Today we’re joined by Jainai Jeffries, who also goes by fydbac, llc. Jainai specializes in creating violent and erotic imagery to break through mediocrity. They specialize in concept design, tattooing, and violent webcomics. It’s clear they’re a dedicated artist, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to them for participating in this interview.
Warning: potentially triggering material in this interview and the images included. Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this interview don’t reflect those of Asexual Artists.
WORK
Please, tell us about your art.
Its aim is to murder off the mediocre and cliché.
What inspires you?
Exploring the unseen and untold. The countless unexplored (or rarely explored) ideas and concepts.
What got you interested in your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
I always loved fantasy and hearing stories I never heard before.
Where does “always” start for you? Let’s just say, yes; if we don’t count the half day I considered being a Veterinarian, or the month or so I reached out to the FBI about being a sniper/assassin.
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 hope that’s what you meant. Is it what you meant? …We’ll just say that’s what you meant.
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
Undercharging yourself (anything under $20 for line art) is a sign of an amature, and makes you look unprofessional (like you have no respect for yourself).
Don’t half ass shit: like relying on only social media. Work on your presentation and business as hard as you work on your craft.
But then again, there are folk out there who are half assing it, but still making $2k+ on Patreon, so da fuck do I know?
Point is…there are countless paths to maintain an art career. There is no “correct” one. But they ALL share one thing: Luck. [Don’t obsess over it.]
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum do you identify?
Sex: Ace [thought not ruling out demi, cause I think I have the capacity, but never had such a connection]. Romantically: Aromatic (my idea of “romance” doesn’t fit into the general category of this era I think).
Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field? If so, how do you handle it?
No. I actually still don’t understand how prejudice against ace is possible: The lengths folk go to infringe upon someone’s existence over something that ain’t they fucking business is just utterly ridiculous to me in general.
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
Probably, “you just haven’t found the right person yet”. That was mostly just before I realized I was Ace, or just as I was realizing it. Cause I have yet to share that I was Ace to those people, (no reason why I haven’t, I’m just not one to share myself unsolicitedly).
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
I don’t think I can give “advice”, as I never “struggled” about it. I guess I can share my personal attitude about things pertaining to myself? What other people think have no relation on what I think about myself and how I view the world. They have their world, and I have mine. Sometimes they brush against each other to learn from each other, but…yeah, my orientation has never been a “struggle”, so don’t think I can help
Finally, where can people find out more about your work?
Today we’re joined by Sweety ‘Aurore’ Mutant. Aurore is a visual artist who does a bit of everything. They draw and paint, both digital and traditional. When they’re not drawing or painting, Aurore is writing and while they haven’t had anything published yet, they’re working on a number of stories. Aside from that, Aurore is also into crafting and writing fanfiction. It’s clear they’re a dedicated and passionate artist, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to them for taking the time to participate in this interview.
WORK
Please, tell us about your art.
My art is quite diverse. I would say that my “main” medium, as in the one I spend the most time on, is writing. I am working on two novels and a short stories series right now (none are ready to be published yet because I am a perfectionist) and in the meantime I work on a lot of fanfictions (I have been writing a fanfiction about a 60s movie since July 2016, it’s about 75k words long now and not yet finished. Not yet published either, because it needs to be perfect, by that I mean good enough). I am also writing on a few Larp and video game projects right now. Yes, I multi-task. When I write, I am mostly obsessed with the concepts of subjectivity and points of view. How reality can change depending on who you are. (This must be why I love Larping so much)
I also draw/paint, both digitally and traditionally. Fanart and original art alike -plants, people, original characters, commissions…- I like pencil drawings and watercolour the most, even though I try my best to draw with ink, because it looks so gorgeous! Also Photoshop is my best friend, I spend several hours in a row often to paint on photoshop the details of something.
I also like to take pictures -mainly of plants and people, but sadly my old camera is dead and I haven’t yet found the money to buy a good one again. I have a few filming ideas too (mainly co-ops) but again, lack of material.
I also knit, crochet and sew, mainly costumes but also a few clothing items for myself or friends. I did cosplay long ago, but decided to leave the community,
Lastly, I also do happenings, of which there are rarely any picture. My next one with involve old domestic objects and plants, I will try to record its process.
What inspires you?
