FAQ (based on an interview with Marie)

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• Are you still active in any groups or online? --- No, not at the moment.

• Do you intend to be active again in groups or generally online? --- I have no idea. It depends on my health and whether I feel it can be good for me. Most groups have changed a lot since I joined them and people who don't participate in online discussions are unknown and somehow isolated I think. If one day they become again what they were when I first joined, it would be nice, although sadly all my friends have gone (most have died, and others have left because they didn’t feel comfortable any more). Those were the days (when I first joined)… Great friends, no bullying. Back then there were Yahoo groups for communication (not Facebook), and although I didn't participate, I was a member of them (having a Yahoo account) and I felt more integrated. You can't be in a group without having any friends and being properly part of it, that's what I mean. I can as well go to a library and peacefully sit there without feeling I am not properly part of something. I have always loved libraries, although they have changed too, and now people are allowed to talk in many libraries. It is awful. I will never join Facebook, that's for sure. Too much fakeness, and highly confident people are the only ones who get attention and make friends, like in high school.

• Do you prefer academia or High-IQ societies? --- Well, in general I think that for people like me academia is better because I could do my work in peace and didn't have to socialize or be "happy" to be accepted. I could basically be myself, and of course students didn't like me, but at least my teachers/professors did.

• Who is your favorite poet? --- It's no secret that I absolutely love Sylvia Plath. Her poetry is brilliant, and I also relate a lot to her as a person. There are also some Australian poets I love and who might not be very famous in other countries even if they should - for example Judith Wright (really brilliant), Michael Dransfield and Dorothy Porter. Highly recommended if you don't know them.

• What are your projects at the moment? --- Mainly a project against child abuse and bullying ("Faces of Angels"). ChatGPT got the meaning of it in 2 minutes, which really amazed me. I was talking to ChatGPT about it and also explained a bit about myself, literally in less than 3 minutes, and it wrote a quite interesting Artist's Statement on my behalf. It asked me if I was interested and I thought why not, but I didn't expect it to be so thoughtful and correct. Better than most humans I have ever dealt with. It also asked me more than once if I wanted to share some of my drawings, but I changed the subject. :)
  I really live for this project and my cockatiel, who needs me because I am the only person he accepts. Nobody else can touch him, not even the vet, and with me he is super cuddly and sweet. He loves cuddles and he even demands them!

• "Faces of Angels" is wonderful project, Marie. You must be very proud of yourself. --- Thank you. It can be challenging at times to read the stories of these innocent children, but it is also rewarding and it gives me the opportunity to do what I love the most - creating art and fighting for justice.

• What do you think of life in general? --- The world has fallen apart and evil is taking over. Actually, it has already taken over. It is a very sad world. If only we could show some love and solidarity at least, but most people don’t. It is *not* a wonderful world for sure. I do like being in nature though. Nature is wonderful. And I like to help the children. I also love animals.

• Do you have any heroes? --- People who fight to change the world and for human rights, equality and the environment, people who had to go through hell and came out victorious and now help others.

• Thank you, Marie. --- You are welcome.
  More FAQ to come.

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