Be Prolific Series: Cat Palmer

For my first jaunt into the art world, I summoned up all the bravery I could muster and reached out to one of my absolute favorite local artists, Cat Palmer. She is a photographer who chooses to use her art to focus on human empowerment, especially focusing on women. She has been working and living in Salt Lake City but her work is much more far reaching than that. Her work has always resonated with me because she is always able to capture what looks to me like the raw essence of humanity. Her photo projects and even just her personal selfies always give me an amazing sense of confidence and strength in myself.

I sat down with Cat at Zest in Downtown SLC to talk about her photography and what makes her who she is. She was amazingly open and her candor was incredibly refreshing, almost as refreshing as the fresh cocktails at the restaurant. She talks with an insatiable passion (especially about feminism) and talking with her would leave anyone excited to create and inspire.

*All photos used in this post used with permission from Cat Palmer and can be found on her website. (Minus the selfie we took together)

How would you describe your photography?

There are two sides to the business. There is the commission side where I take photos of people naked (PS her boudoir shoots are the stuff of dreams), weddings, families; that's the bulk of my income. That's what makes it so I can eat fancy food all the time. Then there is the art I do for me. That's mainly mixed media. Photography on metal with an urban fine art feel. It always has a very industrial feel to it. Most of what I've done for the past 11 years has had a message or political message. I stopped taking pretty pictures for the sake of pretty pictures in about 2006. I won't do those anymore. It has to have some sort of meaning for me.

Not only that, art is also very therapeutic for me. I'm always working through something when I do art. Bush gave me a lot of material when he was in office. I was also focused on women for a long time. I think women are more beautiful than men. Women inspire me more and I don't know if it's because I am a woman and I deal with those issues.

I've noticed through your Instagram and Facebook that you have quite the addiction to gas masks. What's got you so hooked on them?

I've always really liked really industrial looking, metal stuff. When people see flowers, it's aesthetically pleasing to those people and it pleases those people. When I see gas masks I think they are aesthetically pleasing and they are like flowers to me. I would rather get gas masks than flowers any day. 

I Am Human Series, 2008

What sparked your interest in photography?

I had to sign up for an elective in High School when I was 15 and most girls were taking home economics and that never really interested me and I didn't want to do mechanics. Photography caught my attention most and my grandparents used to have a dark room in their house and we had a lot of cameras. We already owned all of the equipment and I signed up on a whim. And then my teacher M, he taught us on a college level. The stuff he did with us... I don't know if another High School teacher would do this with their classes. He would take us to LA or Venice Beach and let us loose for hours just shooting us on the streets. By my senior year I was in his classroom about four hours a day. For one of my classes, he let me write my own curriculum and that was the first time I shot nudes. he said as long as it was tasteful I could do what I want. I mean, these were underaged kids after all.

He was amazing and he was the one who told me I reminded him of Diane Arbus. I was 15 and didn't know who that was. So I went to the library and checked out a huge book of her and fell in love. She photographs people in society that society deemed unworthy and she saw the beauty in them and I couldn't believe that he would breathe my name in the same sentence with her. She's where my passion for people came from so I started shooting homeless people on the streets of LA in the mid 90s. I took a video camera around with me everywhere and interviewed everyone. Drug dealers, prostitutes. I don't know how I didn't fucking die. Like, I was a teenage girl interviewing homeless people on the streets. I was missing the fear chip.

Super Hero Series, 2012

Are you a full time artist?

Yes. I've been shooting for 20 years but shooting professionally for 11. For 6 years I've been doing it full time. It was a lot of fucking work to get to this point. It did not happen overnight. I also would not encourage people to do this full time. For five years, I had a real job where I was making a decent living with health and vacation time and during all of that I was building my clients so that when I left my job I had built up my clients to a point where I could survive. My sons say they want to be artists and I say yes, that's a great idea but you have to stay safe and get an education, take care of yourself. With art you have to be prolific and talented and I am neither of those things. I have lucked out because I have gotten enough attention with the local media. I am really good at marketing myself so I'm just kind of faking it until I make it type thing.

