get inspired: Dahlya

graphic by me, photos (from left) by A.B. Reich Photography, Kate Roberts, me (I think)

I recently started a new series of posts about my two favorite things:  creativity and inspiration.  As a "creative" person, I am constantly searching for inspiration to fuel my creativity, and I thought it would be interesting to ask others about what they are passionate about.  This is the third interview in the series.  See the previous ones here.

Dahlya has been cracking me up since we sat together in the back of 8th grade English (we may have been shushed by our teacher multiple times).  She is one of my best friends, and I am so fortunate for her friendship.  She inspires me everyday!  Check out her blog Funny is All I Have.

Everyone who knows you knows you're hilarious. Would you say that comedy is your biggest creative outlet?

First of all, thanks for the flattery. My ego just grew about 4.3 times larger than it already was. An yes, comedy is not only my biggest creative outlet, but also the biggest part of my everyday life. Even in my toddlership I can remember attempting to make my peers and family laugh, and when I did not succeed I would say to myself, "I make myself laugh." This is still the case. However, as far as creative outlets go, coloring books come in at a close second.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I wish I had a better answer for this question, but honestly, my inspiration comes from anything and everything. Life is just funny. Also, if anyone ever offers to pay me for being funny- that's super inspiring. 

What's the funniest thing you've experienced recently?

The funniest thing I have experienced recently happened to me two short days ago. I was walking out of Bryant park with my friend, Jen, and a 40 year old gay man with a camera crew and a microphone approached us and asked, "For a dollar, Mindy Kahling or _________ (I can't remember her name)." We answered with a confident, "Mindy Kahling because she's great on The Office and Indian food is our favorite!" To which he responded, "Really? Indian food?" Then handed us both $1 and walked away. We found out we had just been interviewed for the Fuse television network show "Billy On the Street" which is part of the Funny or Die channel and will premiere in December. Look it up, it's hilarious. 

Besides that, I think mostly everything is funny. For example, I'm watching women's swimming in the Olympics right now. They are competing in the butterfly. That's hilarious. Ten women swimming like butterflies in a pool. Butterflies don't swim- they drown. 

This past year you started an all-girl comedy group at your school. Why was this important to you and what do you hope to achieve with the group?

There are a few answers to this question:

A) My all-female comedy group, Damsels in Excess, was mainly started because some friends and I simply wanted the opportunity to perform comedy. 

B) The comedy world is highly dominated by males for many reasons (but is becoming increasingly less-so, thanks to groups like Damsels and movies like Bridesmaids). Not that this is a bad thing, but it's time for a change. 

C) I'm a raging feminist (maybe I'm joking, maybe I'm not).

I hope that with this group, the other girls and I can learn a lot about comedy, have fun, make people laugh, and successfully sync all of our periods at the same time.

I look up to you so much for your drive. What motivates you to achieve your creative goals?

I'm not exactly certain what motivates me to achieve my creative goals. There are many reasons for this, but mainly, comedy is an innate part of my soul (or lack there of). I'm not sure how else to put it. There's no better feeling in the world than hearing people laugh at you... in my case at least. It's the most effective way I can spread happiness without getting STD's.

How would you describe your personal style or aesthetic? 

My personal style as a comedian has yet to be defined, and will never be a static aesthetic, however I sense I'm close to discovering somewhat of a definition of my "persona". I'm fortunate enough to have been born with certain facial features that seem to inspire laughter without me even saying anything. Also, I'm finding that my strengths in the comedy come from thinking in another direction. The medical world may define this as extreme ADHD. I define it as... oh man, I could really go for some mint, chocolate chip ice cream right now. 

I love you.

I love you more. Someday when you're a successful costume designer/ blogger with millions of clients and followers, I'll be honored to live in your basement.

get inspired: interview with Maggie of Marvelous Meandering

graphic by Maggie

I recently started a new series of posts about my two favorite things:  creativity and inspiration.  As a "creative" person, I am constantly searching for inspiration to fuel my creativity, and I thought it would be interesting to ask others about what they are passionate about.  This is second interview of the series.  See the first here.

As a longtime reader, I have always admired Maggie of Marvelous Meandering for her love of the written word.  On her blog, she describes herself as a "generally enthused aspiring librarian and author."  Can you get any more awesome?

I know you're a big lover of literature. How does what you're reading at the moment influence your creativity?

What I’m reading influences the mood I am in, which affects how creative I feel and what I feel like creating. If a book is really well-written and has left me with that frustrating yet wonderful “Now what?” feeling, I usually am inspired to write (though often get frustrated by the “Why do I bother?” feelings that my subconscious likes to throw at me).

Where else do you look for inspiration?

I draw the most inspiration from words—individual words, quotes, stories, lyrics, and so on. I keep a list of my favorite words and am constantly writing down quotes I read and hear that strike a chord. Even when I doodle, about eighty percent of the page is words. I feel that words are most powerful tool of creation and expression at our disposal.

I am also very inspired by well-made things. You can tell when someone didn’t put their heart into something, but half-assed it or solely did it for attention or money, and that’s always very disappointing to me. I like to see things that I can tell the maker put time, love, and meaning into. Just a few examples off the top of my head are The New York Times, Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley, and everything about the musical Rent.

