Entries Tagged as: interview
Standing at Water’s Edge: An Interview with Anne Paris
November 3rd, 2009, Comments (3)
I'm so pleased to be sharing this interview I recorded last week with Anne Paris, author of Standing at Water's Edge: Moving Past Fear, Blocks, and Pitfalls to Discover the Power of Creative Immersion.
I read the book a few months ago, and as I told Anne, it's just filled with underlines, notes in the margin, and dog-eared pages - signs of a well-loved book. There's great discussion on how even the introverted among us, reach out for connection in our own ways. I could relate to that considering how much work I do to reach out and connect others here on this blog!
I hope this interview will provide some extra inspiration for those going through the Art Every Day Month process. (I love to listen to podcasts while I work!)
The conversation is about 20 minutes long. You can listen to it here, by clicking on the link below or you can save it to your computer to listen to later by right-clicking (or ctrl-click on a Mac) on the link.
Enjoy!
Video Interview with the Gorgeous Goddess Leonie
September 25th, 2009, Comments (8)
CreativeEveryday.com interview with GoddessGuidebook.com from Goddess Leonie on Vimeo.
Oh my goodness!! Leonie is the bestest! I absolutely loved chatting with her in this video chat. I could hardly get over the fact that we were talking and seeing each other from opposite sides of the world!
Ok, so my video half was a little wacky with the light behind me (holy halo!), I was looking down to watch Leonie's face on my screen, and I kept leaning out of the picture even though Leonie gave me the tip to stay in the center. Doh! But those are teeny tiny things. The great part is there's lots of fabulous information about Leonie's amazing courses, a truly sublime visualization, and lots of laughter and smiles. Bliss!
You can check out Leonie's Goddess School here or check out the Goddess School HQ on Ning. Term 1 begins on September 28, and there's two luminous Goddess courses you can enroll in - a Creative Goddess e-course and the Making Space for your Goddess to Shine divine decluttering e-course.
What’s Inspiring You Lately?
September 3rd, 2009, Comments (15)
Yes, I'm curious. What's inspiring you at the moment? Are there any books or tunes or artists that are lighting your inner fire?
I'm constantly adding to the list of what juices me up and I plan on sharing some of those things throughout the month. I'm super excited about and inspired by the wonderful guest posters who will be sharing stories of inspiration here throughout the month. Jen's post yesterday was fabulous!
I've had a fairly quiet day today for the first time in a solid week and so I thought it'd be a great moment to share a few things that are inspiring me and ask you about your current inspiration!
Nature: I'm feeling inspired by and grateful for the gorgeous weather. I took a walk down to a nearby river where I ate my lunch and wrote for an hour. It was lovely. I'm always inspired by sitting in nature and near moving water.
Books: I'm currently reading: The Wishing Year: A House, A Man, My Soul A Memoir of Fulfilled Desire by Noelle Oxenhandler and absolutely loving it.
Music: Somehow I missed out on the music of Arcade Fire, but the song "Wake Up" in the trailer of Where the Wild Things Are (also very inspiring, check it out below) was haunting me, so I got the album the song came from and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
Inspiration Journal: I keep a nifty inspiration journal by my bed. It's one of those thick, red, canvas-covered, blank journals you can get in book stores. I keep it to do very light, low-pressure, playful collages and doodles in whenever I feel like it. It's fun sometimes to tear through catalogs and magazines, ripping out images of whatever catches my eye. I glue them in in a pleasing fashion and sometimes write words alongside them. Looking back through it today, it felt like I had been writing a visual love letter to our first home. Sadie helped me flip to this page today. I like all the muted colors and textures here.
Interview: I loved this video interview of Dirty Footprints Studio's Connie on Darrah's blog, artcetera. Connie is too cute! I loved when she said, searching for your artistic voice is like searching for your own nose, it's already there, you don't need to find it!! Ok, she said it better than that, so go over and listen for yourself. And if you'd like to hear more of Connie (and me!), tune into Connie's blogtalk radio show this Sunday, September 6th at 6pm EST when she'll be interviewing Jennifer Lee and I about our Creative Play workshop in Boston this month and lots of ways to add creative play to your everyday life. You can even call in and say hello!