When did you know you wanted to use your photography as a platform for women and empowerment?

It stared with the 'I Am Human' series. It gave me that platform and that boost that people were paying attention to. I thought no one was going to care about this or hang it in their living room but I sold out of that series. I started reflecting on my own issues and what I was going through and I think I was projecting that into the series. It directly had to do with what I was working through at the time. Most of the series I have done for selfish reasons and it turns out that a lot of people related to them. Like my 'Keep Politicians Out of Our Vaginas' series. They were saying awful things and at some point I realized the media was picking up on that and my art and I knew I couldn't waste this platform. for another project I had 14 women shave their heads. I was so sick of women being told how to do themselves and their hair so I had the women shave their heads. That was five years ago. I would approach women and ask them if they wanted to shave their heads for this project. That was also the third time I shaved my head.

You Don't OWN Me/ Keep The Politicians out of our Vaginas, 2012

What is it about a shaved head that gets you?

It's fucking liberating. I was doing this project on loving myself more and I wanted to get more familiar with my face and to start loving myself on that level. And I started to keep this daily journal and I wanted to come from this space of not being able to look at a photo of myself without crying. Now I can see the beauty in myself and in other people. It's liberating and you can't hide with a shaved head. Your eyes pop, your lips pop, your features come out in a way that you would never realize. I also find it so raw and beautiful. God, it so fucking beautiful.

Age of Aesthetics, 2010

How do you think of the themes for your collections?

They usually come to me in the shower. The shower is my quiet meditative time. It's when you are in your most raw form and at that time I have visions of what I want to do. I usually have a very clear vision of what I want to accomplish. Or if something is really pissing me off (ie, republicans) that will be it. Things I overhear inspire me. I thought once you were a teenager all of this 'hating yourself' thing would stop but then I realized it was women of all ages. I think if we say positive things about ourselves we thing we are bragging but we aren't. I want to help people, especially women, realize that so I think a lot of my ideas stem from that. 

Describe your creative process.

Usually I work with big groups so i have to organize it, so sometimes it takes months. So I plan it out, swear them to secrecy, shoot it, edit it, print them, putting them on metal and working with that whole process. It usually takes about six months from start to finish.

What was the thought behind your Star Wars Femme Fatale shoot? (One of my favorites)

Literally that was in the middle of the night and I have a thing for women and Star Wars. At 2AM I post on Facebook "I want to do a shoot and I want hot women to wear these helmets." I was like "If you have a hot body contact me." In the middle of that night this shoot was planned in an hour. All of these women have insomnia and are online in the middle of the night. They are so hot, so fucking beautiful and I put masks on them! So that was my own fantasy in the middle of the night. 

Femme Fatale Series, 2013

Do you usually photograph professional models or just normal people?

I prefer just people. A lot of times I prefer real people.I don't know if it's because I'm a photographer but I feel like I can see their beauty better than they can see it themselves. When I become friends with people I just want them to see themselves like I do. They have no fucking clue how beautiful they are but I think a lot of people are that way. I also like real people. I also have really pretty friends.

You use yourself as the subject of many of your collections and photos. What is the reasoning behind that?

Self esteem struggles. When I left my husband, I really believed nobody would ever find me attractive but I would rather be alone than in this miserable marriage. Luckily I had a best friend who believed in me and saw me and encouraged me to keep these daily pictures of myself and I would take really bad photos of myself because I wanted to be very ok with myself and not just the flattering photos. I did a series of myself when I wanted to start feeling better. My son took 3 photos of me with no makeup, everyday makeup, and full makeup. I wrote down everything anyone had ever said to my face. I had all of the negative things coming into my ears with full makeup on. The no makeup was the same idea but with the nice things people have said. It was super therapeutic to realize that it was everyone else's issues they were projecting onto me and not my own. 

