need an expert to help you. Oboe reeds need a lot of tweaking and I’m gonna guess you don’t know how to make reeds yet. Not to mention that damn Db key. Trust me, a teacher you get along with and who knows their stuff will be invaluable to you.

Wolf Inverted print

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I’m aromantic asexual.

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

Ignorance, definitely, more than prejudice. But I’ve found that artists and creative-types in general are quite accepting and open-minded. When the odd person arises who has a real issue with it (mostly only existing on social media) I try to not let it get to me. It’s not the minority’s job to educate anyone on their community, but when someone genuinely doesn’t know what they’re talking about, I try to clear it up for them.

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

That we just don’t like sex, or we’re scared of it, or that we’ve had some kind of sexual trauma. Of course there are aces who are scared of sex or have been traumatized, but it’s inaccurate and rude to place that assumption on all of us, because it often leads to us being dismissed or harassed for it.

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

When I was figuring out I was asexual, I was scared to identify as such in case I really was just a late bloomer. There’s so much emphasis put on the fact that aces are definitely never going to change or start feeling sexual attraction that it’s easy to forget that it’s alright if it is a phase. It doesn’t make it any less valid. If you identify as ace now and you don’t later in your life, who cares? Sexuality can be fluid, so if it feels right at the moment then just go for it.

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

I have my Tumblr (http://the-cat-in-the-fez.tumblr.com/) that you can always message me on.

I post art to my Instagram (stcrmpilxt)

I have a couple works-in-progress on my AO3 (http://archiveofourown.org/users/satancat)

And I sell my art on Society6 (https://society6.com/suncat) and I’m working on uploading stuff to Redbubble (http://www.redbubble.com/people/satancat)

Eevee

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

Interview: Lisbeth

Today we’re joined by Lisbeth. Lisbeth is a phenomenal visual artist who recently got into digital mediums. She loves drawing and does a mix of original and fanart. Lisbeth is currently working on a visual novel and plans to major in visual art. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Atsu

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I have been drawing for almost 10 years now and I started drawing traditionally till 2013 when I got my first tablet. I do original work but I mostly draw fanart. I am in the process of finishing a visual novel called Thin Air. I prefer using my tablet on Sai. I hope to start doing online commissions soon but as of now I’m working to improve myself as I begin college with a visual arts major!

What inspires you?

A lot to be honest. Some of my main inspirations come from my favorite movies and games like, The Legend of Zelda, or anything from Hayao Miazaki. People that use a lot of color are usually my favorite. I admire a lot of people and their work which drove to create my own things.

Blanche

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

Well I noticed that every time I watched a new movie, or show, or found a new game I liked I always wanted to see the art progression of that said thing I was currently into. So I would always look up the concept art for games and shows, and that got me creating my own stories and wanting to be a concept artist for Dreamworks or Lakia.

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 usually forget to sign my name a lot so if I do it’s just my name and date.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

I know it seems like you’re not improving at first But trust me you really are. Just keep working on your art whenever you can, whether it be drawing, knitting, pottery just keep practising and you’ll see the results you want. If you need a break take it you’ll never get anything done being discouraged and frustrated. Just try to have fun with your art!

Ed and Spike

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as an aromantic asexual.

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

The only prejudice I’ve seen is actually on Tumblr with the whole ace discourse. I have very supportive friends and family. So I don’t really deal with anything.

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

I think that we’re basically straight?? There’s such a wide spectrum to sexuality itself so it just doesn’t make sense to me. I’ve heard people say I can’t have a relationship because I’m asexual also. I know I myself can’t but that doesn’t apply to every asexual on earth. Most of the misconception I’ve heard is all generalizations of the whole community and the not understanding of what asexuality means in the first place.

Kagepro Red

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

Noticing you’re asexual is super-duper hard especially with the world we live in. If you think you’re asexual or you are, it’s gonna be fine. Accepting it is the hardest part but once you do it feels great knowing who you are and that you love it. There’s nothing wrong with you and you are not weird or broken in any way.

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

At my Tumblr blog nobodytheelf :3

Free

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

Interview: Jordan

Today we’re joined by Jordan. Jordan is a wonderful and versatile artist who does a bit of everything. Her main passion is visual art and she specializes in digital mediums. She does both original work and fanart. Aside from visual art, Jordan is also interested in theater and music. She’s got an amazing amount of enthusiasm, as you’ll soon see, and her work is beautiful. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

I’m a visual artist. I mainly work digitally but I do a lot of sketches traditionally. My program of choice is Paint Tool SAI. I do a lot of fanart and pieces of my original characters. My favorite thing to draw is people & characters.

