Today we’re joined by Syd. Syd is a wonderful visual artist who specializes in cartoon-style images. She has a great eye and the images she creates have a sense of whimsy to them. It’s very apparent that Syd loves what she does, as you’ll soon read. My thanks to her for taking the time to participate in this interview.
WORK
Please, tell us about your art.
I mostly just do sketches and doodles but I occasionally line and color them if I like them enough. I don’t really do much realism, just my cartoony style ^w^
What inspires you?
Inspiration to draw just kinda hits me randomly, like while I’m listening to a good song or walking back from class.
What got you interested in your field? Have you always wanted to be an artist?
What inspired me to start drawing, during middle school, was a really good friend of mine who has always been an amazing artist. She was always drawing or doodling cute and funny things and it always made me really happy to see so I decided to try it for myself.
I’m not exactly professional artist material, though I love doodling in my free time, so I’m actually going to college to get a degree in biology.
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 really have a signature haha
What advice would you give young aspiring artists?
If it’s something that you’re passionate about, don’t be afraid to do it. No one starts out perfect, so don’t feel discouraged if it doesn’t turn out like you had hoped at first, and keep on trying! Try not to compare yourself to other artists too much; just because what you make doesn’t look like theirs doesn’t mean it isn’t just as amazing.
ASEXUALITY
Where on the spectrum do you identify?
I haven’t put a lot of thought into specifically where I fit on the spectrum. All I know is that I’ve identified as asexual since I was 15 (almost 4 years ago) and I’m perfectly comfortable with that. UwU
Have you encountered any kind of ace prejudice or ignorance in your field? If so, how do you handle it?
Fortunately I’m currently living in a fairly friendly and accepting community. When I came out to most everyone this year not a single person tried to convince me that I was just confused and some even went out of their way to understand more, and that meant the world to me. When I encounter people who don’t really understand what asexuality is or what it means, I will just try to explain it to them as best I can.
What’s the most common misconception about asexuality that you’ve encountered?
I’m sure every asexual person ever has heard the “oh so you reproduce by yourself lol” but along with that I’ve had a few people tell me “well maybe you’d like it if you tried it” or “you just haven’t found the right person yet”. All of these are frustrating to have to listen to -_-
What advice would you give to any asexual individuals out there who might be struggling with their orientation?
No matter how you identify yourself, you are valid. Starting to really think about your orientation can be scary, just know that you don’t have to put a label on anything until you feel ready. Give yourself time to figure yourself out. You’ve got all the time in the world.
Finally, where can people find out more about your work?
I post all of my art on Instagram at sydmyrs.
Thank you, Syd, for participating in this interview and this project. It’s very much appreciated.
Asexual Artists 