I lost fifty pounds, but even if I don't lose anymore, I feel good about myself. Women want validation from strangers on dating sites and I don't need that. I don't want the validation from strangers because they don't know my true beauty. I did some soul work with meditation. It was two years of a lot of fucking work to get where I am now. I am a champion of the selfie because I know how long it took me to become comfortable looking at myself. I can see it in other people when they have to start loving themselves.

"My son shooting my image"- To Love One's Self Series, 2014

My Path, To Love One's Self Series, 2014

What do you think is the hardest thing facing females and/or female artists?

I feel like generally, Salt Lake is more liberal as far as arts go. But I feel like a lot of people have taken me less seriously than they should have but I haven't really noticed because I'm in my own world. I've had to deal with a lot of sexual harassment that men don't have to deal with. I get comments that men probably don't. I fucking hate the comments. But that's those people and that's all they talk about. The sexual harassment and the stalking. People wanting to touch you and thinking it's ok because it 'The Art World.'

In general though, women are facing fucking everything. The wage gap. People thing it's not a really thing but it is. People are legit qualified and making 30% less because they are women. When we are assertive, we are bossy but a guy is a powerful leader. We are not bossy, we are getting shit done. The word feminist, also, needs to not be looked at as a bad word. The true feminist is an equalist who also loves men. We fight for men as well as women.

Blaming. Rape culture. Rape culture is being taught in all major religions right now. Fucking teach your boys not to have bad thoughts about women. Period. Gender discrimination, women having their place; I'm still hearing that to this day. The misogynistic issues are everywhere. We have to fight it together. 

What other artists/photographers inspire you?

Generally photographers who do people or gritty work. I'm not into landscapes. I can appreciate what they can accomplish but the have never done it for me. Inanimate objects don't inspire me. I love photos of real people. Their photos are so raw and perfect and up close on peoples' faces. I love seeing the dirt and wrinkles on faces. I love street artist like Swoon. Urban art is more what I'm into that photography.

What was the switch to digital photography like?

Ha, joining the dark side as I call it. I joined the dark side in 2006 because that's when I felt like the technology was finally there. I miss the dark room. I had a love affair with the dark room for son long and I fucking miss that. It is cheaper and easier for me to do digital. I don't know which to say I prefer because I use both for different reasons. But I do miss the texture and graininess of the film Sometimes the technology is too clean for me.

Learn how to Merge, 2004

How do you find inspiration when your muse has left you?

That just happened. I'm coming out of a four year funk. I don't create when I'm at my least happy point. I only create when I do have that inspiration again. I don't force it. I let it come to me. When it feels right, it feels right. Sometimes, all artists will have dry spells. That's hard. Take showers. Clear your head. Try to get away. Unplug.

Do you have a favorite book?

I used to read so much. My favorite book is The Little Prince. Metaphorically speaking, it is spot on. Every adult should read it because we lose touch with our inner child and we need to rediscover that. I love Ray Bradbury as well. To Kill a Mockingbird. Roald Dahl is not really known for his short stories but he has over 300. I own that compilation and I love it.

How do yo feel about the intersection of social media and art?

It's a huge part of my income, honestly. Without social media, I don't know how I would get word out about what I do. I rely heavily on it. People share my stuff and it gets my stuff out there more than if I didn't have it. It does make everyone feel like they are a photographer but I don't feel very threatened by it. I found my own niche and I don't feel threatened by anyone else. There's room for everyone.

What is your advice to young artists?

Be prolific. Create create create create create. Each year you are going to grow and get better. Find a mentore who can answer your questions and take you under their wing. Don't let the downers get you down. You have to have a thick skin. I know we are all wounded artists but some people aren't going to like you rwork. Not everyone likes everthing; I know I'm doing something right when people don't like my work. You've gotta have that attitude.

You need a network and to get out there. Market your work on social media. A lot of artist are scared to talk about themselves but you have to learn how to do it. Learn how to write a press release. Know the ins and outs of your city and the galleries or places you want to apply to.

