1. What’s the most fun work you’ve ever done, and why?

Illustrating for designers and friends! If blogging counts as work it is a close second. I also really enjoyed dressing women as a shopgirl this summer, that surprised me.

2. Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?

Going to the library multiple times weekly and reading sooo many books. Don’t have that kind of time anymore but any chance I get I’ll go down and check what’s new in the stacks.

3. Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?

Becoming a writer. But now I’m starting to do that too so I’m not really putting it off anymore.

4. If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?

I’d love to learn pattern drafting with Kathleen or Julian Roberts. It doesn’t really matter what I hope to learn, I just would like to hang out in person with these people who have inspired me so much. Like Kathleen said for herself, it always seems like I end up having to teach myself, I’ve lacked tangible, in-person mentorship in my life so far.

5. What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.

Words I’ve Heard
Articulate, intelligent and imaginative

Words I’d like to hear
Experienced, accomplished

#2 Paddle outrigger canoes. It was something I grew up doing. There are clubs here on the mainland, but the water is dirty and cold and then there’s the political side of any competetive sport.

#3 Learn to play an instrument like guitar or piano. I can play a mean single needle and serger though!

#4 Frida Kahlo. She was fueled by her pain. I think most artists and creative people are. Sometimes when I need inspiration, I need to draw from that well and it’s not always easy to do.

#5 Witty– let’s face it, in this game, you need it.
Anxious– I’m borderline O.C.D.

Compassionate– I love people, period. Even the jerks.

Articulate, Dedicated

Bonus ? Am I being true by doing the right or wrong thing?

Second to that, I LOVED performing with Ultra Gypsy for the one year we were performing a set we usually called “the Vampire set”. I loved my role–a creepy witch character with long copper claws–I was a really good witch. I loved the people I was dancing with, and the troupe director was in her element, so she gave clear direction & produced a beautiful show, which made up for her crazy expectations. We rarely did PAID gigs, though.

2. Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
Microscopy. In an alternate universe, someone would pay me to look through microscopes all day, record what I’ve seen, and maybe hypothesize about what it all means without actually having to check whether my hypotheses are correct or not.

3. Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Learn Arabic and/or Tamazight (the language spoken by native North African tribes). I’ve been meaning to do this so long tat I have Instructional tapes. I mean, it’s hard to even find a tape player anymore.

4. If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
I would love to apprentice with someone. I don’t really care about the subject–fashion, physics, biology, illustration, carpentry, dance… I just want to learn complete competence & confidence in my field. I don’t need to learn from anyone famous or prestigious (except in their field), so long as they are patient, really smart and really good at what they do.

5. What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
Creative
Smart (i.e. both intelligent and smart-ass)
Sincere (sometimes too much so)
Two more that do describe me–it’s so hard to pick the 3 the matter most!)
Industrious
Curious (sometimes too much so!)
Two more on my wishlist:
Driven
Confident

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
How can I make the world a better place today?

Babette–I would probably drive you up the wall.
I have an unfortunate habit of talking almost as fast as I think, and sometimes I wish your bonus question occurred to me a little faster

1.What’s the most fun work you’ve ever done, and why?
Groundskeeper landscaping at a community college during the summer of 1977. I was newly single and it was great working all day with plants, being outside in the sun, people watching, and working with a great bunch of people (men and women). Sometimes we would even go across the street and shoot pool and drink beer at lunchtime. After that, I was a carpenter for a couple of years, ending with being a wood floor mechnic (refinisher).

2.Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
Going out clubbing and dancing.

3.Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Running a marathon. Keep dealing with injuries. Maybe this is the year.

4.If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
No brainer–the great Leonardo di Vinci. I would hope to learn all I could from him about anything and everything.

5.What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
3 words: funny, passionate, determined. 2 more: thin and wealthy

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
“How can I make a positive difference in someone’s life today?”

2.Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
I used to tutor. I miss that. I like trying the different ways to switch on that light bulb. Guess that’s why I enjoyed the tech job. I was a psuedo teacher without the curriculum burden.

3.Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Start my own children’s line of tailored coats.

4.If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
I was lucky enough to learn pattern making from a woman who worked in the UK and Australia for some great designers. I’d like to learn more from a coat specialist. (Kathleeen how do you feel about running master classes in Australia?)

5.What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
Funny, impatient, clever. I wish I was calm and elegant.

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
Two questions really. Before I respond to this situation/thing, is it actually important? When I say this, what will the person I say it to actually hear?

I’m hoping 2007 is about achieving a better balance in this life.

