writing, hope, and rubber duckies

boy, oh boy. am i sure excited to be writing for The Laurel!

this week, i got to interview Kitty Love and talk to her about her vision for the arts community in Asheville. she's quite the powerhouse and as Executive Director of the The Asheville Area Arts Council, she's in a position to help so many people.

i also got to interview Stina Anderson, the amazingly creative renegade seamstress at The ARTery Fashion and Sewing Studio.

if you've seen my facebook profile this week, you know i've been shamelessly blah-blah-blah-ing about this. well, in my defense, it's not everyday that powerful people sit down with me to talk about their passions. and if they do, it's not like i can . . . you know, do anything about it.

until i can.

as i consider this opportunity and the problems and travails of writing for other people, many concerns and excitements flit about. i guess if these excitements and concerns were fused together, they might become something resembling . . . hope.

this work is an act of hope. it is more than information. it is my love letter to what is meaningful about people, their dreams, efforts, and convictions. behind every success story (and they are all works-in-progress) is a vision. i hope that each piece conveys some bit of truth and meaning, in the subject's eyes. i think, if i can manage that, then the reader will willingly walk in their world, for a very brief moment.

then, this work is also an opportunity to "see." i get to sit down and really "see" something or someone. and then, i get to share what i see. our world is against seeing. media, more often than not, reflects this. real seeing is an act of hope and optimism.

i confess: i am obsessed. with who we are, how we create, how we "see," how and why we gather together, how we isolate ourselves. i am obsessed with our passions, what disappoints us . . . and how we lie to one another. i am obsessed with our work, what we do, what our work-spaces say about who we are and what we love. i am obsessed with it all because i am a poet. in my mind everything is symbolic, and to that end, I exhaust myself. i am a fetish-hunter, a symbol-maker, a story-teller. i can't help it; it's just what i do.

what i am not obsessed with are things like correct comma placement, formatting, and editing for overly complex sentence structures. yeah, and i adore sentence fragments, too. sometimes i like wordiness just because. and screw capitalization . . .

i am debuting a new series called "Gathering Places" in February which i think might satisfy my obsession a bit. more on that to come.

and speaking of Brazil, i am going to play with my angel and devil rubber duckies now.

what I've been up to, in question and answer form

Whew! The last 5 months have been quite the whirlwind. As promised, here are the highlights in a simple question and answer form:

What the heck is going on with your active-wear line??

Well, actually I like to call it a life-wear line. And, it's still on my desk. I began designing in September and then, decided to move so all my energy went towards that. So, I'm in mid-design phase.

Are you still planning on doing it??

YES! I still plan on creating the designs, having patterns made, and going through the sampling process. I will then test the market. If it makes sense to go forward, I will!

Where did you move to?

I moved to Asheville, North Carolina.

Do you like it??

No. I adore it.

Name 7 exciting things that have happened to you in the past 5 months:

-- I changed jobs; well, sorta. It's a work in progress.
-- I have formed a strategic partnership with Royal Peasantry Design House in Asheville, NC & begun selling vintage clothing, and making other stuff.
-- I got a boyfriend!
-- I have teamed up with The Laurel and will be writing a weekly article. I will be writing on arts, culture, and community and I look forward to exploring the area's rich culture. I have some sweet ideas; maybe I can even get my editor to go for them!
-- I am really a writer. I am still trying to get my life structured so that I can have dedicated time to write. That's what this whole self-employment thing is about. Even though I have faced the fact that I will probably not be able to have dedicated time within the next 6 months, I have promised myself to never forget that I am a poet -- that all this work is for that. And meanwhile, I get to build something I really enjoy and that I think I'll be pretty good at. My last job taught me the importance of enjoying one's vocation.
-- I learned how to swing + blues dance.
-- Chiropractic treatments. I am actually taller now. And my legs are the same length. For real.

Why did you pick 7 exciting things to share?? Isn't that an awkward number??

Why yes, it is.

What are you most looking forward to in the New Year?

-- Getting myself established financially by growing my business + whatever the heck else it takes
-- Naming my business; how does one pull together costume pieces, kitten-ish vintage, and playful garments like tutus, jazz pants, and corsets anyway?
-- Getting myself to a point where I can have dance, pilates, and silks lessons every week!
-- Writing lots of fun articles
-- Going blues dancing and drinking lots of whisky
-- Going to Mexico with my boyfriend & cajoling him in the event he changes his mind
-- Getting into a writing routine
-- Making pretty stuff that makes people feel good
-- Being in front of a camera
-- Hosting the first annual "Dirty Girlz" Scrabble night at mi casa. A delightful way to warm up a cold January evening.

What are some of the things you're making, or thinking of making, these days?

I am making very sassy tutus for big girls. These tutus are perfect for a sweet night out or Valentines day. I am also learning to make corsets. If all goes well, I can't wait to fuse the corset form with some Japanese elements. I am particularly inspired by traditional Japanese rope bondage, shunga prints, and the unusually bold color palettes. Folding and other elaborate manipulations also intrigue me. My items can be found at Royal Peasantry Boutique on Lexington Ave. in Asheville. And, I will be on ETSY soon (gimmie a minute on that one!). I am also finishing up a headpiece. Well, it only took 6 months.

Do you like making stuff?

Not really. I like designing stuff. Until I can get others to make the stuff I design, then I have to make it.

Do you consider yourself an artist?

No. I consider myself a writer, and in the absense of that, a highly creative person.

What are you reading these days?

I just found a very special magazine called BULLETT. It's amazing. And beautiful. The most beautiful and thoughtfully edited arts and culture magazine I have ever seen.

What are you doing for New Years?

Well, I want to go to the LindyFocus dance but if I decide to go more thrifty, I will go see My Week with Marilyn.

What is your favorite letter?

L.

quiet time is homework time

well, this is business. you take the good with the bad. and like the rest of life, there is always a lot going on under the surface. as i mentioned in my last post, the active parts of the business are in a quiet phase.

what i can concentrate on at this moment and for the immediate future is product design and fabric testing.

i have chosen some test fabrics. therefore, i can order a little bit and start making and wearing stuff. wait - doesn't sound like business?? ah, it's called product development -- in particular testing the way a fabric feels, wears, and washes over time. most lines do not have time to do this because the faster a product gets to market, the faster money can be made. i'm not tryin to argue with an economic law, but a sweet lil' start-up like mine can take a little more time in this phase because sometimes there is more time than money! and my product will wear beautifully over time -- guaranteed.

so, i'm taking advantage of my quiet phase to do my homework.

that said, i found a handy little site that might be a great help to me raising the seed money for this project.

check out Indie GoGo. This is a nice and effective way to raise funds for your project and i do plan on using it once my august changes have passed. i'm thinking: fall.

that said, check out this little tapestry i scored from e-bay!!!!

yes, i know it's obnoxious to feature it twice in the same article but isn't it lovely for a dancing, gypsying laydee like me???

i just can't wait to add music, candles, a handmade top and headpiece, and a money basket to it!! i am learning some nice ATS moves in sparrow's class at Studio Zahiya in downtown Asheville that will come in very handy!

see ya on the streetz of asheville, folks.