So many things! The people I see in the street, the world around me, my friends and their awesome ideas (I remember painting Henry David Thoreau as a hispter because of a university friend…), the Larps I play, the video games I play, the books I read, the shows and movies I watch… I have no shame about doing fanart and fanfiction, it is as worthy and honourable for me than any other form of “original” art. (Yes, I am a proud believer in the monomyth and the fact that there is no real “original” idea, and that the re-telling and the ways of representing is the only thing that matters, hence the important place of fan-work in my conception of art). Another source of inspiration for me is also the social and environmental context (I am working right now on an environmentalist happening).
What got you interested in your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
What got me interested? Oh what a difficult question! I began drawing and painting as soon as I could hold a pen, and writing once I knew how to. I was a very curious child/teen, so I learnt to knit, crochet, sew, embroider, and I soon made my own costumes and cosplays. Taking pictures and filming came later, when I was in High School because I studied cinema and arts then, and had access to good quality material. Writing for larps came also later, when I was more inside the community but I remember writing roleplaying games in middle school already.
I have always wanted to be an artist, yes. I tried to convince myself that I wanted to do other things as jobs to earn money, but yes, even studying for a Linguistics Masters like I do now, I know that in the end, I am meant for art.
K Family
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 have a signature I have been using since I was 13 or so, and writing this I realise how long ago that was, oh my! It’s a “R” in the right corner of the drawing/painting/picture, and at first I decided to use it for three reasons: it is the only consonant of my first name, it is a homophone of “air” which is my element, and it is the first letter of the pseudo I was using back then. As time went on, I also realised it was the initial of the first name of my idol and the rébus of the fictional character I relate to the most (Grantaire in Les Misérables)… two things I had not thought about at all when I chose that signature, and because of that I like it even more!
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
Work, work, work. Fail, hate your work. Work again, be proud for a day or two, hate it a week after. It’s normal to be proud of something and then to hate it, it’s normal to be envious of other people’s work, it’s normal to be discouraged, and it does not mean that you are not good. There will always be people who are better than you, and people who will be worse and jealous of you. Just keep working, and work for yourself. Do it for the fun, for the art. No one will be mad at you if you can’t finish something, if you abandon a drawing or a draft. If they are, they did not deserve you in the first place. Your art should be made for your own enjoyment first. Be selfish.
Marika
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum do you identify?
I identify as panromantic grey-asexual, or as I like to say it, I love everybody too bad I don’t like them. I really need to be in a very “special” relationship with the person to consider having sex with them, and I noticed that is had a lot to do with how much I find them interesting on the intellectual 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, mainly ignorance, incomprehension and the same old clichés than everywhere else. When I face an ignorant person in my field that is open-minded, I handle it by helping hem understand what asexuality is. If the person is, forgive my vocabulary, an imbecile that just want to cling to clichés and not learn, I handle it with a raised middle finger,
Silver
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
The old “you haven’t found the right person yet/it’s a phase” bullshit. What hurts the most for me is that I see such misconceptions about aces in communities like feminists or LGBT+ that, I hoped, should have been more open-minded than your usual human. I most of the time get this feeling that people just don’t try to understand aces.
Teach
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
I would say… labels don’t matter, as long as you feel good. You don’t have to fit into a category, what you feel and how you live it -alone or with how many partners you wish- is the only thing that matters in the end. Sexuality is fluid, don’t be afraid to change, as long as you feel right about yourself. Also, you’re the only one who know yourself, don’t let toxic people influence you towards anything you don’t feel comfortable with.
Finally, where can people find out more about your work?
Today we’re joined by Evelyn Lloyd. Evelyn is a young aspiring writer who is working on a number of interesting sounding stories. She plans to post her work on Wattpad. When she’s not writing, Evelyn enjoys participating in dramatic acting. She has a wonderful enthusiasm, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.
WORK
Tell us about your art
I don’t have anything published yet, but I plan to soon. My main project is a story called The Wishing Well. It’s about Simon, a small town Canadian teenager who moves to LA with his new step father. As he gets used to his new life, Simon is haunted by dreams of a strange yellow haired girl. When exploring his backyard, he investigates a sound coming from a shed which whisks him away to a world of demons, a complex society where a silent war rages. As a conspiracy unfolds right under his nose, Simon realizes this yellow haired girl is the key to winning the war, and he wonders about the voice that spoke to him the moment he left his own world “welcome to the wishing well, you asked for heaven we give you hell.”
