issue two, round five: heels won't stick
our contributors took a few minutes out of their day to tell us a little more about themselves, their routines (or lack thereof), and the beauty of the witching hour.
featuring Carmen Abbe, Ana Medina, Lara Kaminoff, Amelia Rebecca, and Chermelle Danicea Edwards.
are you an early bird or a night owl? what is your favorite time of day?
CA: my childhood was filled with early mornings. I loved getting up before everyone else in my family and sharing the silence of the house only with the cry of the robins outside. since I started college, however, both homework and the stars have converted me into a night owl. climbing trees under a moon, I have learned, is a great form of procrastination.
AM: I have most of my energy in the morning, and ideally get right to work so I can power through a long day of painting. my favorite time would have to be at the end of days that I get to spend in the studio- looking at what I’ve made, and knowing that now I can rest and reflect on it.
LK: I'd love to be crepuscular, mostly so I could use the word, but also because I find my witchiest art hours in the dawn and the dusk.
AR: former night owl morphing into early bird. I really enjoy mornings and getting "responsible" things done early.
CDE: I have very early mornings and very late nights because I work late in the evening which usually leads into the early mornings. my favorite time depends on the day: Monday, it's definitely about 4:30 a.m. - the world hasn’t moved yet and I can be in that white noise time, before the Western world awakens, and prepare my mind for an amazing week. I feel like I can gets days' worth of work done in the few hours before 8 a.m. Wednesday it's around 2 p.m. – magical things always happen for me on a Wednesday afternoon. on Sunday, it's somewhere around 3 p.m. and then 10 at night: the former is a golden hour to read and explore, while the latter, to be with people I love.
where are you/what are you doing when your creative ideas usually strike?
CA: ideally, I will be in a hammock 10ft above the ground in a tree older than my grandmother. I will be quietly listening to the people pass by below me while comparing the lines in the leaves to the lines crisscrossing my palms.
AM: my paintings are from photographs of spontaneous moments in life. when I am with friends and family and we are sharing a great moment or in a beautiful place, I know there's a way to capture it so that is expresses that bonding moment to a broader audience.
LK: walking or talking. walking solves everything except broken legs and talking clarifies and expands my infant notions.
AR: they always come when I'm not freaking out about what I'm going to create next - so a lot of the time it happens while I'm sleeping (dreaming).
CDE: I’m moving but am confined in a train, a bus, in a car, on the metro. or, it's about 3 a.m., I’m in bed and I’ve been awoken - by what, I don't initially know - but then, I linger for a few minutes in the dark silence until the thoughts start streaming and I realize it's my ideas that have awakened me.
are you a creature of habit/routine or are you comfortable kept on your toes?
CA: I love to be kept on my toes. that is not to say, however, that change does not scare me. it does. but being afraid and uncomfortable is often when my best inspiration comes. I think being pulled out of my comfort zone is one of the most valuable experiences I can have and is often when I find myself growing the most.
AM: I definitely need a balance. if I get too far off routine it is hard for me to get back on track. I usually shed all that structure when I'm traveling, hiking, or camping to keep my life full of the unexpected.
LK: I wanna be predictable but my heels won't stick to the ground.
AR: as soon as I get comfortable with a routine, I change something around. I am way more comfortable being kept on my toes. I don't want to feel like I'm living the same days and moments over and over again.
CDE: I like to be kept on my toes, it’s an emotional rush and I love it. I’m learning that being a creature of habit comes in handy for my creative process; when I stick to what I know that works for me creatively, I’m more at peace with my creative output, and I find it's more thoughtful and qualitative. the greatest thing too, is that I can look back at my work and feel happy about creating with intention.
what is your most helpful flaw?
CA: even when I am hungry, tired and not wanting to interact with any Homo sapien, I find it incredibly difficult to disengage myself from other people. whether it be running into old friends, strangers on the street, or a plethora of small talk situations, I can never find the strength to remove myself from interacting with others even when I really just need to be alone. however, small talk and strangers can often lead to the most interesting stories and unexpected inspiration.
AM: we all have flaws, and learning to accept and be honest about them is the trick. I think all of the qualities that a person has add up to a unique perspective - and when we embrace that instead of fighting it we end up being able to say something new and honest to the world, as opposed to trying to fit a mold that makes what we produce contrived.
LK: excitement sparks my wild flailing, occasionally endangering bystanders but generally ensuring that no one mistakes me for a grown up.
AR: I test myself. a lot. bring on the obstacles! while that tends to generate self-criticism, I'm constantly pushing myself out of a comfort zone and creating new situations that I genuinely want to experience that inspire my art and storytelling.
CDE: saying yes. I need to learn to say no more, honor it and not internalized perceived negative feedback.