Hi! This month, I finished a bunch of still life drawings and a couple song demos.
"Plastic St. Catherine, plastic horse, plastic CD player", 8x12", marker and colored pencil, March 2026
I am continuing to try to see the hideous present for what it is. I love it in every way I possibly can while also trying my best to change it so the future might be less horrifying. I used to be very afraid of new things because the present seems so fragile. Sometimes it feels like I'm spending my last days with a pet that's about to be euthanized, trying to commit to memory all of its mannerisms and make my time with it feel as long and special as possible.
"Plastic dog, candles, christmas lights, smoothie, Toyota repair manual", 8x12", marker and pen on paper, March 2026
I'm trying to make art more quickly instead of being so precious about it. Drawing from my imagination has felt strange and forced, like I'm choosing to ignore something very obvious, so I've just been drawing whatever objects are in front of me. Sometimes I notice myself wanting to adjust them slightly to look more "natural" and recognizable. I try to resist the urge.
"Corner of Heather's house", 8x12", paint pen on cardboard, March 2026
"Shelf at Heather's house", paint pen on cardboard, March 2026
There is a brand new 2026 Subaru Outback in my neighborhood with a single bumper sticker that says "RESPECT PRONOUNS" on what appears to be an AI-generated floral background. It has an enigmatic, sinister energy. I imagine its owner carefully placing the sticker on and sleeping soundly that night, reassured that they have done everything they can to stop fascism.
I've been trying to come up with a new name to release music under and suddenly, it came to me: DJ Pronoun Subaru. I like that it's nonsensical but also sounds like a slur that someone could call me. And I think that the words, when all of their meaning and associations are taken away, sound nice together.
"Table at my stupid job", 8x12", marker on paper, March 2026
Telling people the name has been an interesting social experiment. My friends think it's funny, but when I tell straight people, I can see them get kind of uncomfortable and examine me to decide how queer I am, what subgenre of queer person I might be, and whether I'm making an offensive joke or not. The word "pronoun" itself has been charged with a mysterious sanctity among well-meaning cisgender people.
"Table at Sol's apartment", marker and gel pen on paper, March 2026
The DJ Pronoun Subaru name has unexpectedly helped me get past the stagnation I've been feeling with music. I think the silliness of it makes it easier to experiment without feeling pressured to do a perfect job. I like art best when irony is a protective case for something very sincere.
I finished a nightcore version of the song I wrote on my neighbor's omnichord in December:
I also made a demo of a song I've been struggling to record for a couple years. Normally I wait until I get a housesitting gig or something to record vocals where no one can hear me, but I just sang really quietly while my roommates were home.
I haven't figured out how to achieve the sound I'm imagining yet, but I have a lot of ideas I'm excited to try out in the next couple weeks. I broke my field recorder trying to throw it to my friend while I was on a swing set so I'll have to work with the limitations of my flip phone's mic until I find a new one.
This is a drawing I made of it a few days before the incident. RIP
"Stuff I took out of my pockets last night", 8x12", marker and glitter paint pen on paper, March 2026
1. "Hittin' Dat Gas" - Qemist
2. "Vacation" - Bassvictim
3. "Pure Snows" - 翔鍵YO!
4. "Frank Sinatra 2001" - Miss Kittin & The Hacker
5. "My Name is Nat Ćmiel" - yeule
6. "Cigarette" - Lil Uzi Vert
7. "Wandering Star" - Portishead
8. "Let's Be" - Black Dresses
9. "Knife Play" - Coco and Clair Clair
10. "Unusual Affection" - lartigue
11. "Ecstasy Spit" - harmless light
Contact max@maxwickstrom.com with thoughts/questions/music recommendations/whatever. Thanks for looking!
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