What I find cool about the whole internet-thing is I get to meet and talk with people it's likely I wouldn't get to know otherwise. One of those people is Rachael from Motley Misfits in California. She found me, actually, through the Hope and Healing Project on Etsy. She's also a member of the Visual Arts Street Team (VAST) and graciously agreed to be interviewed. As you can see from the picture of What Shoes Rachael Wears, she is no stranger to the camera!
Among other things, Rachael is a writer. She's particularly interested in the process of documenting one's existence. "If each and every single person kept a diary of their lives we would not only have a marvelous record of what the varying degrees of lives were lived but proof that these individuals had existed. They live on in their lives and their record preserves them; keeps them just a bit immortal."
Rachael spent 2004 and 2005 interviewing and immortalizing "fabulously talented people" in a series she calls Adventures in Journalism for her website Cyberlola. It's great fun to read about and see pictures of the people she's met--everyone from "fetish models to fashion divas to rock musicians."
Rachael's also started a blog featuring her handmade one-of-a-kind dolls. "I make my dolls when I have writer's block," Rachael says, "or when I need to do something with my hands and need a visualization. Being a writer can be frustrating in the sense that all of those wonderful people and events that are created only exist in my head. My dolls are real, tangible creatures that I can share with everyone."
These dolls aren't the bland, boring ones you find at the mall. Each doll reflects Rachael's different moods, inconsistencies and imaginings. "I like my dolls to reflect the many facets of my personality and interests. All of the dolls that were available to little girls when I was a kid were dressed in pastels and designed to preen like a princess; I wasn't like that at all. It was frustrating to like the idea of dolls but not be able to actually pick out one that best reflected me. Now I can design all of my misfits to reflect my emotions and the way I view the world at the moment." Rachael generally starts with a blank muslin cloth doll and adds embellishments with materials ranging from spray paint to wires. If you want a kooky, spooky--maybe even neon--doll, these are the ones for you!
"My whole life has been kind of a challenge due to a limiting heart disease." Rachael tells me. She's survived four open-heart surgeries that gave her a taste for the slightly morbid and a desire to always strive to be alive, bold and bright with color. "In fact, my misfit dolls have really sprung out of depression--something I only shared recently on my blog. When I can't write, I work on my misfits and I am usually inspired by color and mood since each misfit is usually bursting with color and represents the mood I was in at the time of its creation."
Each doll is lovingly and painstakingly made. The process of doll making is a slow one. "If I break from one I have to be in the exact mood I was in when I last touched it in order to work on it properly."
Perhaps because of her turbulent health years, Rachael thinks about immortality and the importance of leaving something concrete behind, something to show she was here, enjoying life and having a little something to contribute. "My goal is for my writing to be the securing factor," Rachael says, "but I apply this goal for immortality through my dolls--solid pieces of matter for people to hold and say, 'Yes. I love my misfit. It's one of a kind, you know. That Rachael lady made it.'" Rachael continues, "I will have more ahead of me, that is for sure, I am not sure when my number will be up but I am hell bent to make sure there is something left behind for the world to take notice of."
True to her word, Rachael recently donated limited edition dolls to the non-profit organization Camp del Corazon, to help raise money for the camp the agency holds for children 7-17 with cardiac issues. Rachael also has dolls in her Etsy shop, the sale of which will benefit Rape Response Services in Bangor, ME. When asked why she joined the Hope and Healing Project, Rachael says simply, "I just saw another opportunity to help out a worthy cause."
Of course, I asked Rachael what shoes she wears and her answer reflects her colorful personality. "19th century Prairie style button-up boots and colorful platform sneakers both describe me pretty well. The boot represents a simplicity I strive for in my life while the colorful platform sneaker, though just a sneaker, is striving to be unique while remaining a simple, functional object."
You can learn more about Rachael and her work by visiting her website or her blog and purchase her Motley Misfits from her online shop.
BTW -- If you're ever in Southern California, Rachael thoroughly recommends the guava pastries from Porto's Bakery. Yummy!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
An Interview with Ahna (Lucky Duck Designs)
Okay, I'm going to let you in on a secret. I started this blog, in part, so I could learn from people who I've met over the past couple years. People with quiet wisdom and gentle souls. People who have experienced life--with all its crazy twists and turns--and still retain a positive take on the world. People like Ahna of Lucky Duck Designs.
