Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jo Fischer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jo, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

As an artist, I find that everything I create is inherently risky. Whether I’m behind my keyboard writing my debut novel series or behind my phone posting to my audience, everything I create and share is a piece of myself. Being vulnerable enough to share something transformative with your audience is a huge risk—the risk of the work being rejected, stolen, or scrutinized. I’ve had my fair share of hateful comments online, and it can sting, for sure. But for me, that risk is worth it. There will always be an audience with which my work doesn’t resonate. I’ve found the reward of connecting with those who do find value in my art to be worth the risk.

Jo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Jo, an author, cosplayer, performer and filmmaker. My journey began with an instagram ad, funnily enough, as I doom scrolled during a holiday break with my family. I had been reading a fantasy series, reigniting my passion for reading like so many others during 2020, and my algorithm served me an ad for a fantasy ball in my hometown. I wanted to really live the fantasy and I’d always wanted to try cosplaying, so I found a ballgown and elf ears on amazon and attended all by myself. I was so, so incredibly nervous that I would feel alone, but what I found instead was an incredibly warm community of fantasy lovers.

I started posting some cosplay videos as various book characters online, and my platform grew. I attended film school, but had been working in the corporate world, and posting cosplay content online scratched that creative itch. As my following grew, I started attending events as a featured cosplayer, bringing the magic of my favorite books to life for the community.

Through my work online and at events, I discovered that many people in the community felt unrepresented by fantasy books and content, particularly plus-sized, queer, and BIPOC individuals. As a plus sized woman, I would hear from folks in the community that my page was the first time they had seen fantasy represented in a body that looked like theirs. I set out to change that.

Storytelling has always been at the heart of what I do, and so behind the scenes, I set out to write a fantasy book that felt truly diverse and inclusive. Chasing Starlight, my debut novel, is out on query and should be in your hands soon!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Being a creator online, particularly on TikTok, I was confronted pretty immediately with what I would call “cringe culture.” So many creators in the fantasy community receive comments, messages, and videos calling their content ‘cringe’ or ’embarrassing.’ I found that to be the case for me especially as a plus sized woman online – comments about my weight, calling my appearance and videos cringe and disgusting, were a daily occurrence at first. It’s easy to let that negativity prevent you from posting, but I believe it’s important not to let negativity keep you from creating art in a world that desperately needs it. I started living by the motto ’embrace the cringe.’ If something made me cringe or feel embarrassed, I would lean into it and investigate it. To me, that’s a huge part of the creative process – investigating the human condition and creating something that confronts it head on. The more I’ve ’embraced the cringe,’ the more I’ve created work that I’m truly proud of.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Community, community, community. I’ve had the pleasure of growing an incredible community of followers who support the work I do and who are genuinely impacted by the mission of my work in a positive way. I’ve also found incredible community with other cosplayers and authors. These relationships and collaborations have inspired me in my work but have also been a solid foundation during hard times in my personal life. When you are true to yourself, when you create art with no shame and show the world who you are with no reservation, you take a massive leap of faith. I feel so incredibly lucky that I landed in a community of others just like me.

This digital community becomes an incredible reality when I’m meeting the community face to face at fantasy events around the world. Being able to speak with a follower of mine in person, to offer a hug to someone who has commented on my posts or shared my content, is incredibly rewarding and surreal. It will truly never get old.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jofischerbooks.com
• Instagram: @highladyjo
• Other: TikTok – @highladyjo

Image Credits

Sami The Fae Photography