There's so much. But creating and being prolific is huge. Mostly, just never stop.

Who Will Be Our Hero, 2006

*****

I would like to give a huge unyielding thank you to Cat Palmer for taking the time to sit down with me as well as inspiring me so much. I was unsure about this idea to interview artists and putting myself out there until I sat down with her. I knew this was something I wanted to do, but she has shown me how much these interviews can mean to me, and hopefully to you all as well. 

Thank you for reading and be on the look out for more interviews soon! I'm hoping to post one a month :)

Me and the lovely Cat Palmer. Clearly, not taken by the professional.

Please check out more of Cat's work on her website and Facebook pages.

Cat Palmer Photography Website

Cat Palmer Photography Facebook

Getting Rooted in New Zealand

A few weeks back a beautiful woman named Jamie Baywood contacted me about her book called Getting Rooted in New Zealand. I was so thrilled to read her book and even more excited for the opportunity to interview her after I read it. She sent me a copy and although some family stuff took over my time for a while, when I did get to read her book, I tore through it in one night. Oh my goodness. This girl can write. Also, she is one of the funniest people in the entire world.

Courtesy of Jamie Baywood

Her book is a memoir about her time in New Zealand. Jamie moved to New Zealand on a work visa to escape the dating scene she found herself in and to find some adventure. New Zealand has about 100,000 fewer men in the population than women, perfect for a girl needing a change and needing to avoid creepy men. (Side note, she found the creepiest people in California. Her stories about her past relationships are so phenomenally awkward.) Through her introspection about her past and mulling through her present in New Zealand, Jamie is able to find more of herself and finally get rooted in New Zealand, in more ways than one. (The best part of this book is the double meaning of the word rooted. So. Much. Yes.)

Courtesy of Jamie Baywood.
Look at how stunning she is. Prettiest ever.

She is an amazing writer. Her style is so conversational and open. She's incredibly honest and giving and you sincerely feel that she is a friend of yours telling you about her time living abroad. When she meets crazy men, you laugh and cringe with her. When she has a horrific day at work with her boss who is a one woman tornado, you get mad with her. When she meets a sexy Scottish guy and starts loving on him, you cheer for her. (PS Jamie... I was 10000% serious when I asked if Grant has any single friends. I love Scots. Hook a girl up!)

After finishing her book I sent her a few interview questions that I'd love to share with you. Here is our interview. Enjoy getting to know Jamie Baywood a bit more; I sure did.

Did you know when you moved to New Zealand that you were going to write a book about your experiences?

I consider myself an accidental author. I didn’t go to New Zealand with the intentions of writing a book about my experiences there. I had funny experiences that I had trouble believing were true. I wrote the stories down to stay sane. I wrote situations down that were happening around me and shared them with friends. The stories made people laugh so I decided to organize the stories into a book and publish in the hopes to make others laugh too.

My education is in fine arts, I didn’t write until I moved to New Zealand. I had a lot of art shows in California and New Zealand and even managed an art collective in Auckland. I was bored with the fine art scene. Everything has already been done before in painting, but I am the only person that can tell my own story. Writing feels like a more honest form of art than any other method I’ve tried.

Courtesy of Jamie Baywood

Publishing my book was my way of transforming poison into medicine. I hope that it can help people that have had bad dating experiences or bad work experiences – make them laugh and not give up hope.  I had good, bad and weird experiences in New Zealand and California. My experiences have turned me into a writer and I am extremely grateful for that.  People that read it either seem to think it’s hilarious or horrifying and I respect all points of view.  I hope my book Getting Rooted in New Zealand makes you laugh!

It would be impossible to write down every single thing that happen to me in New Zealand for over a year and it probably wouldn’t be interesting to read. My book is 100% true. These are 100% my experiences. I have changed some the names, but not all of individuals and organizations to preserve privacy. Most of the book was written as the events happened; it just took me a few years to work up the nerve to publish. To write my book Getting Rooted In New Zealand, I relied upon my personal journals, e-mails, and memories. In February 2013, I organized my stories into a cohesive narrative. It went through several rounds of editing and then I published in April.