Besides visual art, I also participate in community theatre, I act and also have an interest in costume design. I also love music and I sing, and play the ukulele. I’ve also started to write songs. I don’t do it very often, but I write poetry and sometimes, rarely, short stories. I’m currently trying to put together a script for a webcomic based around my original characters.

I have a lot of hobbies, but visual art is the one thing that has been a constant throughout my entire life.

What inspires you?

A lot of stuff inspires me. I follow a lot of artists on Tumblr and Instagram who influence me a lot. Some webcomics such as Ava’s Demon and Lackadaisy Cats, as well as mainstream Marvel & DC comics offer me a lot of inspiration as well. The movies and TV shows I like to watch offer a lot of inspiration, especially Star Wars. Music inspires me in all art forms. I have an eclectic music taste, but I would say the most inspirational music for drawing and writing is classical, movie soundtracks or instrumental, and for acting it would have to be musical soundtracks.

I have a lot of friends who also draw, write or act and they offer me a lot of inspiration. For example, my best friend who I met in an acting class actually, her older sister who has a webcomic of her own, and another friend who has lately been furiously writing a novel. They inspire me to keep working at my craft and to pursue new interests.

Telling stories is probably the reason I would say I do most things. Stories are really important to me and I love to read and see and listen to them. Visual art, writing, music and theatre are all different ways to tell a story and portray emotion.

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

Well, when I was around 8 years old I was really into neopets. I feel a little silly admitting that but I used that site for years. I was fascinated by the art people would create for their virtual pets. They took the time to create characters and character designs that were completely different from the source material. And their styles were almost always influenced by anime/manga which I didn’t really get into until much later. But I picked up lots of books on how to draw in that style, and sifted through lots of tutorials artists put up on DeviantArt. About visual art, it’s something I’ve definitely always loved to do and I don’t think I’d want to ever stop.

I didn’t develop a particularly deep interest in music until I was older, but I grew up singing in church and school choirs. Once I got older, and I guess, a little sadder, I began to really relate to and rely on and love music more than when I was younger. Acting wasn’t even something I considered until my junior year of high school, I’d always thought it was frightening. I took an acting class, the one where I met my best friend, and it turns out that it was something I really enjoyed. I’ve always said I wanted to publish a novel ever since I was younger, my love of visual art comes from a love of stories and characters and so I was also interested in writing. I always felt my visual art and writing went hand in hand.

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 signature on my art has changed a lot since I was younger. It used to be more definitive but now it’s simply my name and a year. I really like to use interstellar objects as symbolism or features in my art.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Love what you do. So many people will tell young visual artists that they have to draw every single day to get better. Acting in general is stressful and requires a lot of hard work, and certain people you interact with can be less-than-pleasant with personalities that don’t quite jive with your own. Writing can be extremely stressful for me personally and so I don’t do it often, but once in a while I’ll find the inspiration to pursue it again. I’ll find the joy I found in it once more.

What I’m saying is, if you want to explore an art, make sure you like it. Don’t force yourself into it. Take a break if it’s causing you stress. It should be fun and you should enjoy what you do, everyone deserves that from life.

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as biromantic demisexual

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

I haven’t seen anything specifically in any art specific communities or settings but I’m also not particularly public about my sexuality outside of my personal Tumblr.

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

I’ve seen a lot of crazy things on this website recently. A lot of bad stuff going around. Besides that, I’ve always seen people claim demisexuality is made up, so that’s never fun to encounter.

I think a lot of people just don’t realize how diverse asexuality is as a spectrum, and how people experience it in so many different ways.

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

You’ll figure out what labels best fit you over time, don’t be afraid to change them as you come to know yourself better. Your identity is your own, and no one else can tell you how to identify. Discovering your sexuality and using a label should be for yourself and no one else.

You’re valid. You can count yourself as a member of the LGBT+ community if you want that, and no one should tell you that you can’t. If a romantic or sexual relationship is something that you want, your identity will not prevent you from finding that. The right person (or people) will be able to respect your boundaries. And if it’s not something you want, you aren’t weird or broken because of it. As well, the right friends and people in your life will respect your identity, and if they don’t, you’re not obligated to keep them in your life.

Do what’s best for yourself, you’re amazing. Go live life to the fullest.

