Who are you?
Hey, I’m Maïa or Meows. I don't really care. I use Meows as my internet name but I use my actual name depending on the context. Usually, if the creation is a personal matter. You can look at my About Me for more information if you'd like!
What is this?
Hi! I am glad you asked. This is my art page which is an extension of my main page? It's what I primarily do, at least what I am passionate about! I honestly don’t know how to describe what I make, it's just an attempt to bring my thoughts and writing into a reality or a visual medium. I don't think it is mixed media art! It might be sometimes. It's not really photography. I can't draw. I just call it “Photoshop stuff” haha!
What is Meowsatingflesh?
Meowsatingflesh is my…artist name? I suppose? I’ve always had an affinity for fleshy biomatter. The existence of a soul inside of a vessel and how that vessel can be a prison. I've always found myself resenting the vessel I inhabit, not thinking I was meant to be human or of this earth. A nebulous blob or…a cat! I have always had cats as part of my identity, so any cat thing would be here. I also use a lot of words like pulsating and writhing in my writing. I like to explore the organic and inorganic. How we are tethered to a vessel and what that vessel brings but also the mind and our interpretations. I’m sorry I am a bit of a rambler haha! Meowsatingflesh is all of that. To me personally, it's my pain and fear of living as I am. The hurt that the world intends to inundate me with and how I've harmed myself, but also the love of my flesh and mind. The troubles and trials, the torment of my mind, but the beauty, love, and passion. It is all of those things, the human experience of someone who feels inhuman.
When did you start writing? Why do you write?
I started writing since forever ago. When I was a little grubby baby. I was and still am an avid reader and I've always wanted to tell stories.
I remember how much I wanted to be Junie B. Jones. I was really stuck to this Junie B Jones/Dork Diaries writing. I still think I write like that!! Maybe just a bit more mature.
I used to do a lot of Wattpad blogging…If I could write I would just write. I even tried to write fanfiction (I never broke into that niche).
I have always been reading and writing but never loved poetry. I actually hated it. Found it stupid. I used to want to write stories, but I hated being confined to rules and styles. When I learned about free verse poetry ages ago my little kid brain thought “oh!”. At the time I never knew writing, regardless of its cohesion could be appreciated and beautiful. I remember reading and seeing excerpts of “House of Leaves” and thinking “i kind of do this!”. Yeah! I would say I just do free verse poetry now and creative writing.
I write because it's the way I can truly express who I am. Words limit me physically, but the pen… I am able to say anything so beautifully. Raw even. Nasty. Eloquently. I think no matter what I do or where I am I will always be a writer. It's in my blood.
When did you start doing this?
I started doing this photoshop thing way way back. I can't tell you a specific year. I would say when I was about 13 I started doing this stuff. I usually was just remaking cool manga panels with myself in them haha! I used to take shitty self-photography when I was a kid. I was really inspired by “melovemealot”. I don't know why but the photoshop stuff just clicked for me. I made lots of things in picsart as well. I started off using photoshop mix on a work ipad my mom gave me and using picart on my phone. I usually did recreations of things (Tokyo ghoul, homunculus, Tomie) but then started attempting to create my own original ideas. I won't be posting any of them, they sucked, and also I sexualized myself far too much in some of them (oh the woes of being an internet baby).
I took a small break from photoshopping, I made things here and there but they were always a bit samey and limited. I focused on horror with no real theme, there were inklings of just the duality of the body (overanalyzing my teenage work). I also was met with an icy reception from those outside of my online circle, it turns out many people do not follow a girl they find attractive to see freaky weird things, shocking!
I felt stunted, but I started to try again. I made some more subdued work with my laptop. Just one off creepy things. When my 7-day free trial of photoshop ran out I would make things on picsart. When I was I think 17 I found this game called “Everything is going to be Okay” by Alienmelon. I fell in love, it was brash and bold and loud but so meaningful to me. This is how I learned about zines. The style inspired me but it did not take its roots until 2022! I took a women's and gender studies class and our final assignment was to make a zine. I studied lots of zines and made my final project which has created my style (which is ever-evolving)! The zine is called Tender Flesh and it's a personal zine about my experiences being a black woman with mental health issues and my exploration and relationships with sexuality, gender, body image, religion, race, etc. It's definitely not perfect but I got a really kind comment from a classmate. They said it was so amazing they showed it to their roommate! Thats crazy!
From there I kept making longer form things that I could combine my writing with along with the scary one-shots I was accustomed to. It has been a crazy journey and Ive only started publicly posting my art in 2023! I hope to improve my skills and make more, bringing my writing and thoughts to life!
Why do you feature yourself in all your art?
I honestly was so inspired by “melovemealot” at the time that the style stuck. Sometimes I think it may come across as a bit self-absorbed haha, but I usually feature myself because I'm telling personal stories. I like to create creatures from my body or characters because I know my body, I feel wrong using someone else. If there is a humanoid figure in my art it will most likely always be me just because it's personal to me and I know how I feel about my image being used. I like the vulnerability it provides and I like how I can become different things. Even if what I may be creating is personal in some capacity, it definitely is for other people to value and relate to as well!
Why do you do this?
To tell stories and to express myself, but also for others in a way. I hope meowsatingflesh can mean something to others, a strange comfort in the stories being told or the creatures being made. That you are not alone if you too feel like you don't belong in this world. If you have been hurt or you find a strange catharsis and beauty in this world and this experience. I want to connect with others, I hope I can inspire others to tell their stories too, and not feel limited.
What do you use?
I write in my notebook or sometimes on a Google Doc or my phone notes app lol.
For my art
Camera: either my phone camera (not often) or my fujifilm finepix j12 (almost all the time. Got used off eBay). For a few one-offs and one project (an angel comes when she calls) my lover used their camera. It's one of those fancy ones.
Tripod: I use this cheap ass tripod I got off amazon
Program: Adobe photoshop 2023, now Adobe photoshop 2024. All thanks to the seven seas!
Anything else you use?
I use lots of free stock images and textures. I don't like to steal from artists that's not cool. I just use Unsplash and what not to find free assets when it comes to backgrounds and textures.
Do you do anything else?
I like crafts! I really love needle felting. I still have to build my needle felting compendium for this site, but you can hear and see all about that here!