I have two other side projects that are slowly making progress. The Hanging Tree and American Idiot
The Hanging Tree: Thirteen years ago, they were born into a sweat shop, into a place where they are doomed to work until their inevitable early death. With rumours circling about a way out, Kate, Alex and Mark begin to conspire about searching for the hanging tree–a supposed long dead oak–with miles of forest between the children and its location. After a narrow escape, Kate, Mark and Alex soon discover the many horrors lurking in that forest, and the reason no one has ever made it to the hanging tree alive.
I don’t have much for American Idiot, but it’ll be about four young adults living in America, and the way they were treated because of their sexual orientations, gender identities and race drives them to form a rebellion against the government.
The first chapter of The Wishing Well will most likely be published on Wattpad by (Canadian) Thanksgiving hopefully.
I also enjoy drama, but mainly for fun and competitions. I don’t plan to take it anywhere past high school.
What inspires you?
Music mostly. I got the original idea for The Wishing Well from the music video of Dead Bite by Hollywood Undead. I don’t have much that inspires my writing, usually I just give myself a basis, like that song, and I run with it. That’s what I like about writing fantasy and paranormal stories, there are no limits. Sometimes I get ideas for random stories I end up making a chapter or two for and get bored of it.
What got you into your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
I always loved to write. As a kid, I liked to describe different things I’ve seen and experienced in vivid detail before I slept that night. I loved competing in oratory competitions they had at school and I got complimented a lot by my teachers whenever we wrote stories in French and English class. Then social anxiety stopped me from sharing any writing with people, and a few years later, I found out about Wattpad, where I can show my writing to people under a pen name, so here I am.
As for acting, I performed in the musical our school had in grade 6, found out I was good at it and kept doing plays n’ musicals in school. My high school has a great drama program (we’re known as the beast from the east at festivals) and I really enjoy acting, so I do.
Do you have any special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?
I don’t think so. A lot of the creatures in The Hanging Tree come from nightmares and sleep paralysis I’ve had, but other than that I wouldn’t say I have anything specifically me.
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
This question makes me sound like a professional writer when I’m just a high school student haha. I’d say don’t procrastinate. Sit yourself down for about an hour and work on whatever you’re working on, even if you only write one sentence in that hour. Also you will not remember that plotline you thoughts of in math class. Write it down. Somewhere you won’t lose it. I don’t care how good your memory is you will not remember. You’ll mentally slap yourself for not writing it down when you draw a blank trying to remember it.
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum to you identify?
Asexual and aromatic
Have you encountered any ace prejudice or ignorance in your field? If so, how do you handle it?
Not so much in my field, but I do experience a bit in my daily life. My mother straight up laughed in my face when I asked her what she thought on asexuality, and most of my family says it isn’t a thing and the person will grow out of it, so I’m not out to them yet. The one thing that stung the most (and still sometimes gets to me) was a close friend told me he can “fix me.” He told me “its so good when its done right” and “I can make you want sex.” He crossed lots of lines when he started trying to touch me, though luckily it didn’t go any further. Needless to say, he’s not my friend anymore.
Another one is when someone I talked to on Tumblr they told me I was lucky for being ace because they thought their attraction to people was a curse. I don’t know why it hit as hard as it did, but I didn’t like the way the said I was lucky.
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
That aces can’t be in relationships and can’t enjoy sex. People don’t seem to get that asexuality is simply the lack of sexual attraction, not the lack of libido or romantic attraction. Another big one is that asexuality is the same as celibacy. Celibacy is like going on a diet; asexuality is like just not liking cake. Yet another is asexuality is a mental illness/hormone imbalance. A hormone imbalance would affect someone’s sex drive and libido, not their sexual preference/attraction. As for mental illness, the biggest thing is a mental illness impairs your life in some way. I can say with certainty my asexuality has not once impaired my life the way depression or anxiety does.
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
No matter what, you’re valid. You’re valid if your asexuality stems from trauma. You’re valid if your asexuality does stem from a mental illness. You’re valid if your asexuality stems from dysphoria. You’re valid if you enjoy sex, you’re valid if you’re in a relationship, you’re valid if you have a dirty sense of humour, you’re valid if you find people aesthetically pleasing, and you’re valid no matter your race, religion or gender identity. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You’re ace enough.
