Art Chowder January | February, Issue 25

C helsea Martin lives and works in Spokane. You might know her from the Spokane Zine Fest, which she started in 2017 with her husband, Ian Amberson. Zine Fest received a SAGA Grant in 2017. Chelsea received an Artist Trust GAP award in 2019 for her novel in progress, Notes for my Autobio Docudrama. Chelsea is a multi-dimensional creative who writes, draws, creates comics and zines — small press, limited run, paper-based books. What brought you to your current work? What or who are your inspirations, teachers, influencers? I struggle to define my influences, mostly because I don’t see my work as similar to any of the authors I love. I think of art and writing as forms of entertainment, so I’m trying to entertain myself as I create work. That has meant lots of different things to me over the years, so I take on different forms and styles to keep myself entertained. What are you working on now? I tend to have a few different projects going at once. I’ve been working on a novel for a few years. I have some short stories I’m working on. And I’ve been writing essays and satirical stuff for The Inlander. What are the best ways for someone to engage with zines, writing or graphic novels and other forms of art that writers create? From an artist’s perspective, I think zines, chapbooks and comics are a great way to explore ideas in an experimental, exploratory, low-risk way. So, coming to works made by other people often feels immediate and raw and more personal than, say, a novel. Who are your favorites? What should our readers be exploring or seeking out? Juliet the Maniac by Juliet Escoria, The Idiot by Elif Batuman, anything by Hallie Bateman or Darcie Wilder or Dash Shaw. Do you have any publications or recognition? My book of essays, Caca Dolce: Essays from a Lowbrow Life, came out in 2017, and I published a few other books of fiction before that. I have work online in Nylon, The Cut, McSweeneys, Electric Literature, and others. What other interests do you have and does this inform your work? I started out in visual arts and still love doing illustration and textile projects. I think being open to take on a project in any medium is a great way for me to stay invested in the process of making. If I get bored or frustrated with something I’m working on, I can work on something in a different medium. This keeps me actively engaged with the creative process while also giving myself a break from a particular problem. You can learn more about Chelsea Martin and her work at her website: http://jerkethics.com January | February 2020 33

Art Chowder January | February, Issue 25 | Page 33