PROFILING PEOPLE "LIVING IN PAWA"

Introducing DOMINIC D'ANDREA, a young "neuro-genious" hiding in plain sight.
Dominic is rockin' the Word Mandala T that they deconstructed to their own unique style.
I posed 3 questions, read the inspired reply.

Dominic in the deconstructed Word Mandala T-shirt at Outpost.

​How do you define yourself?
 
A weird trans queer thing that makes art and systematizes what it perceives. A collection of elements tenuously collaborating to reverse local entropy for a short time by forging billions of organized (albeit haphazard) connections.  

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​What inspires you?
 
My most consistent sources of inspiration are either from peers and other artists, or from a generalized bitter, stubborn, grim determination to keep going and see what I can see, get what I can get, and achieve whatever I can achieve. The first one is a generative, positive inspiration that leads to asking questions, making art, and seeking knowledge. The latter is what makes me work 2 jobs and smile to rude customers early in the morning when I want to be absolutely anywhere else, and overall makes me seek to continue living despite not believing in any higher reasons to do so. If this is all I get, I might as well try to get as much of it as I can, basically.   
 In terms of art, animals/anatomy/the workings of the body inspire me, capturing or combating fear/anxiety/dissociation inspires me, and making protective, explicitly meaningful art that makes the wearer/viewer feel more secure and powerful inspires me (especially if it's something that they can use to feel that way while confusing/alienating/enticing strangers on their own terms*). 

​What do you want?
 
I want to feel like there's solid ground beneath me and like I can live enjoyably right now without screwing over my hypothetical future self. I want to be able to live with my friends and some pets without needing to worry that we aren't safe. I want to help those around me do more of the things they want to do, and for them to help me with the same. (I also want to either stop bordering on an eating disorder or else lose weight - one or the other.)
*For me, there's a lot of strength and security in being able to feel like I'm weird and alienating on my own terms. If I look and act anything like I want to, I tend to get stared at and commented on in public. It can be very unpleasant, depending on the type of attention it is. I feel much, much better about it if they are staring because of things I choose (like odd fashion) than because of things I didn't choose (like being trans). It's a way to take agency over the way I move through public social space, which often seems hostile to myself and my friends and community. I like having that for myself, and providing it to others, for instance by painting a t shirt specifically for them.