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

I have about a million places where people can find me, I’m kind of ridiculous.

Art Website: http://joniha.weebly.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/junebugjo
Art Blog: http://junebugjo.tumblr.com/
DeviantArt: http://joniha.deviantart.com/
Personal Blog: http://aahsoka.tumblr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgivenessiscompassion/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordieha

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

Interview: Kay

Today we’re joined by Kay, who also goes by Kaystronaut online. Kay is a phenomenal hobby artist who loves to draw and paint. Their work is truly extraordinary, showing an incredible attention to detail and just an astonishing use of color. There is obviously a lot of love put into their work, as you’ll soon see. It’s absolutely beautiful. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

OK, I am a hobby artist who works mainly with watercolor and various pens. I love drawing and painting my original characters but I also do fanart too. Lots of detail is a must! I got started with watercolor mainly because I have always been attracted to it as a medium and love its easy flow on paper.

What inspires you?

Lots of things actually. Catholic art, Mucha, manga. . . But movies and music are the big ones. I love Wes Anderson and Del Toro movies their visuals are always so stunning. I find though that the movies and TV shows I like don’t always match my own art style it’s a little weird.

But my favorite movies for inspiration have to be: Hellboy, The Crow, I Robot, The Dark Crystal, Jurassic Park and Megamind.

Of course Steven Universe is amazing too and also very inspiring.

eeerrr there is just too much inspiration out there!!

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

I have always been interested in drawing, but I think it was in 6th grade when it started and we had to draw a picture of a human heart. Afterwards the class was really amazed (I guess I did well meh). So I think it was others reactions that made me think that art was something I could do.

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?

Haha this is interesting I do have a signature it’s a triangle with the letter K in it for my name, though that’s not really a secret. I also love incorporating triangles and halos into my pieces because I think it adds a bit of mystery into my work. You find yourself wondering, “Are they working for the Illuminati?”

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

JUST DRAW!! No matter if it looks ‘bad’ just keep drawing and don’t stop. Fill a whole page with doodles. This is something I wish I did more of back when I was younger, I would always look at a drawing of mine and hate it and spend lots of time thinking about how to make it look perfect, when I should have just drawn without thinking it over so much.

And always remember: you can do it!!

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as Aromantic and Asexual (Aro Ace). I have always felt this way for as long as I can remember, in fact when I was younger I always thought people chose to be attracted to someone. It wasn’t until 2014 when I found out what asexuality was and started to identify myself that way.

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

Hmm because I’m just a hobbyist and have not come out to anyone other than my brother I have not run into any prejudice yet thankfully.

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

Probably that I am just really weird and out of the norm (but to me that’s more of a compliment so it doesn’t bother me to much). Though I can understand how that would bother someone who just wants to be excepted and not looked at differently.

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

This may sound cliché but just be yourself, and don’t rely on labels to much yo.

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

My Deviantart is where I am the most active. Feel free to talk to me I don’t bite!!

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

Interview: Gwyneth Ochsner

Today we’re joined by Gwyneth Ochsner. Gwyneth is a phenomenal artist who is incredibly versatile. They haven’t met a field they don’t like: writing, visual art, and music. Gwyneth is an artist who does it all. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

Most of my work is in illustration, and I do original and fan art. I prefer to work traditionally, with paper and pen, but I sometimes draw digitally in MS Paint. I’m also a writer, and have already finished writing one book, and am working on publishing it. I do write fan fiction, but I tend to write more original fiction stories. I hope to work professionally as an actor, with a focus on voice work. I also write music and sing, and have performed several times for my schools in the past.

What inspires you?

In terms of illustration, I am inspired a lot by comic book artists like Kris Anka and the like, as well as various artists online. However, I do often draw inspiration from filmmakers and animators, like Wes Anderson and Tim Burton, especially in regards to staging and colour schemes.

For my writing, I think two of my biggest influences are Douglas Addams and Laurie Halse Anderson, the former for his humour, the latter for her realistic and inclusive writing style.

My main inspiration for wanting to be a voice actor, if I’m being honest, is to be the voice of some child’s favourite character. I enjoy doing impressions, and nothing makes me happier than the absolute joy on a kid’s face when I do the voice of, say, a Disney character.

As for music, I draw my inspiration from various places, but an embarrassingly obvious influence on my original work is definitely the jazz music my dad always listened to while I was growing up.