Writing: I love Eileen's writing. This post about the times between our creative pushing and the meanings behind our obsession with Buffy (or whatever it is you're obsessed with) is saying about you, is a great example!
Podcasts: I love to listen to podcasts, so I'm super excited that the fabulous Jamie Ridler has started her own all about creative living! Check out her very first podcast here.
And the list could go on and on and on...But for now, I bid you adieu.
p.s. Please send some good kitty vibes to my kitty Sadie who is having an itty bitty lump removed tomorrow. Thank you!!
Move with InterPlay: An Interview with Cynthia Winton-Henry
August 19th, 2009, Comments (9)
This week I had the honor of speaking with Cynthia Winton-Henry, co-founder of InterPlay. I was introduced to Cynthia and InterPlay by the lovely Gretchen Wegner, and I was immediately fascinated by the process.
InterPlay fits so well with the Creative Every Day Challenge theme of move this month because it's all about unlocking the wisdom of your body through movement, stories, and interacting with community. Plus, it involves some of my favorite things: play and permission.
I spoke with Cynthia about how movement impacts creativity, what an InterPlay class is like, and she shared a simple InterPlay exercise we can all try during this month of movement! You can listen into the conversation below or right-click and save it to listen to later.
You can find out more about Cynthia, InterPlay, and find an InterPlay class near you right here.
Did you try out the exercise Cynthia suggested? What did you think of it? To learn more and see someone else do it, check out this post and video over at Gretchen's blog.
How does consciously moving your body impact your creativity?
Weekend Linkage
July 10th, 2009, Comments (1)
fishing for the moon
The sun! Hooray! We're finally getting a stretch of sun here in New England and oh my, I just love it. I've got a busy weekend ahead with some traveling and then some visitors at home, so I shall leave with you some lovely linkage to entertain you while I'm away.
First off, Jamie Ridler's beautiful new site is up and running. Yay! Congrats, Jamie! To celebrate, Jamie is offering a special on the Your Creative Spark package which is filled with 12 inspiring interviews from creatives including myself, Goddess Leonie, Jennifer Lee, Andrea Scher, Jessie Marianiello and many more plus some fabulous bonuses. Through midnight today, you can get $10 off Your Creative Spark by entering the coupon code: "champagne" at checkout. Click here to check it out and get your copy.
Secondly, I'm offering free shipping on my artwork through the end of July! Pick out art to fill your space with inspiration and then enter "freeship09" at checkout! Bingo-bango-easy.
Third, The next Art Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd, from 1-3 pm EST and I'd love to play and create with you! Check out all the details and sign up here.
And I feel like there's more, but all the rest and my journal wrecking will have to wait til later because I need to get a move on!
Wishing you all a wonderfully creative weekend!
Sound Shifts Stuff:
An Interview with Fabeku Fatunmise
July 6th, 2009, Comments (10)
I'm so thrilled to be sharing this audio interview with the wonderful musician, artist, and sound healer, Fabeku Fatunmise!
I had hoped to have this ready for the month of sound for the Creative Every Day Challenge, but because of some technical difficulties with the recording vanishing temporarily, I couldn't do it. But the recording survived (phew!) and I just know you'll love hearing about Fabeku's work with sound and how it connects with art and creativity. Magical stuff. (Click on the link below to listen right here or right-click to download.)
Creation, Fabeku Fatunmise
Cymatics: During the interview, Fabeku and I discuss the science of Cymatics, which is the study of visible sound and vibration. It's absolutely fascinating to see how sound can impact form. (Turn down the volume if you watch the video.)
