A Letter To Our Readers:
I’m writing this on the eve of my 31st birthday and thinking to myself “how did I even get here”. The past year has truly been something I can hardly put into words. I am sure if you are reading this, you have a light idea of who I am - but incase you don’t.. hi! My name is Alysia (pronounced Ah-lee-see-uh) E. Androsoff. I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan quite a few years ago with a Degree in Art History. After I graduated I took a few more years of classes and studied both Political Studies and Geography and I am a few credits short of a Political Science Degree. After that.. well, my path took me to Corporate America where I worked in Human Resources and Immigration. It wasn’t entirely short lived (but four daunting years), and after feeling like I was selling my soul..I crashed out in a Roger’s Work Booth in a Toronto Airport and quit my job with absolutely no plan, but to detox from the disaster that was my life.
Obviously, I had a plethora of free time on my hands, and even more pent up emotion. I grabbed my camera and my ipad and really just went back to my childhood roots. I thought of everything that ever made me happy. Things that weren’t influenced by anyone, but things that I loved whether that be at 8 years old, 15, 20.. you get the point. I began honouring myself, and a big part of that was creating.
So now we’re here. On edition 5 of a virtual magazine I’ve created (to do my part against combating the use of AI) something I’m so proud of, my solo art exhibition “welcome to my dreamscape, say farewell to my nightmares,” debuts on September 2 at The Eye Gallery, and I’ve just wrapped an incredibly successful summer photography season.
So with that, I'm giving myself my flowers and putting myself on the cover.
Keep reading, and find out more about me! Thanks for tuning in and sticking around.
From the desk of :
Alysia E. Androsoff
31 Things I've Learnt in 31 Years.
Closure comes from yourself not from someone else
Boundaries are yours to maintain not rules for someone else to follow
People can only meet you as deeply as they meet themselves
More often than not, people are not operating with honest intentions
If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck…
You can quite literally change your life at any given moment
When you operate in alignment with your souls purpose you will be rewarded
People want to see you react, do not let them it serves you no justice
Never shake the hand of someone you do not wish to have access to your energy
Never over explain yourself
Peoples negative words and reactions are likely a projection of something they have not dealt with themselves
Truly happy people do not care about the existence of others
You likely need a hobby
Never take criticism from someone you are not inspired by
No one knows you better than yourself, you make the choice at the end of the day
You have to live with the decisions that you make so make them wisely
Do not offer your opinion on something you know nothing about
Block everyone from your hometown and post whatever you want
Learning how to get over something quickly is the greatest skill to have
Meditate, meditate, meditate.
Honour your inner child at every age in the journey.
You will never know enough to stop learning
At the end of the day if you’re safe and in bed no one’s opinions matter, do not welcome their energy in your house
Their thoughts are their thoughts and your thoughts are your thoughts, never worry about what is in someone else’s head
Know when your plate is too full
Saying “no” can both elevate your timeline and set you back, learn to use it with caution
Your body will always react before your mind does, trust your “gut feeling”
Know you are not above anyone and no one is above you
Know when to walk away
Stay humble
In order to get over it, you have to sit with it
A game of 31 Questions:
I asked my close friends on instagram a few weeks ago for help. They provided me with 31 questions both silly and serious and interviewed me.
1. Who are your fashion icons and inspirations? During my day to day life I dress rather androgynously, so for every day style I really look up to Matty Matheson and Johnny Knoxville and Blake Anderson. When I have to dress up for events or leaving the house, I like to pull from them (while obviously they’re male presenting I try to honor the humility that they bring to their clothing) while scouring Pinterest which is another huge inspiration for me. The prairies is another massive inspiration for my personal fashion. My favourite pieces are lace skirts, cowboy boots and bolo ties so I when I need to represent myself I will always try to incorporate the prairies into my look.
2. If you could have unlimited liquid dispensed from each finger what would you choose? Water, liquid gold, o negative blood, gas, chocolate milk
3. What is the weirdest food combination you secretly love? Well I like ketchup with my perogies and in a Doukhobor house that’s crazy but also I like white bread w cheez wiz and jam.
