As a queer person, self-expression has always been important to me. Due to how confusing and specific certain labels are, I always feel like I must explain myself to everyone I meet about who I am and who I like, so I usually say ‘non-binary’ or ‘queer’ for simplicity. I am a lot of other things. I am a graphic designer. I am a deep thinker. I am a friend. I am just me. Art is a great way for people like me to express themselves in ways people might not understand.

As a person with OCD, I am constantly thinking about every little scenario and how it can go wrong or what I said wrong or how I need to correct myself the next time I see that person. I am never by myself in my own head. I don’t think I ever will be, but creating art has a soothing effect on me. Despite making mistakes, I never feel the need to overcorrect or fix everything. Instead, art is an opportunity to do something new and maybe the new idea is better than the original. I feel at peace when making art, which is rare for me.

I draw more gesturally instead of taking time to draw every detail. I am good at adapting to the circumstances and working with them. My pieces are not perfect when it comes to detail, but they show who I am as a person. I don’t work in realism; my work is intended to be abstract and shaky. I prefer graphic design because I can erase mistakes easier, but even that can take a lot of time. My art reflects who I am as a person, there is a lot more to it than what you see.