There's a great video introduction to Cymatics here and above is a demonstration of how it works, with sand on an aluminum plate. What blew my mind was how sound vibrations move the sand into patterns that look like mandala shapes or turtle shells. It certainly gives me pause about the impact of sound on the body when I see it like this.
Fabeku's New Website: Fabeku has just launched his brand-spankin'-new website, Sankofa Sound and it is awesome. Really. Go check it out. The about page alone is killer! I love the music memories Fabeku shares there.
You can also learn more about sound healing and how it works, schedule a session with Fabeku (in person or distance), and purchase one of Fabeku's amazing cds or downloads. I was also quite enamored with the collection of singing bowls he has for sale, each one in the shop has a recording of the sound it makes. So cool. Oh, and there's a blog too! Fabeku is also on Twitter as @fabeku.
Free Download! Yay!: Also be sure to check out Fabeku's fabulous *free* sound healing download right here. There are ninjas involved. Yes, ninjas. Go see for yourself.
Blue Deer, Fabeku Fatunmise
Thank you, Fabeku, for sharing your work with me and everyone here!
Close Your Eyes and Create
June 11th, 2009, Comments (12)
Creating to music can be a wonderful thing. It can be especially interesting when you allow yourself to be moved by the music, to respond to what you hear.
The following exercise is a wonderful way play with sound and creating intuitively. I share a similar exercise in the Art Picnic workshops and the next one is coming up Wednesday, June 17th, 8pm EST. Get all the details and sign up here! I would love to create with you!
I've set this post up, so that you can use the song here (if you're reading this in rss or email, click through to the blog to listen) or use your own music.
The Exercise: Have a pen and piece of paper ready and get into a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths to center and ground yourself, then begin the music. Let the music play for a moment, then put pen to paper and close your eyes. As the music plays, let your pen move freely across the paper. Move it in response to the music and let your hand move whichever way it wants to go. Don't think about the end result, just let go.
You can do this for the whole music piece or just for 30 seconds, depending on how much time you have to play with. Letting the drawing go for the whole song can be a wonderful exercise, but do as much as you can.
When the music has stopped, take a deep cleansing breath and open your eyes. Take a moment to look at what you've scribbled. Do you see anything there? Maybe a face? A monster? A house? A fish? Or maybe a tree? Whatever you see there, take a moment to bring it out. You can color it in or just make it more clear. The image here is an example of what happened when I developed the image with colored pencil.
Often the symbols that pop up through an exercise like this relate to something going on in our lives or have some kind of message for us. Sometimes they don't. But either way, it's fun to play with. You could do some journal writing or dialoguing with the symbols that come up for you and see what they have to say or develop your doodle further with some paint.
This is a fabulous way to get started if you're feeling particularly stuck creatively. It takes all the pressure off of performing (your eyes are closed, so what can you do?) and allows a more intuitive response to come forward. Plus, it's just fun!
p.s. The fabulous Jamie has written about her experience of turning business meetings into Art Picnics right here. So cool! Love that idea!
p.p.s. Christine at BlissChick has posted a great interview with me at her blog, which you can check out over here.
p.p.p.s. (That's way too many p's! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the featured Creative Every Day Challenge Participants post!! I've got some wonderful work to share with you!)
Click below to expand post and view music player.
(more...)Interview with Bridgette Guerzon Mills
May 22nd, 2009, Comments (14)
innate
I'm so thrilled to be sharing an interview with artist, Bridgette Guerzon Mills. I absolutely love her creations! Her work fits so well with the Creative Every Day Challenge theme of nature this month. I know you'll be inspired by Bridgette's gorgeous art, the ways she connects with nature, and how that comes through in her work. Enjoy!
LPK: Please tell us a bit about yourself.
BGM: I am a self-taught mixed-media artist living in Chicago, Illinois with my husband, our 2-year-old son, and our dog. I incorporate a variety of materials into my artwork, including photographs, oil paint, acrylic paint, and encaustics (wax-based pigments). I have always been drawn to the beauty and spirit of the natural world. Through both imagery and medium, I create organic pieces that speak to the cycles of life, memory, and the passage of time. I layer paint and photo transfers, papers or fibers to create depth in both form and meaning.
