Artist Feature — Anaïs C.

Anaïs C. aka @clubofechoes & @interludetears

What led you to BTS?

I don’t even have a year of stanning so I’m a baby army.

I first heard about BTS when they released Boy With Luv. I was listening to Halsey a lot back then, but I didn’t really pay attention to Bangtan. To be honest, I remember telling a friend while watching an old YouTube rewind "I don't get why kpop is such a big thing. No one's talking about it around me, I don't recognise myself in their music. This is loud," or something like that. I was listening to a lot of rap back then and I think it just didn't suit my taste.

Then I came across BTS again in 2020 when Dynamite hit worldwide through ads, movies or just radio. The MV was very "smooth" with pastel colors, perfect haircuts and outfits, the high bridge, and the whole 70's aesthetic they were bringing was exciting. Afterwards, I spent a day in 2020 laughing at Carpool Karaoke, thinking “the guy speaking English is sooo fun and charismatic, he seems amazing”- hello Namjoon - but quickly forgot about them right after.

I got deeply interested after their 2021 Grammy performance where I was curious to see them perform after so many hours of listening to Dynamite. I found them very cool and started listening to some other songs out of interest. I first listened to Map of The Soul: 7 and I was really surprised by how different all the songs were. But it really clicked between us during BangBangCon in April 2021. I was really sad that day, couldn’t wake up in the morning, and saw BangBangCon and BTS trending on twitter. I got curious and ended up watching the 3 shows, enjoying their stage presence and performance, and that day changed everything. I remember tweeting “I am feeling sad that BangBangCon ended even if I am not an ‘army’”. Lol. I knew what it was like to be part of a fandom, and didn't want to fall in it again. But each day following gave me a reason to watch their interviews, silly moment compilations, choreography rehearsals, try to not laugh BTS challenges, Namjoon being a charismatic leader videos, etc. I realized how much joy they brought me in my life and admit I fell for them.

Who or what sparked your interest in art and tarot?

When I was in middle school, I got bullied like many other kids, especially in seventh grade. I got several strands of hair cut while I was sleeping during a school trip. They were making fun of how I looked, how I dressed, how I was walking, how I was eating, even though I was a perfectly normal kid. Even when I got my mom involved it kept going but it was more subtle and psychological. During that time I learned to hide my feelings because I didn’t want them to see I was hurt and, ever since, I have a lot of trouble expressing my feelings.

I found two ways to escape from that difficult period: fandoms I fell into (not to mention stanning Justin Bieber was another reason for my being bullied) and graphic design. I started with Paint - lol -, then upgraded to Photofiltre, and finally landed on Photoshop thanks to a friend's mom who was a graphic designer. I made friends and we connected through art. Most of the stuff I was doing was related to celebrities and movies, and I subscribed to a self taught graphic design discussion group to get better at it. And from that day, I have never really quit this hobby.

Growing up I didn't know what I wanted to be, and I ended up graduating from architecture school without really knowing what I was doing. During my learning, I spent hours in museums wandering, drawing, getting inspired by art in different ways, from studying history to visiting exhibitions. I think it’s an extension of who I am but I didn’t really notice for so long. I would say today I also use graphic design as an escape from reality. It helps me to feel more confident somehow, maybe because it’s something I've been doing for years now.

I got into tarot thanks to my really sweet friend Jade (@lyojade) ! When she was telling me about it, I was really curious. She pulled cards for me several times and I was stunned at how perfectly they reflected the situations I was in each time. More recently I also found comfort in tarot when I felt overwhelmed by this whole global situation. I discovered Mara’s instagram (@magicshoptarot) thanks to Kat (@cutiesexylonely), we talked, and then I booked a mid-year reading with Mara and she brought me so much comfort by understanding the mess in my head through tarot. It clicked in my head that I had to heal to move forward because skipping steps (healing steps) wouldn’t make me progress. I had to forgive myself for many things and I think that's how my Instagram (@clubofechoes), which was random, became my space to express feelings, through miscellaneous thoughts and colors.

Speak Yourself

What advice would you give those who are interested in art/tarot but are hesitant to try it?

If you’re interested in creating something, anything you want or you picture in your mind, my biggest advice would be to start. This is a big step to get past, because it can be scary. We are often used to justifying ourselves – why we’re doing this instead of something more productive that will help us grow financially, or something that will be useful for later. But to me art is a way to express deep feelings, insecurities, things we wish we would have been told.

I feel like there is inspiration everywhere, and we often feel worthless in terms of merit. Sharing your work proves your courage, and once you’re in it’s a ride with loops, resting time, free falls and climbs. I see art as a medium to communicate things. In my case, it's a way to describe the garbage in my head. It can be feelings, it can be random thoughts like I was explaining earlier, things that might have upset me, things that might have disappointed me or encouraged me as well... It's also a way to give me strength.

There isn't a right way to create, but if you look closely around you, you will notice there’s inspiration everywhere since art can be seen and interpreted in so many different ways. You can see poetry in the clouds in the sky, or the waves crashing on the beach. You can get inspired by the chills or feelings a song is giving you. By a conversation you had with someone. By almost everything.

If you’re allowing me to be your friend for a minute, this is the advice I can give you: if you want to try something but you don’t know how to do it, pick a style you like. What makes you like art ? Colors ? Shapes ? Maybe details in a small piece or minimalism in another. Ask yourself what you want to talk about. Is it: a movie, a song, an artist you like, a question or dilemma you have? Find something that inspires you and try stuff. The best advice I can give you is to try because even if you try and fail, you will learn, and that excites you. If you want to reproduce something but you don’t know how, ask your reference’s creator if they can help you. There’s no such thing as gatekeeping (in my opinion) and there are so many kind hearts here that are waiting to help you. Practice makes perfect. You’ll grow out of it, find peace, maybe put some order in chaos, enjoy the whole process. It’s supposed to be entertaining, maybe even liberating. Have fun, try things, share them. If you put your heart in it, people will notice and get excited about it. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I don’t consider myself an artist but I get support from so many kind people here, it makes me want to try new things and get better at it !