I've never actually met Ahna, just written back and forth via Etsy convos and yet I feel a connection. She's open, straight-forward and generous with her time and talents.
Lucky Duck Designs is "home to a line of delicate, creative and inspired greeting cards for you to share with loved ones near and far." Each piece is made by Ahna in her sunny south Florida home. "Creating is part of my attempt at balance in my life," Ahna explains. Her professional work is very analytical, so creating with textures and colors and shapes in her spare time is really centering. "Being able to share the product of that time with others makes me so happy."
Ahna's participated in the Hope and Healing project for Rape Response Services all three times it's been on Etsy. So, I asked her why this issue holds such importance.
"I've always felt a connection to those working with issues of sexual violence, even before I became involved myself," she says. "A number of years ago I worked for a small college campus in the Midwest and found myself engaged in many conversations with women who had been through difficult, sometimes horrible, experiences. For some, I was a sounding board; for others, I was an advocate in the campus adjudication process. It was a difficult couple of years, but I developed an immense respect and admiration for these women and their strength."
Ahna currently has in her shop a Hope and Healing card, the sale of which will benefit Rape Response Services. This special card is 3-dimensional and hand-pieced for a unique effect. It's ideal for a romantic occasion, a friend who needs some support, or just to say hello. It comes with a white perfect-fit enveloped. The heart is placed on a shimmery white backdrop for a nice added texture.
When life tosses in some downs along with the ups, Ahna takes inspiration from her partner. "His way of dealing with his own difficulties by staying calm and working to simplify, is really inspiring." Ahna also shares a deep connection to her grandmother, though she died a few years ago. Ahna says of her grandmother, "She was immensely positive toward the world, despite the occasional bump in the road."
One of Ahna's recent favorite books is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, though books of all kinds bring comfort. "I am so in awe of good fiction writers and poets and what they are able to do with words." She also takes great pleasure in the weekly poems that come to her mailbox from Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser.
Of course, I had to ask Ahna what shoes she wears. Her answer? Socks! "Comfort trumps fashion for me every time," she admits, and, "If I'm at home, you'll rarely find me wearing shoes!"
Ahna's sweet creations may be found on Etsy at Lucky Duck Designs or visit her blog for more great etsy gift ideas.
I've never actually met Ahna, just written back and forth via Etsy convos and yet I feel a connection. She's open, straight-forward and generous with her time and talents.
Lucky Duck Designs is "home to a line of delicate, creative and inspired greeting cards for you to share with loved ones near and far." Each piece is made by Ahna in her sunny south Florida home. "Creating is part of my attempt at balance in my life," Ahna explains. Her professional work is very analytical, so creating with textures and colors and shapes in her spare time is really centering. "Being able to share the product of that time with others makes me so happy."
Ahna's participated in the Hope and Healing project for Rape Response Services all three times it's been on Etsy. So, I asked her why this issue holds such importance.
"I've always felt a connection to those working with issues of sexual violence, even before I became involved myself," she says. "A number of years ago I worked for a small college campus in the Midwest and found myself engaged in many conversations with women who had been through difficult, sometimes horrible, experiences. For some, I was a sounding board; for others, I was an advocate in the campus adjudication process. It was a difficult couple of years, but I developed an immense respect and admiration for these women and their strength."
Ahna currently has in her shop a Hope and Healing card, the sale of which will benefit Rape Response Services. This special card is 3-dimensional and hand-pieced for a unique effect. It's ideal for a romantic occasion, a friend who needs some support, or just to say hello. It comes with a white perfect-fit enveloped. The heart is placed on a shimmery white backdrop for a nice added texture.
When life tosses in some downs along with the ups, Ahna takes inspiration from her partner. "His way of dealing with his own difficulties by staying calm and working to simplify, is really inspiring." Ahna also shares a deep connection to her grandmother, though she died a few years ago. Ahna says of her grandmother, "She was immensely positive toward the world, despite the occasional bump in the road."
One of Ahna's recent favorite books is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, though books of all kinds bring comfort. "I am so in awe of good fiction writers and poets and what they are able to do with words." She also takes great pleasure in the weekly poems that come to her mailbox from Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser.
Of course, I had to ask Ahna what shoes she wears. Her answer? Socks! "Comfort trumps fashion for me every time," she admits, and, "If I'm at home, you'll rarely find me wearing shoes!"
Ahna's sweet creations may be found on Etsy at Lucky Duck Designs or visit her blog for more great etsy gift ideas.
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