Where can people find out more about your work?
My Tumblr is https://h1tlerthestr1pper.tumblr.com/ where I don’t post much about my work (although I will once drama festival rolls around.) I do post a lot of ace positivity though!
My Wattpad is https://www.wattpad.com/user/LowBudgetCIA where I don’t have anything published yet, but I plan to in the near future. If you’re interested in The Wishing Well or random short stories I might publish make sure to keep an eye out.
Thank you, Evelyn, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.
Today we’re joined by Ty Jordan. Ty is a wonderful young illustrator who is just starting out. He’s experimenting with a few different styles. He specializes in what he describes as a “trippy realistic style.” Ty is currently trying to make his drawings resemble monochromatic oil paintings. He’s a very passionate artist who has a great amount of enthusiasm 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’m currently writing a novel where two of the central characters are ace, but I won’t be done for a few months because it’s very complex. I’d love to get it published so you could read it! That’s all for my writing.
My art is usually very busy looking, but the style depends on my mood. I split my works into a main series of related pieces and “pastime scribbles,” which are basically anything I make that’s not in a series. The series I’m working on at the moment is called Illusions and its main goal is to show the viewer a distorted reality that has vaguely familiar things, while also being very disorienting. There’s usually no specific message that I’d want the viewer to get because I want them to come up with their own answers and not rely on one definitive answer. It tends to be that what you see in these drawings says more about you than it does about me. Since people will always come up with their own meaning for things even if the actual meaning is explained, I decided I’d have a little fun and not give a viable answer at all.
One quick mention before we’re off to the next segment: One of my drawings looks like it’s clearly supposed to be upside down but it’s actually not. It’s made that way specifically to irritate that human tendency to want things to be easy to understand and well aligned with everything else we see.
What inspires you?
This changed a bit over time. In the beginning I wanted to be good at drawing because one of my cousins is amazing at it and I always thought he was cool. Around middle school I wanted to be famous, then I wanted money, then I just wanted to get better. Recently my life’s been a storm of s…sauerkraut. I think about my life a lot and the impact I want to leave behind, so that finds its way into my art. Life’s been really stressful and it seems like nothing’s working, and that along with a lot of discouragement and berating really put a dent in my self-esteem. I’ve been in this rut for a few months where I have a really hard time wanting to draw and unfortunately I’m still there. In mine own life it feels like there’s no point in trying when I have so much opposition and nothing seems to be paying off, but I don’t do it for my own sake anymore. The knowledge that there are other people like me in situations like mine makes me want to keep trying with everything I’ve got. I dedicate my art to them. The people like me who are around right now, the kids of the next generation, and all the one’s I’ll never live to see; I’m doing this for them.
What got you interested in your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
Whoops, I already answered some of this one! I’ve been drawing since I was four, which as long as I can remember. My drawings were terrible for a while, but I kept at it because I really enjoyed it. Like I said, seeing my cousin’s work made me want to take art seriously. Comic books definitely influenced my style, specifically any issue drawn by Jack Kirby or Steve Ditko!
Nerd tidbit: Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko both drew covers for Amazing Fantasy#15, but Kirby’s was the one used in 1962. Ditko’s cover was used as a limited variant for The Amazing Spiderman#700. Kirby also drew my favorite superhero: Black Panther)
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?
Funny you ask; there’s a character I put in most of my drawings called Peppermint Pete. He represents me and his location and actions in my drawings gives a glimpse into how I was feeling when I drew that piece. Bonus: my signature and handwriting are pretty cool.
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
You’re good enough! Keep at it! You won’t be at 100% all the time, but that’s okay! Take breaks! Don’t push yourself too hard! Your physical and mental and physical health are more important than the art you’re making! You can’t make art if you’re not alive, so take good care of yourself! Be consistent with your work! Make art and post on your platform(s) it even if it seems like nobody cares about what you’re doing; do it for you! Stay true to yourself. Even though you won’t get as much fan-fare in the beginning, there’s no other feeling like people being interested in your work solely because it’s your vision!
Kiki’s Delivery Service is a movie that really helped me get motivated again. It’s a movie that artists should definitely see! I’d love to talk about it more, but that’s not what here for, is it?