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

I’ve always been interested in illustration, ever since I could hold a pencil, but I didn’t really start focusing on it until a friend introduced me to anime in third grade. I’ve been drawing like a maniac ever since.

Like illustration, I’ve always been interested in writing, but my interest in it has been pretty consistent, mostly spurred by my mother and Oma, my mother being a poet and screenwriter, and my Oma having been a librarian. Not to mention my whole family are bookworms.

I’ve always been a theatre kid, but what really made me want to be a voice actor was seeing an interview with Rob Paulsen, one of my favourite voice actors.

Also with music, I’ve always been interested, my whole family having been musically talented growing up, and my mother has a degree in music history and used to write songs for me and my brother when we were children.

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 particularly. In all aspects of my art, I still tend to experiment with my style.

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Whatever it is that inspires you, whatever it is you want to do, you hold on to that, never forget where your love of art comes from. There is so much you can do with your craft, and if more people put their all into what they care about and makes them happy, the world, I think, would be a much nicer place to be.

A Rose by any Other Name

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I am Aromantic Asexual.

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

Not much in voice acting, but plenty in illustration, and especially writing and music.

There are very few ace characters within visual art, and we seem to be non-existent in major comic books. It’s a similar case with fiction and music. There are next to no ace characters in popular fiction, and you would be hard pressed to find an openly-ace, popular musician, or any songs written about asexuality. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of romance heavy novels and compulsory heterosexuality, and forget about ace songs, it’s nearly impossible to find a song that doesn’t include sex or romance.

The biggest prejudice I’ve found in all of these is in the fan community. Fan art and fan fiction are very much driven by shipping culture, and a lot of fans refuse to accept any ace or aro headcanons lest they interfere with their ships. It’s really disheartening.

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

Well, the one that I’ve personally had directed towards me is the idea that I’m too young to know, that I haven’t met the right person, that I’ll change my mind someday. Basically that I’m wrong, that asexuality is a type of immaturity or that it’s just plain not real.

Although, while I’m on the subject of reactions to telling someone I’m ace: Don’t ask ace people if they masturbate! Seriously, I’ve been asked this, it’s just rude. If you wouldn’t ask a gay person that, why would you ask an ace person? Honestly!

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

I’ll tell them what I wish someone had told me before I went through years of discomfort and confusion: Asexuality means not experiencing sexual attraction. Aromanticism means not experiencing romantic attraction. Asexuality is a completely valid orientation. Aromanticism is a completely valid orientation. We exist. I exist. You exist. You are not broken, weird, or inhuman for not wanting to have sex, not finding anyone attractive, not wanting to date anyone, no matter what your classmates might say, no matter what your family might say. You are real. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

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

The best place to look would be my Tumblr: zeddpool. Other places are DeviantArt: 6ForgettheCookies9, AO3: zeddpool, Fanfiction: Gnoff, and my YouTube: Gwyneth Ochsner.

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

Interview: Mara

Today we’re joined by Mara. Mara is an incredibly enthusiastic and talented visual artist who enjoys drawing a variety of things. They enjoy drawing humans, animals, and fantasy creatures among other things. Their art has a delightful sense of whimsy to it and it’s obvious that Mara absolutely loves what they do. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.

Chinese New Year

WORK

Please, tell us about your art.

Well, my favorite things to draw are people, animals, furries and hybrid/fantasy creatures. My style isn’t always the most consistent but I have fun with it so it doesn’t usually matter all that much. I have a lot of characters and would like to produce comics and games with them in the near future.

What inspires you?

My main inspiration is the idea that anything is possible in art. The laws of physics, society, logic, and anything else can be ignored if you want. It can transport you to a different time and place, culture, world, universe, or simply another person’s shoes. It’s a powerful medium and a universal language. No two people’s perspectives are exactly the same, and art allows people to share those views with everyone else.

As for people that I look up to… I read a lot of manga and follow a lot of really cool artist.

Manga Artists: Irie Aki, Mori Kaoru, Douman Seiman, Inio Asano, etc.

Tumblr Artists: There are a lot, but here are a few of them

MewTwo Sweater

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

I got started with drawing Neopets and Pokémon. Shows like Naruto, Sailor Moon, Hamtaro and Inuyasha were also inspirations even though I didn’t draw much fanart for them.