When did you start writing? What got you started?

I had the opportunity to write and perform for Thomas Sainsbury the most prolific playwright in New Zealand. I performed a monologue about my jobs in the Basement Theatre in Auckland.  The funny thing about that experience was Tom kept me separated from the other performers until it was time to perform. I was under the impression that all the performers were foreigners giving their experiences in New Zealand.  All of the other performers were professional actors telling stories that weren’t their own. At first I was mortified, but the audience seemed to enjoy my “performance,” laughing their way through my monologue. After the shows we would go out and mingle with the audience. People would ask me how long I had been acting. I would tell them, “I wasn’t acting; I have to go to work tomorrow and sit next to the girl wearing her dead dog’s collar around her neck.”

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

I know my experiences in New Zealand are unusual, but to be completely honest it was an improvement from my life in California. Surprisingly, I seem to be getting the best feedback from people living in New Zealand both Kiwis and non-Kiwis.  I have received very kind emails from New Zealanders saying they enjoyed reading my book, they are looking forward to reading the next one and some encourage me to move back to New Zealand.

I love making people laugh more than anything else. I love hearing from readers that my book is making people laugh out loud. The hardest part has been when people don’t understand my humour. I have been in a lot of situations where I had two choices: laugh or cry. I’ve chosen to laugh. I write my experiences from a purely personal standpoint. Compared to other travellers who worked abroad in New Zealand my experiences have been very unusual. I would highly recommend everyone goes to New Zealand to experience their own adventure.

I think readers need to remember this is the dairy of a young, hormonal and confused twenty-something, this is not a travel guide to New Zealand.  I am sincerely appreciative of everyone that has read Getting Rooted in New Zealand. I’m absolutely grateful that readers are enjoying the book and reviewing it positively. I love making people laugh. I hope you enjoy Getting Rooted in New Zealand!

From the very beginning it is clear that you are very dedicated to your Buddhist faith. How did you find that faith and what hooked you to it?

In addition to being an accidental author, I am also an accidental Buddhist. I never planned to become either. I was introduced to the Buddhist practice that involves chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo through a friend. I was very reluctant to go to the Buddhist meeting with him; I thought it would be really weird. Much to my surprise hearing the chanting made me feel at home on a cellular level. I’ve always struggled with anxiety and at times depression, chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo calms me to the core.

Over the next few years, through a lot of chanting, going to Buddhist study meetings and reading books like The Buddha in Your Mirror I really learned to love, value and respect myself. For the first time in my life I felt really happy and the happiness came from within. The thing that I like about Buddhism is it is about taking 100% responsibility for your own life. The word karma translates into action. You can change your karma by changing your actions. Essentially, stop doing the same thing and expecting a different result. For me, needed to overcome my relationship karma by stopping dating guys that I knew were wrong for me.

Five years later I’ve now lived and practiced this Buddhism in five different countries: California, American Samoa, New Zealand, Scotland and now England. The practice is in 192 countries around the world and everywhere I go I have a built in community. Five years ago, I never thought I would get married. I’ve now been married for nearly two years and married the son of a knight in a castle in Scotland. My life has transformed in many ways other than my relationship karma, but I have literally chanted my way from trailer parks to castles.

You mention that New Zealand has one hundred thousand fewer men than women. Coming off of a few heartbreaks myself this idea to go to New Zealand is sounding pretty good to me! Was that the only reason you chose New Zealand?

I know it sounds like a crazy reason, but I needed a serious change in my life and felt I needed to leave the country to do so. I started dating my first boyfriend when we were fourteen and the relationship ended when I was twenty-three.  I had never dumped someone and didn’t have the life skills to do so. Between ages twenty-three and twenty-six, I would only date guys I knew I could dump easily. Not surprisingly, only dating guys with clear and abundant flaws that were easy to dump, created a lot of chaos and drama in my life. 