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum do you identify?
I’m asexual, but I’m cool with having sex. Some would say my pursuits are promiscuous, but that doesn’t invalidate my lack of sexual attraction. If someone told me I had to choose between sex and cheesecake, I wouldn’t even hesitate to give up sex for the rest of my life. As my romantic orientation — I’m not sure if I’m aromantic or not, but it’s not that big of a deal to me. Maybe I’ll figure it out one of these days.
Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field? If so, how do you handle it?
A few artists I’ve had to work around have been very ignorant about more things than asexuality and the LGBTQIA+ community. However, people generally know better than to try and say things that could get me upset. To put in short; I’m not the kind of the person it’d be a good idea to fight.
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
I’ve heard the tired arguments of “sexual attraction is what makes us human”, “But you’re so good looking”, and “That’s not even real”. Apparently, since sexual attraction makes us human, I’ve transcended humanity a long time ago. As for the other ones, I don’t care. People will be ignorant from sunrise to sunset. Unfortunately, being black in the U.S means you’ll probably be fetishized at some point in your life. Sure, I don’t have it as bad as black women, but if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been fetishized, I’d have enough to pay for college and an apartment in New York. Seriously, can somebody set up that deal for me? I’m gonna get fetishized anyway, I’d at least like to be paid for the inconvenience.
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
You’re valid. Whether you’re sex averse, you’re like me and it’s nice to you, or if your experience is anything in or outside of those bounds, you’re valid. Know who you are and trust in that; it’ll carry you through any storm. If you like the same sex and you’re ace, you’re valid. If you like the opposite sex and you’re ace, you’re valid. If you like men and women and you’re ace, you’re valid. If you like any gender and you’re ace, you’re valid. If you don’t subscribe to the idea of gender at all and you’re ace, you’re valid. If you’re ace, you’re valid. Not experiencing sexual attraction or very little is the only thing that it takes to be on the asexual spectrum. None of your other identities will obscure or invalidate your (a)sexuality. I wish you all the best in life!
Finally, where can people find out more about your work?
At the moment I just have a Tumblr: ty-jordan-ty. I’m working on a website right now, so whenever I have that up I’ll put a link in my description. I don’t have other forms of social media yet because I’m trying to focus more on my work rather than the platform I’d be using to present it. However, when I do get other forms of social media then I’ll also put that in my description.
You can also email me at tybrown099@gmail.com if you want to go that route. See you around! I hope you have a spectacular day!
Thank you, Ty, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.
Today we’re joined by Sophia Hodgson. Sophia is an amazing young visual artist who does a mix of original work and fanart. She uses bright colors and lines to bring vivid images to life. She’s a talented and passionate artist, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.
Abstract
WORK
Please, tell us about your art.
My work takes 3 forms: fan art, assignments, and anxiety. My personal work tends to revolve around feeling like an outsider, feeling empty, or feeling useless. I like using bright colors and big shapes.
What inspires you?
Dynamic lines, pretty colors, simple forms, and because I’m a student, deadlines,
What got you interested in your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
Not always. For a while I wanted to be a teacher, then I wanted to be a police officer, then a librarian, etc. I don’t think I settled on artist until Freshman year of high school, and even then I wasn’t totally sure. I got interested because it’s always been a fun thing I enjoyed doing, and I think I’m pretty good at it!
Do you have any kind of special or unique signature, symbol, or feature you include in your work that you’d be willing to reveal?
It’s weird, but I’ve been including fish in my work a lot lately. Especially goldfish, I love painting goldfish. There’s something about their blank stares that lets you project any emotion onto them.
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
Draw things you hate. Do things you hate, and don’t hesitate to ask for help! I hated painting for years but now oil and watercolor are some of my favorite media. I realized I had never really learned how to use them and sometimes it’s nice to have someone explain how you actually use turpentine.
Nine of Swords
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum do you identify?
Asexual/Aromantic
Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field? If so, how do you handle it?
Not in my field, no, day to day life is a different story though.
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
That I’m too young to know I’m asexual, despite everyone else my age being perfectly capable of knowing if they are straight or not.
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
Asexual doesn’t mean alone and neither does Aromantic! Romantic love isn’t the only kind out there, and anyone who doesn’t respect you isn’t your friend.
Finally, where can people find out more about your work?
Asexual Artists 