I’ve always enjoyed doodling, even though I haven’t considered it a possible career until recently. It’s kinda silly thinking about it now, but one of the main reasons I began drawing more seriously was because I couldn’t afford to commission people as a kid, but wanted my characters to look pretty too. My art isn’t perfect or anything, but at least I can say I’ve come a long way since then (and have had the opportunity to commission some great artists since then too!)

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 have anything in particular that I can think of. The last iconic image I can remember using was back in 2010 when I was making a comic for myself and a couple friends. Every page had this little legged fish with cat ears named Landfish somewhere on it. The comic was basically giant inside joke & parody of all things anime.

Reading Arthur Fin

What advice would you give young aspiring artists?

Create what you love, even if it’s for your eyes only. Share what you’re comfortable with who you’re comfortable with. There’s only one you, and you’re the only one who can share your flare with the world. And know that if it’s something that you love, there’s probably at least one other person who will love it along with you… No matter how weird or bizarre it might be to the majority.

Also, there’s nowhere to go but up as long as you love what you’re doing. Nobody was born knowing how to do anything, and hard work & perseverance have a lot more to do with skill than being naturally good at someone. Keep creating whatever it is you love, and when you feel like your art looks especially bad that usually means improvement is right around the bend. Climb past the art block and boredom. Strengthen your weaknesses, find something that excites you and inspires you. If you feel like you need a break, take it, and come back with fresh eyes, ears, or mindset.

Spright

ASEXUALITY

Where on the spectrum do you identify?

I identify as a panromantic-demisexual, but still find myself more on the asexual side of things.

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

I have. I can’t say I handled any of it very well though since I tend to avoid conflict.

I said I was ace to my bi friend and they responded saying maybe I was pansexual. I just said that was pretty much the opposite though and the conversation moved on.

Another time, someone I know started talking about sex. It made me uncomfortable so I mentioned that I was ace. I thought it would help move the conversation along but instead it turned into a “How to be Sexual & Do the Sex” talk. They didn’t listen to me when I insisted it wasn’t an issue, so I wiggled out of the conversation and haven’t been able to talk to them since then. I feel kinda bad about feeling awkward around them, but it feels really weird being patronized like that…

Thankfully my partner is accepting of my sexuality and super supportive. I’ve also been fortunate enough to make some really great friends who have also turned out to be ace or demi. It’s really great having a few people in my life who are completely understanding. My family is fine with it too, but took it more as a celibacy statement than anything. For religious reasons they reacted much more strongly to finding out I was in a same-sex relationship.

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

The biggest misconception… I would have to say is that asexuals can’t be certain they’re asexual unless they’ve tried having sex (and if they didn’t enjoy it? It wasn’t with the right person or it was with someone who wasn’t skilled enough.) Sexual people know they’re sexual long before they have sex though, so it miffs me that it’s so hard for them to believe the opposite can also be true. If you have to try something first to know if you like it or not, then every heterosexual person needs to try having homosexual sex at least once to know they’re not bi/pan/gay/etc.

I’ve known gay people that’ve experiment with the opposite sex for that exact reason, but at the end of the day they’re still gay. It’s also important to note that sexuality can be fluid, and things may change. Everybody is different, but there’s no deadline for having it all figured out.

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

I would have to say, don’t compare yourself to other people. You don’t need anyone else to approve of your sexuality for it to be valid. Being ace has a lot of benefits to it too. The main thing being, we don’t have to worry about getting caught up in the hook-up culture.

For me at least, the biggest struggle with accepting my sexuality was my curious nature. When something’s popular, I want to know why and to form my own opinion on it. This made growing up in a sex-obsessed culture really confusing. On one hand, the media promotes sex like it’s the holy grail… then on the other hand religion often treats it like the end-all of sin (except under very specific circumstances) … And I just never “got it”. There are so many double standards too, I feel like life is so much simpler without it all. I’d be lying if I said I never wondered (and sometimes still wonder) how it would be to be just like “everyone else”, but I’m really glad I don’t have to worry about any of the issues that can go along with an active libido. I’m glad I can focus on self-development instead of self-promotion. I’m glad that I can be just friends with someone. I’m glad that I can offer another perspective on sex to this beautifully diverse world. I’m glad that I can share words that will hopefully help some of you out there who feel alone.

I hope that those of you who are currently struggling will also find joys in being ace.

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

At the moment I’m only active on my Tumblr (marachi-art.tumblr.com) but I’m thinking of starting to use Twitter for original works and sketches too. We’ll see!

Thank you, Mara, for participating in this interview and this project. It is very much appreciated.