When I was twenty-four, I had my second boyfriend who I call Hank, in real life his named rhymed with Hank. Hank had a drug dealer that sincerely went by the name Stank. I took Hank to rehab, after that I had a string of crazy suitors and ex’s.  If you had Hank and Stank in your life, what other choice do you have, but to leave the country and become an author? 

By the age of twenty-six, I was actually much happier being alone than dating, but I was completely bombarded by guys trying to date me. I read in a New Zealand tour book that the country’s population has 100,000 fewer men than women.  I wanted to have some me time and an adventure. New Zealand seemed like a good place to do so. 

I found a work abroad company that helped young Americans get work visas in New Zealand and Australia. I had been watching a lot of Flight of the Conchords at the time and enjoyed Bret and Jemaine’s sense of humor and accents.  

(That Flight of the Conchords reference is further proof of how awesome Jamie is. Love this girl.)

I loved the story of the double meaning of the phrase "getting rooted" and after reading what that meant in New Zealand, the title of the book took on an entirely new meaning. Why did you decide to use that as your title?

My title is another way of laughing at myself. One night I was brushing my teeth with my flatmate and I said, “I'm really excited to live in this house because I have been travelling a lot and I just need to settle down, stop travelling and get rooted.” I had meant get rooted in the America way to settle down, lay down roots. He started choking on his toothbrush and asked if I was hitting on him. He explained to me what rooting meant in New Zealand.

I decided on Getting Rooted in New Zealand because it’s funny and the book is about rooting – both meanings of the word.

Do you keep in contact with any of the people you met in New Zealand?

I do keep in touch with most of the people I met in New Zealand. Some of my dearest friends in the world are in New Zealand. Although it is technically not home to me or my Scottish husband, it feels like home to us as a couple because that is where we met. We have been feeling homesick for New Zealand and really miss our friends there. 

Have you been back to visit New Zealand since you left with Grant? (Side note, Grant is this perfect Scottish man she met in New Zealand. Not to spoil the book but... I love love. :) Mostly Scottish love.)

We haven’t been able to go back to New Zealand or anywhere by plane. Although I was married in January 2012 in the UK, my marriage visa was not approved by the UK Border Agency until September 2012. During this time, I was not allowed to work, study, collect benefits or even leave because they had both my passport and my husband’s passport.  

I am currently on a visa in the UK called an Extension to Stay as the Spouse of a UK Citizen. This visa will expire in September 2014. We are deciding now if we should go through another round of visas for me to stay in the UK or if we want to try living somewhere else in the world.  We are seriously considering moving back to New Zealand next year. 

I can only speak from my own experience attempting to settle as a spouse of a UK Citizen.  I have personally found the level of bureaucracy in the UK makes the possible feel impossible.  

This is one the main reasons I decided to go ahead and publish Getting Rooted in New Zealand.  Due to my visa restrictions with the UK Border Agency, I’ve had no rights to work in the UK, but they couldn’t stop me from publishing my book. 

How was the wedding!? How is Grant? How is Scotland? How is your life now?

Courtesy of Jamie Baywood.
Sorry that they are the most attractive
couple in history.

I love being married to him. We got married in a little castle in his home town in Scotland at the beginning of year 2012. My husband wore a kilt. I was hoping for a white winter wedding, but we ended up getting sunshine in Scotland during the winter. It was a magical day; we had a rainbow over a loch, bunny rabbits hoping by us, birds chirping and a full moon reflecting on the loch at night. 

We still can’t understand each other if we aren’t in the same room and there are always new words or Scottish sayings I’m learning.  I hope I never stop swooning over his accent. Being married to a Scottish man is the best. I love the Scottish accent and all the words he uses. I love hearing wee in every sentence. He calls me wee fluffy bunny. I married the sweetest man. He is also incredibly kind, handsome and humble. 

Courtesy of Jamie Baywood.
This. Is. Perfect.
Time to move to New Zealand
to find my Scot.

