ANNA SWISHER IS OUR MVP
By Daphne Bryant
All images courtesy of Sydney Ciardi
If you haven’t met Anna Swisher, you are missing out. A student athlete, soccer captain, beautiful model, gay icon and all-around creative genius, Swisher is the future of intersectional art and inspires me so much. As founder of Dreamworldgirl Zine, I had the honor of working with her to produce MVP, a shoot that pays homage to women’s sports, different athletic bodies, and the femininity and creativity athletes bring to the table, despite stereotypes. Earlier I got to interview my dear friend as well: here is anna’s story.
Q1: Tell us a little bit about yourself! Who are you and what made you want to create the MVP shoot?
A: My name is Anna Swisher, all my friends call me Swish. I am a senior BCE major at Emerson College and a student athlete at the same time. I wanted to create this MVP shoot because it really speaks to my own identity. I have always been athletic and was super coordinated growing up due to my genetics, so my love for sports came very easily. Then I found soccer and never looked back. I also grew up with two parents who are creatives, so naturally I resonated with being a creative person. I loved to draw, loved to paint, and ultimately loved to do anything that allowed me to express my creativity. This MVP shoot combines my love and passion for both. You can be a creative athlete, who said you have to choose?
Q2: Where did you find inspiration for MVP?
A: Growing up I didn’t notice it as much as I do at Emerson and I really do think that has a lot to do with where I grew up: LA. LA is very diverse and I grew up with all kinds of friends; so many of us were gay, so many of us were into fashion, but a handful of us also happened to be athletes. In LA it's NORMAL to do everything or have passions and in completely different fields. I would act in a play and then go to soccer practice. I did ballet for a while and I also played the drums for years along with the violin and I am also an amazing artist but at Emerson no one would know because people are so blinded when they see SOCCER or ATHLETE. My goal for this shoot is to show the different layers of who I am but also the struggles of female athletes as a whole. At first glance people in class look at me and see a straight white female athlete who probably isn’t very bright or creative when in reality I am a proud gay woman with a beautiful girlfriend who has created the floor models for multiple companies, love to talk to people and talk ideas, and have so many goals for the future. I think it's so important to show that representation that no matter what you look like or who you are, you can be creative and have a voice. I also really wanted to give a safe space where athletes feel beautiful and confident in themselves, oftentimes female athletes or queer athletes aren’t represented in the media and if they are it has nothing to do with their beauty. Body image within the sports world for girls is terrible and i’e heard too many friends and teammates hate the way they look simply because they are strong, powerful, and healthy and I want athletes to look at this shoot and think I am beautiful and I can do whatever I want, and it doesn’t have to be about sports.
“ At first glance people in class look at me and see a straight white female athlete who probably isn’t very bright or creative when in reality I am a proud gay WOMAN with a beautiful girlfriend who has created the floor models for multiple companies, love to talk to people and talk ideas, and have so many goals for the future.”
Q3: You are also doing some styling for this shoot! What is your relationship with clothes and fashion like?
A: I love clothes. Other than my love of art and growing up drawing and painting and the creative things, the first thing I found on my own when it comes to expressing myself creatively was fashion. Growing up in LA is brutal, the expectations are insane. Everything is about how you look and to a young little girl that can be so damaging. My relationship with clothes started negatively in the sense that I wanted to fit in but once I realized I can wear whatever I want trendy or not I started to love myself again.
Q4: In recent years womens’ sports has seen a resurgence in popularity, and we are coming off huge successes in the 2024 Olympics. What are your thoughts on the current state and future of women’s sports?
A: I think with the Olympics and WNBA (Caitlin Clark, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, llona Maher, all amazing female athletes) in particular that women’s sports are heading in the right direction. As sad as it is, the more views, the more money. With women’s soccer and women’s basketball and especially with all the icons in the Olympics, things are going to get so much better in terms of equality in every aspect. I think it’s time that women's sports get much more representation.
Q5: What is it about Dreamworldgirl Zine’s mission that appeals to you?
A: For me a huge part of it is that Daphne is an amazing human and I knew working with her would be inspiring and super fun and easy. The mission and value of this brand also speaks to me because it's a safe space for women to be creative, be themselves, and show all things girlhood. I also love the nostalgic Y2K vibe, it makes me happy haha.
Q6: What do you hope the reaction to MVP will be?
A: I hope everyone eats it up. But honestly I just really hope people are able to resonate with the concept and be able to feel like they were represented. I also hope it serves almost as a small educational source for people who know nothing about sports or female athletes. I hope it encourages those to explore women’s sports and understand so much more goes into sports and the athletes who play them, there's more to the game and more to the player than just running around and getting sweaty.
Q7: What message do you have for athletes that want to pursue creative fields and maintain their artistry?
A: DO IT!!! WHY NOT!! Do what you love and do what makes you happy, being an athlete is an amazing part of who you are but it doesn’t mean you have to stay in this box. There’s so much more to a person than being an athlete, it's just a quality, a characteristic, something that just makes us happy but it doesn’t mean it’s my whole life.