When I read your blog, I am always so impressed in how well you write. Would you agree that writing is your biggest form of expression? Why?

Definitely. It’s what comes most naturally to me, and the element that I feel most comfortable in. If you couldn’t tell from above, I kind of have a love affair with words and the way you can piece them together a million different ways to make a million different meanings.

When you're feeling writer's block, what do you do to get over it?

Sometimes, you just have to walk away. Leave it alone for a while—go get a snack, call your best friend, watch an episode of Will & Grace, and go back and try again. Other times (such as when there is a deadline involved), your only choice is to push through it. Those times really suck.

What goals do you have for writing?

Simply to write more. I want to start writing more stories–fictional and not. I want to push myself so that one day I might write something that others find worth reading. I want to be a novelist.

What other creative outlets do you most utilize and why?

Photography, definitely. I am notorious among family and friends for having my camera in everyone’s face and making people (mainly Melany) pose for pictures. (What can I say? I like to document.)

I have also dabbled a bit in making videos. Nothing fancy, just funny bits from my friends and family mainly. I did make a video that highlighted some of my favorite things about Austin for a friend that is planning to move there, and enjoyed that. There is a lot more that I want to do video-wise, but I need/would like to get a better camera first.

How would you describe your personal style or aesthetic?

I am sure there is a common trend in my style, but I am not seeing it, and cannot think of an encompassing phrase to describe it. I just know what I like when I see it. I have a lot of superhero t-shirts and skinny jeans, but I also have twenty-seven dresses and three pairs of Steve Madden heels. I found a long white, pleated skirt that I love at an old lady’s estate sale one day, but hanging next to it is a leopard print, lace long-sleeved mini-dress with bows on the back. I have many pairs of shoes that I would feel okay wearing to a job interview . . . and then I have my vintage pink sequined Keds.

Check out Marvelous Meandering for more of Maggie!

get inspired: interview with Amy of Seafoam Eyes

graphic by Amy

I'm starting a new series of posts about my two favorite things:  creativity and inspiration.  As a "creative" person, I am constantly searching for inspiration to fuel my creativity, and I thought it would be interesting to ask others about what they are passionate about.  Here is the first of what I hope to be many interviews with some of my favorite bloggers about what inspires them.

Amy has a lovely blog at Seafoam Eyes.  We have been blogfriends for a few years, and last summer we met for the first time at a Harry & the Potters concert.

Where do you find the most inspiration?
I find a lot of inspiration in books, and films. Most of my inspiration in life is gathered from the pictures of the lives of characters and settings painted by authors and filmmakers. For instance, right now I'm completely enamored with Louisiana, and have been reading books set in the deep south and watching movies set there. For me, inspiration comes from immersing myself in another land. I suppose it's sort of like traveling, except I get to stay home.

How do your surroundings affect your creativity?
Greatly. I find that if I'm not in a place where I'm comfortable, or can make myself at home, inspiration and creativity come to me more difficultly. I'm most creative when I am at ease, and in an environment that is tidy and aesthetically pleasing.

How does pop culture/the internet influence you?
I couldn't say that it doesn't influence me, because of course it does, it influences everyone, but I'm definitely very selective in my tastes and what I become interested in through the internet and pop-culture. I've built a comfortable bubble that includes certain aesthetics, and I tend to let in only what I am genuinely interested in. That being said I think pop culture and the internet as a whole are brilliant tools for educating ones self, and for the act of discovery. I've discovered so many amazing things through the internet, and they've all affected my life, outlook, and personality in one way or another.

What made you start blogging and what has kept you going since?
I began blogging at sixteen. I had just had a minor foot surgery that was keeping me out of ballet for a good six months, and my mom suggested blogging as a creative outlet. All-in-all I'm quite surprised I've kept blogging all these years, and that it's progressed into something so much larger than my sixteen-year-old self could ever have imagined. I kept blogging, definitely for the amazing creative outlet, but also for the fantastic community of amazing, creative, and uniquely talented people I've met through it. Blogging just wouldn't have its appeal if I didn't have the opportunity to connect with so many other like-minded bloggers in the process.

I've been reading your blog for years. Every time I read it, I get this urge to grab a cup of tea or write a letter to a friend. Is this what you're going for?
I don't know that I'm exactly "going for" anything. My blog is like an extension of my personality, and drinking tea and writing letters is most definitely a part of who I am. If reading my blog gives people the urge to make themselves a good cup of tea and write letters then I'm very glad! Because writing letters and drinking tea is AWESOME, but I wouldn't say I'm aiming to make anyone do anything other than possibly look at life with a lovelier outlook.

What creative outlets do you most utilize & why?
Well, most definitely blogging. As I mentioned, blogging is a way for me to better express my personality, and share the things I love in a creative manner. I also greatly enjoy ballet and piano as creative outlets.

How would you describe your personal stye or aesthetic?
My personal aesthetic is really just a conglomerate of all of the things I love, and personally find aesthetically pleasing. Like English gardens, contemporary architecture, Michelle Dockery, lemon meringue pie, and mens leather shoes. Maybe none of those seem like elements of style, but they are to me. They kind of paint a larger picture. I like my personal style to reflect the larger picture of my personality and interests, without giving away too much so as to leave some interest intact.

Check out Seafoam Eyes for more of Amy!