LPK: How does nature inspire your artwork?
where memory resides
BGM: I think nature has a strong hold on my psyche. I grew up roaming around outside, climbing trees and playing in mud. The imagery in my paintings always include something of the natural world - a tree, a plant, a bird. The patterns and backgrounds that I create are attempts to mimic nature's effect on surfaces through the passage of time and the elements.
On a conscious level, I am always looking for and searching out the details of what is around me. I think of myself as a sponge, absorbing the colors, surfaces, and emotions of what is around me - even when I am not aware of it. For example, when I lived in the Pacific Northwest my palette was very moody with different tones of grays and blues, reflecting the clouds and the water around me. I have recently moved to Chicago and my palette has shifted to more earthy tones that include the rust and patina of the urban cityscape of my new environment.
LPK: I've noticed that like me, you seem to be drawn to trees and birds. Can you tell me what these elements mean to you?
origins
BGM: Ever since I was young, trees were my playmates, my sanctuary. If my mom couldn't find me in the house, she would send my sisters to look for me in the branches of an ancient Magnolia tree! As such, it is only natural that trees appear in my artwork. Trees symbolize growth, life, roots and strength.
It is interesting, though, that most of my trees are bare winter trees. I think that I am attracted to bare trees because a bare tree is the essence of a tree pared down. To me, a bare tree represents the idea of strength being found in the bare bones. Trees have the ability to withstand anything that life and nature throw at them. A tree often works metaphorically as a self-portrait in my work.
Birds are creatures of both earth and sky. Because of this, they often represent to me the go-between of the two realms. Crows in particular appear in my work when I am speaking of dreams and/or visions.
LPK: Do you have any special places you go to gather inspiration?
beneath the prairie
BGM: Anywhere! Inspiration is about keeping your heart and eyes open to the beauty and the messages that surround us. As a mother of a very active 2-year-old I am no longer in the studio full time as I used to be. It is challenging because I do believe that inspiration is not something that appears out of nowhere, but rather in coming to work at your table or easel everyday.
However, I have found that in the moments between, I am constantly gathering information, experiences, inspiration from my everyday life. I always try to have my camera with me at all times. When I do get concentrated studio time, it is like an eruption!
LPK: Are there any natural symbols that are especially powerful to you right now?
BGM: Right now I am working on a series about prairie life and plants. Working on this series has been instrumental in helping me adjust to my new home in the Midwest. My work with this series has helped with both accepting where I am and embracing what is around me.
LPK: You create gorgeous journals for sale at amanobooks. What role does journaling play in your creative process?
heartland
BGM: Journaling plays a huge role in my creative process. When I first began to paint, I dedicated myself to journaling about each painting that I created, as well as studio notes for myself so I wouldn't forget the painting lessons I was giving myself!
Little did I know when I started that process that I was essentially creating a dialogue with myself - putting words to what I was doing on canvas. This dialogue helped me figure out my symbols and what I was trying to say with my paintings. I believe that the process of journaling empowers my work and helps me hone in on my objectives.
LPK: Do you have a favorite quote you'd like to share?
BGM: I love quotes! Here are some favorites:
"Art is not living. It is a use of living. The artist has the ability to take that living and use it in a certain way, and produce art."
~Audre Lorde
"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place; from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." ~Pablo Picasso
"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the Beautiful Stuff out." ~Ray Bradbury
Thank you, Bridgette, for all the inspiration! If you'd like to see more of Bridgette's work visit her at her blog, art website, or her art journal shop, amanobooks.
Artful Blogging Magazine
May 1st, 2009, Comments (42)
Yay! I'm so thrilled to say that I've got two articles in the the Summer edition of Artful Blogging Magazine which is available online or stores like your local Barnes & Noble today.
