Author Andre Michael Pietroschek got in touch with his responses to our questions for artists. This is an ideal accompaniment to his interview with Fiona at Authors Interviews.

You can see Andre’s novel Ghosting Hour: The Vanishing of Raoul Makumba.

AC: Who are you and what do you do?
Andre Michael Pietroschek: I am Andre Michael Pietroschek, and I indulge the joy, of poetry, storytelling, and virtual, or electronic means of presenting and indulging them, when health and time allow me to.

AC: Why do you do what you do?
Andre: I feel better, when not being another drunkard lying before a TV. In my own understanding, the mind and personality need just as much exercise, and workouts, as our body.

AC: How do you work?
Andre: Freestyle, intuitive, and whimsical. I dislike applying a formula, just because it will succeed, as I cherish the process of finding my own solution more. Needless to mention: My way is not the best choice, for money-making and the easiest, superficial get-along.

AC: What’s your background?
Andre: Drifter, failed existence, born into a social-dilemma hotspot?

AC: What’s integral to the work of an artist?
Andre: His, or her, own free choice.

AC: What role does the artist have in society?
Andre: Artists can entertain, inspire, teach, and fill emergency vacancies (due to their advanced, and often graduated-academic degrees) and all of us are a safeguard against the rigidity of the system turning against its own people. Many are aware of it, some remain ignorant, and others dislike it.

AC: What has been a seminal experience?
Andre: Surviving. Surviving violent crimes, disease, homelessness, and being forced back into the same society, which against all scientific discovery, fucks it up time and time again.

AC: Explain what you do in 100 words:
Andre: I try to approach topics from unconventional, or unorthodox, perspectives, or contemplate, how the enemy must evaluate such. I may like Legolas Greenleaf from Lord of the Rings, but I would still wonder what makes orcs defile it all the way. Or, how it would be to know that from school and university, but being born in the lands of the Witchking forces us under the dark yoke anyway. Not exactly 100, right? Sorry.

AC: How has your practice changed over time?
Andre: Some progress, some degeneration. Refinement of chosen tools, poverty undoing exactly that, and the fact that years of really having done all the work resulted in being on routine with it.

AC: What art do you most identify with?
Andre: Free art, not art prostituting itself to a government agenda or religious doctrine.

AC: What work do you most enjoy doing?
Andre: None, but lifesaving never went awry, when I had to do that job.

AC: What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
Andre: Once we were happy and able to tolerate each other, without destroying the environment in record time.

AC: What themes do you pursue?
Andre: The ones I still find meaningful, and the once, which allow me to help the community. The latter only, when I want to. Like opposing #rapeculture.

AC: What’s your scariest experience?
Andre: Having to live in a Germany, which prides itself to be not like Adolf Hitler, while the problems escalate manifold?

AC: What’s your favourite artwork?
Andre: Life, mother nature really deserves that award. Some could say, so does Death.

AC: Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
Andre: My ego was adamant when the sales all failed again, but a smile on my face, for the one file, which made me produce those audiobooks, podcasts, and ebooks scored, as a personal gift to a pal in “Down Under”.

AC: What’s your most embarrassing moment?
Andre: Checking sales numbers, or my bank accounts.

AC: What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
Andre: German Red Cross, Art Gallery (sales & restoration), Administration Lackey, Service Hotline, plus: The one homeless person aka bum, or vagrant, who did not get a single cent into that emptied, beggar coffee-to-go cup!

AC: Why art?
Andre: Guess it is like: Why breathing?

AC: What is an artistic outlook on life?
Andre: Trying our best efforts, correcting our mistakes relentlessly, and never allowing logic, or trauma, to end our joy for life and happiness?

AC: What memorable responses have you had to your work?
Andre: My first two ebooks failed, but were used as an education project, so poor children can get cost-free schooling.

AC: What food, drink, or song inspires you?
Andre: Too much of the unhealthy sort, and I am a nicotine addict.

AC: Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
Andre: I prefer solitude, and no, artists must not be lonely. It depends on choices, ways of income, and social surroundings. And yes, some artists are at least part-time prostitutes, which I do not condemn, albeit afraid of diseases.

AC: What do you dislike about the art world?
Andre: We sacrifice ideals without guarantees that it will get us paid, or allow us to continue.

AC: What do you dislike about your work?
Andre: Most of it. Never yet happy, never yet content.

AC: What do you like about your work?
Andre: Sometimes it did help people, who really deserved help.

AC: Should art be funded?
Andre: Art shouldn’t be depending on funding. It should be an inborn right to sell the own creative products.

AC: What role does arts funding have?
Andre: I am the wrong person to ask about such (lack of expertise).

AC: What makes you angry?
Andre: Abuse, irresponsibility, politics at expense of the people, people allowing violent crimes to defeat our democracy.

AC: What research do you do?
Andre: I fell back unto online research, though that is really a VERY minimalist solution.

AC: What superpower would you have and why?
Andre: Faith in humanity overcoming our own failures and mistakes. Because somebody must face God, and give it a try.

AC: Name something you love, and why.
Andre: Animals, they never fucked-up like humanity did.

AC: Name something you don’t love, and why.
Andre: Having to correct other people’s mistakes and neglects. It proves our democracy flawed, just, as it does prove our ideals can fail.

AC: What is your dream project?
Andre: Actually… Letting go, occult aka spiritual preparation, in case I die a good death.

AC: Name three artists you’d like to be compared to.
Andre: No, I am not about mind games (associations), nor for personality cult, and neither about brainwashing.

AC: Favourite or most inspirational place?
Andre: Home, isn’t it?

AC: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Andre: Find the way that works for yourself, the rest is just talking and posturing.

AC: Professionally, what’s your goal?
Andre: Establishing myself, as glorifying bum shelter wouldn’t really solve the problems either.

AC: What couldn’t you do without?
Andre: Faith & fortitude. Or adapting to new goals.

AC: Andre Michael Pietroschek, thanks for your answers and your time!