Grant is very busy working on a MA in Landscape Architecture. This gives me a lot of time to work on promoting my book and attending book talks throughout the UK.For unwanted and complicated reasons we had to move to England last September. It was devastating to have to move out of Edinburgh to Sheffield, England last year for my husband graduate school. We will have to live here until summer 2014. We had more culture shock going from Scotland to England than anywhere else.

Rather than being displaced to a country I didn’t want to move to, I decided to be displaced with the goal of publishing. I’ve just completed a MA in Design. Designing, publishing and marketing my book was my dissertation project. 

I’ve never lived this far inland before. It makes me feel claustrophobic to be so far away from the ocean. I desperately miss the ocean and being warm at the beach. I really miss the warm, friendly nature of the people in the South Pacific. If money and visas weren’t an issue, (which they very much are) I’d love to go summer to summer between Edinburgh, Scotland and Auckland, New Zealand. 

What is your second book going to be about? When can we expect to get our hands on it?

I plan to divide my books by the countries I've lived in. My next book will be about attempting to settle in Scotland. I plan to publish it late 2014.

****

I would highly recommend this book to all of you! It was such a fun read and I loved getting to know Jamie through her book and through our emails. She's so cool and I cannot wait until her next book release. I want to follow her travels for as long as she writes them. :)

I would also like to thank Jamie for the opportunity to read her book and interview her. This was the best! Thanks again, Jamie!

Getting Rooted in New Zealand is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1482601907

Jamie Baywood can be followed on the following sites:
Facebook.com/jamiebaywood
Twitter.com/jamiebaywood
Pinterest.com/jamiebaywood
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7069448.Jamie_Baywood
amazon.com/author/jamiebaywood

Happy reading, lovelies! 

females of the world interview

Hello lovelies! Last week I was asked to do an interview about my writing over on an amazing blog called Females of the World. I talk about my inspirations, offer some advice to other writers, and talk a bit about my NaNoWriMo project. Please head over to their blog to see my full interview, but here's a little snippet :)

(1) When did you first realise that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always loved to read. When I was little my favorite part of my house was a corner nook wedged in between our bookshelf and the couch. I’d curl myself around my favorite pillow, snuggle under my blankets and read for hours on end. Words have always transfixed me and haunted me even from a young age. I remember writing little bits of my imagination on pages in my room and during school even when I was about 6 or 7.

I guess the real catalyst was in the fourth grade. Every day we had “writer’s workshops” where we had free time to write whatever we wanted, get two peer edits, and submit a final draft that was laminated for a portfolio. It felt so good and so natural to feel words spilling out of my fingertips and I always felt so proud to get those laminated pages back. I even wrote a longer book called “The Test” that was bound for me. Feeling a book that I wrote in my hand and being able to take it home and set it on the shelf next to my favorite books was the best feeling in the world. I’ve been writing ever since.

(2) We’ve read your novel excerpt on your blog and are already totally gripped by your story. Is this the first time you’ve taken part in NaNoWriMo? How long have you been working on this particular story?

Thank you for reading my blog! I always planned to give NaNo a try for years, ever since I heard about it. I tried my first year in college but couldn’t find the time to write among the drudgery of my actual homework. This is the first time I’ve given my all to NaNoWriMo. I decided to do it this year because this is probably the only year I’ll have that I am only working and not trying to balance school as well. It’s been very challenging but somehow I’ve kept my word count up!

I’ve been working on this particular story for a few years. I hadn’t written anything prior to NaNoWriMo but I’ve had the entire story on my mind since I was 17 and the events I’m writing about began happening. I knew it was meant to be a book. I’ve outlined the story and drafted the characters intensely since I turned 20. Outlining stories and getting characters exact before I begin the writing process has been a hard process. But now they feel so entirely engrained in my mind. They are more real to me than some people in my life.

Be sure to go check out the rest of my interview here! Go leave this great blog a little love and enjoy the interview :)