On December 31, 2018, a call for artists in our state was made to be chosen for the National Design. The requirement was to create a design with the theme “Power to the Polls” and use the three colors from Women’s March first logo. I had stayed home on New Year’s eve with the January 2nd deadline around the corner. While friends told me to come out to party, in the pit of my gut I smelled opportunity and didn’t want to rest till I produced art. No other point in my life did I feel like I was the most fit person for the job, as a feminist, cartoonist, Nevada resident, that drew really fast. The finished design is actually a second draft. It was crucial to represent so many women led movements and present issues in this one photo. I wanted to depict women uplifting each other, while representing women of color, the inclusion of trans folks, and the simpleness of their eyes would not signify their age group. It was a large task of really driving home inclusion without being a complicated design. The morning they told me I was chosen, I spent it crying. As an artist, I feel that while there are many opportunities, sometimes we get artist anxiety and give up on our selves far too soon. We intentionally miss opportunities despite being talented. I don’t want to live like that anymore at 2018. I originally hail from the island of Guam, so this is a big deal for me since my ethnic identity is oftentimes invisible minority. As a Nevada resident who is gung ho about activist initiatives involving art and women empowerment, my art work and endeavors don’t stop here at this artwork. There’s still more work to do in terms of the theme presented by the Women’s March that I will work tirelessly as a feminist cartoonist to celebrate and represent, such as body positivity and combating sexism in my comics. You can find more of me and my work at Plot Twist Publishing, a local comics indie press. Currently we have comic submissions guidelines open for the next couple of months and starting a comics progressive classes, so give us a add to learn more about what I continue to do in our beautiful Las Vegas Valley and how to be involved together.