4. What awful movie do you love? If you know me awful movies are my favourite genre but probably Chernobyl Diaries, 2012.
5. What theme song plays when you enter a room? Probably Kiwi by Harry Styles lmfao that actually plays in my mind quite a bit, or Mastermind by Taylor Swift.
6. Do you think there’s more eyes or legs on earth? This is going to give my a crisis but I’m looking at a spider rn so I’m going to say legs.
7. What seven dwarfs are you? Doc sun, grumpy moon, sleepy rising
8. What is your super power? Probably my intuition!
9. What color are you and why? Stonehenge fine art paper: fawn, why.. im going to be honest this was the first and only color that came to my mind (and it did come instantly). It reminds me of an old tortured poet soul.
10. Do you ever talk about your sexuality? I actually don’t publicly talk about my sexuality because I don’t think it’s anyone’s business who I do (or don’t) sleep with, and I also think it’s the least interesting thing about me. I talk very freely and often about my sexuality with my close friends. But considering this is my own platform, this will probably be the one and only time I talk about this publicly - I refer to myself as queer but identify as asexual/panromantic. I have been celibate since 2019!
11. What is your astrological sign? I am a Virgo sun, Scorpio moon, and Leo rising. I know.. it’s a lot!
12. What's one thing most people don't know about you? I have a few different forms of synesthesia, including time/space and chromesthesia which is a main reason why I enjoy music so much. I see soundwaves in the middle of my mind that stem from my right ear and extend to the top of my left eye. And there is a sound wave for each different instrument or sound. Leandra Earls guitar solo in Edge of The Earth triggers this in the best way possible.
13. What's your relationship like with alcohol! I know you don't drink a lot. I actually to be honest do not really have a relationship with alcohol. With the medication I am on it makes me extremely sick and I could unfortunately vomit off of one sip. There are a lot of variables that need to be correct in order for me to drink!
14. Where do you find inspiration for your projects and what drives you to follow through with them? I am heavily inspired by the media I consume so a lot of initial inspiration comes from song lyrics, scenes in movies, videos I see on social media. Usually I will think about something I see or hear in passing and it will stir in my mind. I have to dream of something to be able to make it. Sure, I can draw off reference or photograph something, but for me to be invested in a project I need to dream about it. And once I dream about it, it needs to be created, point blank period. There is a list of art and projects in my phone and I just pick off the next piece at the top!
15. Thoughts on Justin Bieber (the answer is he is the best). Oh my god, truly I don't think I could formulate my thoughts on Justin Bieber in just a singular Q&A.. I could probably write an essay about him. I think he's a master composer and producer and is a literal savant. I wish nothing more for him than to have a peaceful rest of his life, and I think we all (collectively) need to give him space.
16. Which Era is most you? hahahahahahah I am the tortured poet that is my persona that is my brand that is me.
17. What has been your favourite Era of your life and Taylor Swifts? Okay if I had to take TTPD out of the equation my favourite Era of Taylor's is either Fearless or Midnights, and the favourite era of my life is the one I am in now!
18. What is your pop culture "Super Bowl"? Well.... it used to be The Met Gala to the point where it was my literal goal in life to Photograph the Gala, but after the recent collaboration with Amazon I have basically boycotted that shit entirely. I think my new Super Bowl will be The Daisy Chains fest by Olivia Rodrigo!
19. Favourite subject to shoot? Bears. No doubt about it.
20. Top five albums of all time? hehehehe scroll down :)
21. What is your favourite art medium besides photography? I actually don't even know if photography is my favourite medium at the moment. At the present time I love linocut!
22. How do you navigate a job that is so social with a chronic illness. Ah... This is the question of all questions. So first off there are two parts to my chronic illness. First, I have C-PTSD, and then (for the people that don't know: I was in a coma because my lungs collapsed due to an allergic reaction to medication and now need a needle to stay alive <3) I have my physical limitations which mostly affect my eating and my skin and my overall energy. I first off always plan my day around the food I'll have available to me, and when I'm on location this is incredibly challenging because I struggle so much with eating. So I map out what I'm going to eat and when I'm going to eat, because I'll either throw up or pass out. After that... it's mind over matter. I have to put myself first in social situations, so if I have to step out of the room and go sit in my car or on the patio for 15 minutes I will. If I have to wear my ears (headphones) again I will. If I have to crash out in a parking lot with my best friend, again I will! I always show up, but I always give myself grace as well. Plus it definitely helps that most of the time, I am surrounded in really safe spaces with a lot of my friends!
