there is no such thing as a real name

"ive found being acespec and arospec weird bc its hard to know whats different. i dont know what ‘romance’ is except that it’s not for me. working out the specifics for my labels is like drawing a line on a path i cant see"

this quilt square was shared anonymously!

about this project

"Transcription of the text: Sometimes I think that to be loved is to be touched. Like the inevitable consequence of existing around others. Some touches are gentle and kind, a soft stroke on my shell or the whisper of the wind. Others are worse. Without being harsh or hurtful. You can try to show me love and affection, but i can only retract so far inside my own self before all there is left is a hard shell to hold. My senses are my skin and my body is my home, please don,t come inside, this is all i have. I will bring you leaves and you can ride on my back but please don't come inside. You can use my slime and we'll wreck all the gardens but please don't come inside. I have no bones. I love you with all my self. Please don't come inside."

this quilt square was shared by @midferal-palchemist!

about this project

"A few years ago I started thinking about my asexuality/aromanticism like having a caterpillar in my stomach instead of butterflies. It was frustrating, because I never knew if my caterpillar was ever actually going to grow wings and fly around like everyone else's, or if the caterpillar was all I'd ever have. These are a few lines from a song I wrote back then - I was bargaining with my "stomach bug," still hoping I could manufacture attraction where there was none. Nowadays, I feel a lot more content with my little caterpillar and all the love I do have in my life, but it's still hard sometimes."

this quilt square was shared by @anna-scribbles!

about this project

this quilt square was shared by @romanticsapart!

about this project

this quilt square was shared by @posher10!

about this project

"My journey to self acceptance was filled with confusion and denial. I was so sure that even if I was not sexually attracted to anyone, I could still be romantically attracted. Somehow, it was a bigger shock to me when I realised I was aromantic. My friends and classmates always considered me the "hopeless romantic" in the group, and even if I was inexplicably grossed out, I internalised some of that. It also didn't help that my life was planned out for me to eventually end up married. This piece is some of my favourite memories with friends and family, paired with a poem I rewrote. I started it when I was 16 and confused if I had a crush on my best friend or just enjoyed my time with them. I continued it at 21 when I stayed up until 3am after realising I am aromantic. Today, I finish it for the aspec quilt. This is my proof that I care and I am cared for. With care, An Arab Aromantic Asexual 🧡💛🤍🩵💙"

this quilt square was shared anonymously!

about this project

this quilt square was shared anonymously!

about this project

this quilt square was shared by @ninadove!

about this project

"For myself, accepting myself as Ace became a mantra of telling my heart I am ok the way I am, repeating over and over again until it becomes etched in my heart that it is ok to just be me."

this quilt square was shared by @crystal-rosen!

about this project

"These are my favourite shoes. I added little aroace flag beads (and also purple and green beads on the left) on them. I don't live in a place where it's safe for me to be out openly, so this little symbol always cheers me up because I wear these shoes all the time."

this quilt square was shared by @knockoff-ostrich!

about this project

"I’ve been feeling a lot of hopelessness surrounding my future in many ways. Not just romance or friendship or even family, but about my desires to be a positive force in this world, and to contribute meaningfully to everyone I meet. Sometimes I think I’ve given up, but even when I’m at the brink, there’s always some small thing that demonstrates how meaningful I am, and how meaningful this world can be. There’s not just things worth living for, but things for aging for. I don’t know what my future holds. A fair share will be bad. But a fair share will be good. The road towards the end is just a road. It’s not malicious. I can do anything, and I will."

this quilt square was shared by Marcel Sling!

about this project

Edit: found it

I really liked the quick portrait I did on my last post of 13 in this green lighting. I redid it and went to just mess about and I'm pretty happy with the outcome!