Wheredoesinspirationcomefrom?Isitasuddenspark,aslow burn,orsomethingwehavetochasedownandwrestleontothe page? Every writer has a different answer, and in this issue, we explorethemall.
Throughtheseinterviews,writersandartistssharewhatfuelstheir creativity:thebooks,experiences,andunexpectedmomentsthat ignitetheirwords.
Nomatterwhereyouareinyourownwritingjourney,wehope theseconversationsremindyouthatinspirationiseverywhere youjusthavetopayattention.
Happyreading, MadelineRosales
ChiefEditor
M.S.Bluesisamultiracial,queer,versatilewriter poet, playwright,shortstory-ist,lyricist,andnovelist.Herwork revolvesaroundthedarkerpiecesofhumanitysocietytendsto neglect.Whensheisn’tboundtopaper,pencils,orthe computer,sheenjoyscostumedesigning,reading,playing guitar,watchingoldfilms,andstudyingasteroids.Shehas beenpublished3xbyLiteralImpact,2xbyTeenInk,The TrailblazerReview,Eber&Wein,Pa'lante!,and5xby WinglessDreamer.ShecurrentlyresidesintheBayArea, Californiaandislookingforwardtobeginninghercollege journeyintheFall.
WhatPIECEOFMEDIAhasbeenyourbiggest inspiration,fromyouthorcurrently?
Blues:“IhavealotofheroesthathaveinfluencedmeprofoundlyandthoughSmashing Pumpkinsisarguablythegreatest,IwanttogivethisspotlightandrecognitiontoEdgar AllanPoe.Hewasnotonlyapioneerofthehorrorgenre,healsoforgedaspacewherewe canbeacceptedandtellunfiltered,scary,anddauntingstorieswithoutfeelingashamed.
“WhenIfirstreadPoe,itwaslikereadingabreathoffreshair I’vealwaysbeenadark writer,eversincemyyouth,andpeoplealwaysfounditstrange.Peculiar.Unusual. Cuckoo.
Therefore,PoegavemehopeanditisbecauseofhimthatIcontinuetoendeavor.”
AsaPERSONOFCOLOR in writing,howdoyouuseyouridentity asinspiration?
Blues:“Myheritageismybackbone,straightup.I’dbenothing notevenapenny onthefloor withoutmypeople.MyChicano,Polynesian,andIndigenous ancestorsarethereasonIhavewhatIdo,anditistheirguidancethatleadsmeto triumph Moreover,IdoeverythinginmypowertomakesureI’mrepresentingthem andthecurrentgenerationproperlyinmywork.
“I’minspiredbytheirrespectiveresilience,benevolence,andspirit anditismy personalmissiontocontinuetellingthestoriesofmypeople.”
“Thismagazinewasinspiredbyalotofthings,but particularly,TheSmashingPumpkins.Iknewoncethis wasestablished,Ihadtohonorthemsomehow,andwhat betterwaytodothatthanincludetheminthetitle. “Infinite”comesfromtheiralbum,MellonCollieandThe InfiniteSadness.TheBluesisjust...theblues.Thisisa magazineintendedforthemelancholyandthosewhoare infinitelyblue ” W
m S
Whatinitiallyinterested youintheworldof writing?Wereyouanavid readerasachild?Haveyou alwaysknownwhatyou’ve wantedtodo?
Blues:“Afunfactaboutme:Iwasdyslexicasakidand couldnotreadtosavemylife Istruggledhorriblywith comprehensionanddistinguishinglettersfromone another.Myfirstgradeteacher,MissReak,hadeventold mymothertherewasagreatchanceIwouldn’tbeableto readliketherestofmyclassmates.Iwasprojectedtotake longer,duetomylearningadversities
“However,thisdidnotstopme.EverytimeMissReak readtous,Iwasintriguedbythestoriesbeingtold...andI didunderstandthemliterally.Ilovedhearingabouta dinosaurgoingintoanotherplanet,orhowworldsseemed tobeendlessparadise,wheresomeonecandowhatever theywantsuchaseatendlessicecream!Therefore,despite thechallenges,Igatheredmotivationandthatcultivateda passioninmyyoungheart Iwantedtobeawriter.
