A couple days ago (feels like far longer ago with the amount of dissociation I've done since then), I presented as far more feminine than usual when going to hang out with a friend and to see my younger brother's final concert with the men's choir in which I sang during my four full-time years at the same college. That day, there was a massive open-house festival of sorts at the university, meaning the city was filled with high schoolers and their parents checking out the school, plus a huge portion of the student body. I freaked out no small amount when walking down the street in a laced peplum. Had a little photoshoot with my friend on one of the more flowered fields, which was perfect given my sketch game's prompt: "Flower Power". Based on that, I made this piece, which then commemorates the first time I presented as something other than a man. Given some less-than-fond memories of the excursion... I'd like not to forget the happiness and freedom I felt amid the fear that I'd face transphobia (and the transphobia I did face from my mother for that outfit this morning).

The deer here doesn't have a name, or really an identity, yet, but I'm inclined to make a character out of them to explore some nonbinary themes plus some other aspects of my identity. This being just a short sketch-y project, they might need updates before I do that with them, though.

In any case, the character depicted is neither female nor male! They use they/them pronouns, as do I now :)

(unrelated, a Good memory of the night was watching the film Phantom Thread... while utterly blasted. I strongly recommend this movie if you are okay with somewhat dark themes and... the emotionally abusive dynamics of patriarchy. It does a great job of portraying the feminine drive to reclaim agency in a world that so completely disempowers them, and portraying how toxic that dynamic can be, and how Poisonous the reclamation of that agency is driven to be)