Since I first saw this publication, I hoped to someday be featured in their pages. It's simply gorgeous, full of color and inspiration and loads of great blogs to check out.
And now, here it is. So wonderful to see a goal materialize. You can see one of my paintings (Dreaming of the Seven Sisters) in the lower right corner of the cover.
The first article consist of an article from me about being Creative Every Day, illustrated with my art along with a partial blog post and the second is an interview with me about the Creative Every Day Challenge, illustrated with the art of Creative Every Day Challenge participants! Here are the first two spreads of my article.
And here are the spreads from the interview with me about the Creative Every Day Challenge which features the art of Creative Every Day participants. (I asked for some submissions before the article came out and the magazine editors chose from among them.)
The artists featured are Steve Emery, Rowena Murillo, Jim Doran, Tammy Vitale, Erin Prais-Hintz, Mary Stebbins Taitt, Karen Mowrey, and Shayla Perreault Newcomb. And there are also quotes from Emily Carson, Sherry Goodloe, and Aurora Fox! Thank you to all of you for sharing your art and words to help make my interview with Artful Blogging so special!! It means the world to me and wowzers, your work looks amazing on the glossy pages! I wish we could have featured all the CED participants, but that would take an encyclopedia!
And thank you to all the readers of this blog and all the participants of Creative Every Day for making this space so safe and so special. You all inspire me and have helped me grow as a person and an artist. I am eternally grateful.
Wishing you a wonderfully creative weekend!
p.s. We have entered the month of May and the totally optional theme is Nature! I've got lots of ideas about how to explore this theme and I look forward to seeing what you'll do with it!
p.p.s. Be sure to join in Jamie's Virtual Dance party today!!
Fashion and Color (or Colour): Interview with Andrea
April 28th, 2009, Comments (10)
For the month of color, I really wanted to interview my blogging pal, Andrea, of a cat of impossible colour. Andrea is a fabulous writer, but much of her blog is dedicated to her gorgeous outfits, combining beautiful colors, patterns, and vintage fun.
I hope this interview inspires you to play with color in a new way!
L: First, please tell us a bit about yourself:
A: My name is Andrea, and I’m a Zimbabwean writer now living in New Zealand with my husband and cat. I have a blog where I indulge my hobby of collecting vintage clothing, post daily outfits and record the progress of my books!
L: What do you enjoy most about putting together your outfits?
A: Well, I see getting dressed in the morning as a creative exercise, just as much as painting a picture or writing a poem, and putting together an outfit I’m happy with gets me in a great mood for creation of other kinds! If I’m wearing something I really love, I feel like my writing goes better that day as well.
L: How does color inspire you creatively?
A: To me, colour represents emotional energy. That sounds a bit pretentious, doesn’t it, but all I mean is that each colour comes with its own set of emotional associations. Colour is food for your eyes, and it can transform or dictate your mood. I have always felt a connection to this passage from George Eliot’s Middlemarch, where Dorothea Brooke is entranced by colour:
‘She was opening some ring-boxes, which disclosed a fine emerald with diamonds, and just then the sun passing beyond a cloud sent a bright gleam over the table. “How very beautiful these gems are!” said Dorothea, under a new current of feeling, as sudden as the gleam. “It is strange how deeply colours seem to penetrate one, like scent. I suppose that is the reason why gems are used as spiritual emblems in the Revelation of St John. They look like fragments of heaven.” … She thought of often having them by her, to feed her eye at these little fountains of pure colour.’
L: Do you have a favorite color combination at the moment?
A: I tend to favour colours that are complementary – that is, hues that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. Purple with yellow and green with red (in moderation, because it can be a bit Christmassy) are favourite combinations. I also love red and blue together. In fact, red with almost everything looks great, so long as you choose the right shade – I wear red shoes and belts with everything from yellow to purple.
L: Where do you get your inspiration?