2.Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
Care about my appearance. I detest shopping. I consider it to be an excruciatingly, frustrating activity. So I don’t. I’m quite positive that’s why my mother cries when she sees me.

3.Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Open a boutique.

4.If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
This brings to mind a daydream that I once had where I was the star of my own television show titled “If I could I would…”. I’d learn how to build a house, how to rebuild an engine, how to make a comfortable pair of 4″ heels, how to make sushi, how to craft a curved wooden staircase (saw this on the Discovery Channel – so amazing)… well, you get the general idea…but more to the point I would hope/love to learn patternmaking from an exceptionally skilled patternmaker… but then again I could try making use of some of those very useful and expensive textbooks from design school

5.What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
I wasn’t sure about this and I’m not much of a guesser. So I went to the source(s).
My mother – “peculiar, smart, procrastinator”
My brother – “different, caring, cute”
My sister – “strange, nice, humble”
My cousin – “peculiar, goofy, sensitive”
Me – fearless, successful

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
Am I a person I can be proud of?

Sorry…I tend to be long-winded

2.Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
I would say running but I’m doing that again. Embroidery. I enjoy doing fine hand embroidery, drawn thread and the like. Cross stitch is good too although not as challenging as french embroidery. Also, watching TV. I wish I watched more TV. I never know what anybody is talking about and I feel out of sync with the rest of the world not knowing who all these people are.

3.Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Learn to play a musical instrument.

4.If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
~sigh~ I’ve never been mentored, never had tutelage and I regret it profoundly. Had to learn everything on my own; I would have liked to have leaned on someone before I ended up on this path. I would like to have worked with Vionnet.

5.What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
Disciplined (my husband says I’m the most disciplined person he knows but I don’t agree), passionate, committed. I wish I were more tolerant and less impulsive.

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
When will I resolve to stop being so self absorbed that I start voting and caring enough to do something about things bigger than myself?

2.Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
Paint, by myself or with anyone else.

3.Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Take more drawing classes. Be more well-read. Write a business plan.

4.If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
‘d want to be a dancer for Bob Fosse. I find his style & choreography incredibly uplifting, appealing and raw. I’d like to learn to free myself from my inhibitions by tapping into the deepest, most remote part of my creativity and expression and letting it all out and I’m sure this would get me going in the right direction! And the spillover effect onto the rest of my life would be immediately positive.

5.What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
Honest to a fault, passionate, creative. I wish the words unabashed and accomplished described me.

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
What am I going to do today to lessen/decrease my footprint on the earth?

2.Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
Play piano. I took lessons for seven years and now I’d like to start again.

3.Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Adopt a greyhound. I don’t have the time or space for another dog but if I had my way, I’d have 500 animals running around my house. Okay that’s an exaggeration because I’m not an animal hoarder, but I do love them.

4.If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
I’d LOVE LOVE LOVE to apprentice under a talented and knowledgable pattern maker. I would hope to further my pattern know-how enough to one day work for myself (well small businesses, really, but as a service provider, not a direct employee) as a pattern maker. If anyone is looking to take on a information-hungry pattern maker as an apprentice, shoot an email my way. No, really. I’ll be at your house in 3 weeks… will cook and do dishes.

5.What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
Add two more words you wish described you… hmm. funny, ridiculous, serious. i wish- patient (I’m getting better on this one), energized.

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
What makes you happy? If it’s not what you’re currently involved in, what can you change to make yourself happy?

1) What’s the most fun work you’ve ever done, and why?
I had a job that was a lot of fun because of the people I worked with. The work itself was not necessarily fun nor challenging. I was basically a copy/print room aide in a small middle/high public school of 600 students. (I operated and troubleshot the machines, set up a system for getting reports to the teachers on a timely basis, and basically made the teachers’ jobs easier). The students in this school were among the highest achievers on the state’s standardized tests. I had so much fun working with people who cared about and really enjoyed teaching students. The intellectual atmosphere was incredible.

2) Name one thing you used to do that you no longer do but wish you did?
I used to ride horses and take riding lessons (dressage) but due to lack of time and money, I no longer pursue this.

3) Name one thing you’ve always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
Take a digital photography course.

4) If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
It would be an apprenticeship from Coco Chanel (in Paris) to learn couture sewing and at the same time become fluent in French.

5) What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you? Add two more words you wish described you.
kind, friendly, happy — assertive, risk-taker

Bonus: What is one question you wish people would ask themselves?
Why do you discriminate against your fellow human being?