“So,yes.SinceIwasasixyearoldchild,Iwantedtobea writer Theagemayevenbeyounger,asmyNanaclaims thatI’velovedstorytimesinceIwasborn,whensheread tomeasafewdaysoldbaby.
“However,Iwrotemyfirststoryatageseven.Therewerea lotofmistakes,butIdidit...Iwroteastoryat7yearsold.”
ShayBallisaphotographerandstudentatSeattle Academy.Heopensupabouthisprocessof takingphotosandhowtheycametostartthis creativeoutletaswellasalookintotheir photographyprocess.
Ball: “I look for interesting and dynamic shots. I like to look for things that are in actionorthingsthataregoingonaroundme thatIliketolookat.”
Ball:“KindoflikewhatIwastalkingaboutearlier,justreallyinterestingtolookatone momentsloweddownandthinkabouthow;ifwearedoingstreetphotography,this personhashadawholelifethatIhavenotbeenprivyto AndI'mlookingattwoseconds oftheirdaywiththisphoto.It'sreallyinteresting,itmakesmethinkmoreaboutpeople's livesandhowsmallandminorweallareindifferentways.”
Ball:“I'vebeentakingphotossinceIwasreallyyoung.My dadgotintophotographywhenhewasyoungeraswell.SoI started doing that because it was what I had available and I've always done it since I was a kid. I just got really interestedinitanddecidedthat'swhatIwantedtodofor college.Iwantedtotellsomesortofstorywiththat.“ WHATINSPIREDYOUTOPICK UPTHECAMERA?
WHAT'SYOURADVICEFOR PEOPLELOOKINGTOSTART PHOTOGRAPHY?
Ball“Myadviceisjusthaveyourphone.Yourphoneisyour biggesttoolthatismostreadilyavailable.Juststarttakingphotos andifyoureallywanttogetintoitmaybebuyausedcamera. Bringitplaces,bringiteverywhereandstarttakingphotoswhen youfeelinspiredorwhenthere'saneventgoingonoramarket. Justgoforit,lotsofopportunitieswillarisewhenpeopleseeyou withacamera.”
JessicaSeigelisanaward-winningmagazinewriter,radiocommentator,and editorwhohasexcavatedancientbonesattherealArmageddon,generated electricitybybicycle,andranwithwildhorses alltogetthestory. Herfeaturesonculture,health/science,travel,andcelebrityhaveruninThe Atlantic,TheNewYorkTimes,Smithsonian,WashingtonPost,The Independent,KnowableMagazine,Nautilus,ChicagoTribune,LosAngeles Times,NationalPublicRadio,BBC,NationalGeographicTraveler,LosAngeles Magazine,Reader'sDigest,Salon,andVillageVoice.CriticsattheDailyNews, ChicagoTribune,andNewYorkPost.
Whatinitiallyinterestedyouinwriting professionally?
Siegel: “When I was in college, I was debating between history and journalism, but in my senior year, I began a research project concerning a woman critical to the AmericanizationofFreud’sdiscoveries.Itookgreatinterest inher,wantingtolearnmoreabouthermotivationsandlife story, but the story was dead–there was no way to really interactpersonallywithsomethingsofarinthepast.That’s when I realized I wanted to work with facts and current events,shapingthemintoastorymyself.”
Siegel:“Iloveteaching,asjournalismtakesyearsofexperience,andthis wayyoucanshareitwithothers.Today,“facts”areunderattack,the ideathatyoucanfindthetruthisunderattack,butthroughreporting, youcangetclosetothetruth.Thatabilityissoimportanttoshare withandinspireinothers,theideathatinteractionswiththeworld itselfcanshapewhatyoulearn.”