A: I get a lot of inspiration from other bloggers, and from the wardrobe_remix group on Flickr. I don’t read a lot of fashion magazines – I’d rather see what real people are wearing in real daily situations.
L: Do the colors in nature inspire your outfits at all?
A: They do, but not in the way you would expect! I grew up in Zimbabwe, which was a very colourful place – blue sky, golden bush, bright birds and flowers, the gorgeous multi-coloured clothes of the Shona people and the city markets full of fruit and fabrics. When I first came to New Zealand, the landscape seemed pale and colourless in comparison. Now I can appreciate the subtler beauties of a grey sky and autumn leaves, but I still crave the bright, jewel-like colours of Africa. So I compensate with my outfits! People here tend to wear a lot of denim, grey and black, and they blend into the landscape. I would rather add a bright splash of colour.
L: What would you say to someone who is wanting to start playing more with their own ensembles?
A: I would say to be brave and experiment. If you’re not a big colour-wearer, start with accessories – I wear my red heels to death, and they go with nearly everything. I’ve also recently become a big fan of coloured tights – they’re a wonderful way to inject colour into an outfit, although the lighter shades can make your legs look bigger (if you’re like me and don’t have long, skinny legs!). If you’re not sure about colour combinations, the girls at Academichic have done a wonderful series of posts on colour theory and how it applies to dressing.
Scarves are the perfect way to add colour to outfits, as well, and there are so many ways to wear them: over your hair, around the handle of your handbag, as a belt, or, of course, around your neck. They always make an outfit look chic. My favourite way to wear scarves is to tie them in a pussy bow around my neck. Lately I have started wearing big square scarves tied over my hair and under my chin when I go for walks – it’s a great alternative to wearing a hat.
I think it’s important to have fun with your clothes. When I’m having a blah day and feel like hiding away in something grey or black, I resist the urge and throw on something brightly-coloured instead. It always makes me feel better.
L: Do you have a favorite color? Is it the same color as when you were a kid?
A: When I was a kid I always said my favourite colour was blue when asked, because that was the only ‘cool’ colour in my class and we all pretended to love it! In reality, though, it has always been red. I find red strong, energising and optimistic, and I always feel good when I’m wearing it. Purple, green and yellow are also favourites. I think the only colour I don’t wear is orange, but that may all change if I find some wonderful orange item next time I go thrift-shopping.
L: Did you have a favorite outfit as a child?
A: I was a huge tomboy when I was a child, and didn’t bother much with clothes. Looking back at old photos, though, I can see I was a big fan of dungarees, colourful T-shirts and socks with cartoon animals on them. I’m still hoping to find a wonderful grown-up-sized pair of dungarees one day! (And I still wear cartoon animal socks).
L: What are some of your favorite books, blogs, shops, websites?
A: I find old children’s books very inspirational when it comes to outfits; Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, Milly Molly Mandy, the Enid Blyton books and Madeleine have all inspired outfits of mine. There’s a charm to the way children used to dress, I think. I find old films very inspirational, too. As far as websites go, I love Orla Kiely’s clothes! The mixture of colours and prints is just gorgeous. I also love browsing through Andrea Moore’s website – she’s a New Zealand designer, and I’ll probably never be able to afford anything she makes, but her garments are just lovely.
I only shop second-hand, which makes for a good deal of experimenting! If I find an amazing dress in a colour I would not normally seek out, I buy and wear it anyway. It’s a great way to be more adventurous with your clothing and colour choices – after all, if it doesn’t suit you and you don’t want to keep it, you have only wasted a few dollars.
I have many, many favourite fashion blogs, as evidenced by my bulging blogroll. I’m drawn to people who have colourful, optimistic styles. Some that I think have a particularly inspirational use of colour are:
- Keiko Lynn
- Casey’s Musings
- Dotti’s Dots
- Strawberry Kitten
Thank you so much, Andrea!! I'm feeling inspired!