23. When do I feel happiest? Max Capacity Happiest = Disneyland, Extreme Happiness = Pokemon Video Game Release Day, Daily Happiness = 8:30 PM after a shower laying horizontally in my bed fucking around on my iPad (procreate) in one hand, watching tiktoks in the other hand, and watching some kind of TV show on my laptop.
24. Favourite songs on Olivia and Gracie's new albums: The Knife by Gracie Abrams is actually one of my top 10 favourite songs of all time, it went straight to the god damn heart. Olivia... I am gravitating towards the cure. I will say that Daughter From Hell is.... head to tow remarkable.
25. Favourite cooking show? I absolutely stim over Master Chef and that show has taught me literally everything I know in the kitchen. I also love The Great Canadian Baking Show!
26. What is the story about how you got your cat and dog? Well.. Gilly was actually supposed to be a service dog. I had gotten her from a breeder who had raised service dogs in the past, and had lined up a trainer who was going to train Gilly in PTSD related tasks. We had began training and were a few weeks into it when the pandemic happened. At the time I was still incredibly sick and on a ton of medication so I was on house lockdown. Gilly and I worked on training at home and now if anything she's just a very empathetic and therapeutic pup. Figaro on the other hand came last November after I moved into a new apartment. He came from the Prince Albert SPCA and is an absolute angel who loves to sleep all day. Gilly and Figaro are besties <3
27. What's your dirty soda order? I don't shut the fuck up about the Strawberry Shortcake dirty soda from The Soda Stop
28. What is your Letterboxd top 4? Alice in Wonderland, Wake Up Dead Man, Don't Worry Darling, The Outsiders :)
29. What Pantone Color would you say encapsulates your aura? The outer edge is Pantone 1807 and the inner core is Pantone 461
30. What is your favourite early 2000's comfort show? I love love Gossip Girl, and The Hills!
31. How does being queer come through in your art work? At this exact moment I have been trying to work through religious trauma which has queer roots attached to it so its inherently coming through in my art pieces that question more specifically the Catholic 'norms' of today. I also want to primarily work with and alongside queer creators in any way I can, so with photography I am almost always working with the queer community in Saskatoon in some capacity. I figure that once my current exhibition is over, I want to hone in on creating more queer centred art work in my own way!
Alysia's Top 20 Albums of All Time
1. The Tortured Poets Department, The Anthology - Taylor Swift
2. Daughter From Hell - Gracie Abrams
3. Pure Heroine - Lorde
4. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
5. American Idiot - Green Day
6. Sweetener - Ariana Grande
7. Man On The Moon: The End Of Day Deluxe - Kid Cudi
8. Camp - Childish Gambino
9. Greatest Hits (Deluxe Edition) - Fleetwood Mac
10. The Great Divide: The Last of the bugs - Noah Kahan
11. Californiacation - Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. Scarlet - Doja Cat
13. No Hard Feelings (Deluxe) - The Beaches
14. A Night At The Opera - Queen
17. Hot Fuss - The Killers
18. Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
19. Synthetica - Metric
20. GUTS - Olivia Rodrigo
to myself at 8 years old..
you knew you were different
to myself at 15 years old..
its going to be hell
to myself at 23..
we survived
to myself at 31..
be proud, kid.
- Alysia E. Androsoff
Upcoming Events -
"welcome to my dreamscape, say farewell to my nightmares," an Fine Art Exhibition by Alysia E. Androsoff, The Eye Gallery Saskatoon, September 2 - November 6 2026.
Credits:
Photography: Kris Bynes
Editing: Alysia Androsoff
Styling: Alysia Androsoff
Concept: Alysia Androsoff, Kris Bynes
Venues: Remai Modern, The Eye Gallery