Interview with AJ from Swamp Froot: Queer, Creative Magic(k) Series
Meet a queer creator!
Welcome to “Queer, Creative Magic(k),” a multi-week series here at All The Threads. This series features interviewees at the intersection of queerness and art—a celebration of the resistance of queer joy to fight fascism. Today’s guest is AJ, the artist behind Swamp Froot.
Tell us about your work/favorite current projects.
Swamp Froot was kind of born during a huge period of transition for me. I had just been fired from a job I had been trying to unionize and felt such a deep sense of anger and injustice but suddenly felt so free at the same time.
As a neurodivergent creative, I have always felt pressure to conform to capitalism and societal norms of productivity in order to survive or “make a living,” so burnout caused me to lose touch with my creative spirit.
Once I was sort of forced to take a moment to figure out what I would do next, I realized I no longer wanted to participate in making a living if it exhausts me to the point that I’m not relishing in the good stuff.
So, I started leaning on community. Making communal meals with my humans where we would all contribute what we could, sharing and exchanging what was had in excess with each other. I started taking up offers of free items on Facebook groups, and even started dumpster diving when I learned many companies throw away SO many perfectly clean and usable things.
This also led to a lot of inspiration and projects that came from secondhand items I would find thrifting, dumpster diving, or even trading with friends. It became my form of harm reduction and creating over consuming.
I’ve taken a little bit of a rest this winter to recharge both physically and creatively; after packing up and moving further North to the woods, and it’s given me a lot of time to be more intentional.
I’m slowly emerging back into creating more and re-imagining older work that I’ve done—specifically my clay Labia Jewelry I’ve lovingly coined “Pussy Pendants” and lots more Art made from cool secondhand materials I’ve been gathering from all around!
I’m really pumped for Swamp Froot to evolve as I grow and gain a new perspective being closer to Nature and taking time to nourish my spirit.
How does your queer identity interact with your work?
I think Swamp Froot is a very loudly queer outlet for me. I’m very inspired by my own queer identity & community, queer culture, and pop culture in general. I’m always thinking of how I can make things gay when I’m sourcing supplies and finding things, lol.
How do you inject wonder and whimsy into your work?
I think we’re all feeling a little scared and uncertain during this time, and are looking for escape or reprieve in some way. A big inspiration behind my work is deeply connecting with silly, dumb, and whimsy as a means to radically stay alive and present in the midst of such shitty times. I’ve learned that laughter can connect us in a really healing way. Adding a fun, quippy element to my art pieces that mirror viral humor has been a fun way to connect through that universal desire we all have to remain silly in spite of the horrors.
How do you resist fascism with your work?
My work is so intertwined with my queer identity, my community, and uplifting my peers. I think like many other queer creators, the act of creating alone is a form of radical resistance against fascism. Making Art whether it’s good or bad is so important, I think.
That, and supporting other small Artists, creators, and businesses around you whenever you can.
What does queer magic(k) mean to you?
I believe Queer Magic(k) exists in every single one of us who are queer. We are so open to embracing who we truly are, the act of existing as our most authentic selves is a spiritual practice. It’s like, a divine knowing of our own self that I think is what the straights find so terrifying about us, lol.
How does your work connect you to the community?
Oh wow. My work has definitely been my direct line to community and a huge means of connection for me. I’ve met so many lovely humans that understand where I’m coming from and I’ve been able to experience interactions that I truly carry with me all the time.
I love getting to experience pop-up events and seeing in person reactions to my Art, and also meeting other Artists in the community. I’ve made so many friends and traded Art with insanely talented Artists, and it’s genuinely my favorite part of it all.
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Be sure to check out AJ’s work at Swamp Froot.
In Wonder,
Ivy Zeller (she/they)
Thanks for reading! I’m a queer, disabled writer/editor, and what I do is made possible by readers like you. You can support me in this journey in a number of ways: