Illustrated portraits celebrating queer folks and their hobbiesA personal project by Evie Godfrey AKA Ragtag Ratbag (she/ they/ them)Do you identify as queer and want to get involved?
Huge thank you to all the fab queers who got involved in this project so far!
Ruth (she/ they)
"I really love stitching patches on my jacket. I have been traveling much of the last four years, and find it quite grounding to pick up colorful little mementos along the way and add them to the collection. The patches themselves can be quite a conversation starter, but secretly I love it most when people compliment my neat stitching.The act of handstitching is very meditative, and collecting patches from where I travel or from people and movements I connect with also helps me feel grounded as I continue to move through the world. I like to wear my beliefs loud and proud so other people around me know that they are safe with me."
Eli (they/ them)
"One of my favourite but obscure hobbies is collecting old space themed stamps. I don’t collect any other stamps — only space themed ones. I love Sci-Fi and spacetravel in general– so when I came across the first stamps in my parents house I’ve been hooked and been looking for more at flea markets and online.I love how detailed they are on such a tiny surface area and how they summarise that humans have this fascination with the same thing all over the world. It makes me feel connected."
Liam (he/ him)
"Musique concrète allows me to take control of and repurpose typically unpleasant and triggering auditory stimuli.It acts as a productive outlet for me to make genuinely fulfilling art without needing expensive instruments or music theory.It also helps with healing my inner child who never felt creatively competent. It is part of a much larger picture of sensory reenchantment for me."
So (they/ them)
"Dressing creatively and cute makes me feel in a good mood overall, it's like customizing or making a fun character of yourself haha.Video games have always been a part of my life and I feel they can also be a form of art and involve so much creativity and story telling and I love being part of those stories in a way."
Ruby (they/ them)
"Being immersed in nature makes me feel truly alive. Exploring forests and woodlands and taking in the beauty of the trees, the way they form and grow and each have their own story. Climbing them (kindly) heals my inner child every time too.Trees, moss and wild growths are my biggest inspiration for my poetry. My dream is to be sitting in a tree and writing. Nature is inherently queer, follows no rules and knows no bounds. I love being in awe of nature’s presence, and it’s even better if I am experiencing it with the people I love."
8riar (they/ them)
"I was an only child, so being able to have fun by myself was always tough.With a book though i could be kept busy for hours!It felt so special to be able to experience the world from so many different points of view.Reading has allowed me not only to have more empathy for other people but also understand myself more."
Hannah (she/ her)
"Lesben Stammtisch' (Stammtisch is the german word for gathering/meet up, but has a culture to it) a small weekly group gathering with other lesbians watching queer dating shows, go bouldering, or meet up at the park and yap about dates, exes, and crushes.I feel seen, safe and learn so much about them and myself and laughter."
Alli (he/ him)
"Analogue photography challenges me to just be in the moment and to not worry about imperfections.As a self-employed creative I find that this can be incredibly helpful for relieving creative burnout and for giving me an outlet where I can express myself without having to worry about the work being sell-able."
Andi (they/ she/ he)
"I love coffee. There’s so many different types of coffee beans (sweet/ fruity/ citrussy etc) and lots of care taken along the process to get to our cup.I like using a v60 because it can help make a really great black coffee (if done well— there’s lots of factors that can be controlled to change the final outcome and that’s the fun of it!! Discovering what method makes the coffee taste best— like a science experiment that u can drink!)."
Cameron (he/ him)
"I love painting night-scapes and the sea! Being stood with an easel, half covered in paint and music blasting!I always liked being driven through busy cities at night as a kid and despite the fact i could live more in the middle of the midlands, I also really like dipping my feet in the sea. Good for the soul.It keeps me sane. It gives me time to focus and process the rattling in my head whilst making something lovely! It's also a bit of peace away from it all, cos its one of the few times the kids leave me to it"
Carmen (she/ her)
"I love anything creative but I’ve really been into punch needle lately. I find it relaxing and it helps me disconnect from everything else while also making me feel pretty cool once I finish a project!I also love dancing. Nothing feels better to me than feeling yourself listening to a song you love and letting your body move and talk however it wants.Both these hobbies are ways to express myself and my queerness in a way that sets my body and my mind free."
Bonnie (they/ she)
"I have adhd and struggle with perfectionism, so for me, hobbies don’t tend to be things I can focus on and hone, but more so, ways to satisfy the dopamine monster residing inside my brain. While sometimes I wish I could just sit down and perfect one craft, I do love that I have gotten to try so many new things and discover enjoyment in places I don’t think I would have ever thought to explore otherwise : )I do have some consistencies luckily, I love a card game and my heart will always belong to the theatre, even if I’m not as active with it as I used to be."
Blake (they/ he)
"Writing helps me get all of the thoughts out of my very loud head & soothes my soul in a way that nothing else can.It’s really rewarding afterwards to read a full piece.I love writing poetry, songs, think-pieces & sometimes short stories & I could spend hours doing it."
Amanda (they/ them)
"My fav hobby hands down has to baking or cooking a new recipe & also absolutely anything crafting & being creative. I love crochet though it does not always love me and right now I’m very into making jewellery and all things beads.Also! my earring collection is over at least 150 pairs all either handmade by me, thrifted, or gifted to me by my loved ones :) being able to show my personality in every outfit, even on days I have to be very professional, is very important to me.I have spent a lot of my life trying to fit in and be normal but i was always seen as different from other folks who were raised as girls. There was always some reason or another I didn’t quite fit in.I think it’s a lot of factors starting with being fat & queer and ending with being someone who lives with OCD & is bipolar. That is why choosing for myself as an adult how I want to exist and show up in this world, although challenging every day, has brought me so much joy!One of my biggest passions is working with kids. I work with kids who’ve experienced a lot of trauma in their short little lives so teaching them the power of embracing their own creativity and living authentically only brightens the resilience that already glows within em. For me now, its all about what brings me joy and how can I share that with those I love around me :’)"
Aaran (they/ them)
"Talking to trees is so grounding, whenever I feel like I need to share in the ancient, unapologetic and deep energy of the earth I'll talk to a tree, connect with its energy and spirit, and always feel so held and nourished."
Kate (she/ her)
"My fav hobby is thrifting! Carboots, jumble sales, house clearances, flea markets, questionably filled skips!Upcycling pieces of furniture with added whimsy and new wave folk art, being able to make something beautiful out of something discarded makes me so chuffed!Reading historical fiction/women and queer working class social history and spending any amount of time outdoors foraging. Bonus points for any activity I can do inappropriately dressed with wellies on."
Avery/ AB (they/ them)
"I have drawn & created ever since I was little, I used to make up stories and scenes with toys and draw to explore my interests.It feels so powerful, it’s such a great way to express emotion and feelings when they get a bit to heavy or intense! I feel that it’s also helped me find people I really connect with, it’s opened up so many spaces and exciting opportunities for me. I felt like the past couple of years I’ve really discovered myself and most of it is down to being an artist and just drawing silly goobers or fan art!"
Penny (she/ her)
"Strolling around nature, smelling flowers and touching leaves, stretching and sitting down on grass. Reading and listening to music and a bit of dance there.It feels so grounding, things are moving at their own pace, space and time and its such privilege to witness it!"
Georgia/ George (she/ they)
"Dance is my long time favourite thing and also my job, but currently it’s learning BSL!As a neurodivergent person, learning BSL has opened up a whole new world of connecting with people & understanding/expressing emotions. Engaging my brain & body simultaneously brings me big amounts of satisfaction and calmness."
Al (they/ them)
"Yarn spinning is tactile, repetitive and colourful. It completely turns my brain off. It's also totally unnecessary these days to spin yarn by hand.I spend a lot of my spinning time thinking about how many humans throughout history had to spend much of their times spinning yarn. I also think about the colours and what or who they remind me of. "
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