Tag Archives: Interview

Grin and Bare It

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I was thrilled to chat with Scott McGlothlen, all-around nice guy and writer for his bare-all blog The Bare Inkslinger. The conversation was bit more revealing than I planned:

 

Scott: In June, my partner, Luke, and I set out to discover a magical place in a far, far away land known as “Portland.” Whenever the topic came up, people would always say the same thing: You’ve never been to Portland?! Oh, YOU would love it there. I’m pretty sure they meant this as a compliment.

We had actually scheduled our Portland adventure last fall. Then I had to go and blow the whole thing by having a nervous breakdown. Now that I was slightly less of a spaz (slightly), I could finally see this city AND finally meet the one and only blogger, Michael Schneider.

Michael: Talk about burying the lede, Scott, with the nervous breakdown. How are you feeling?

Scott: I’m feeling way better these days.  So much of my life was out-of-whack when we first tried to come to Portland last year.  I’ve been able to get a lot of things back in whack since that time.  Life is still nervous with all I’m trying to do, but no breakdowns are to be had. Continue reading →

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

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I was honored to be interviewed for Matt Baume’s Sewers Of Paris podcast series. *Thrill* as I recount stories of my childhood sci-fi crushes! (I didn’t give Quantum Leap-era Scott Bakula’s legs due credit in the podcast; apologies Scott) *Wonder* as I recall formative music of my youth like Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814! *Cringe* as I audibly start crying when I talk about my ex! My gift to you is the feeling of being profoundly uncomfortable, so please click here to listen to the podcast.

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“Workout Buddies” (screencap by Shawn Jackson)
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I was interviewed by Reggie Aqui at KGW, the local NBC affiliate here in Portland, about dating apps. I managed to make Scruff sound almost respectable! To see the full video, click this link. UGH WHY IS IT NOT EMBEDDABLE.

The Woman Who Runs With The Wolves, Part 2

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photo by Summer Olsson, digital artistry by Tucker Cullinan

photo by Summer Olsson, digital artistry by Tucker Cullinan

Do what you love. Be brave. Take a chance.

These are all things I’ve talked about often on this blog, since my decision to take an artistic sabbatical and share the journey with others. Recently, I met someone else who took a similar leap: Michelle Lesniak-Franklin, winner of Season 11 of Project Runway (yup, it was her I was writing about at the end of this previous post). You’ll remember her personal style and razor-sharp wit, and probably her obsession with wolves, too.

I met the Portland native at her studio last week to chat, and she was just as funny, tough, and candid as she appeared to be on the show. She was also game for a photo shoot in Portland’s Japanese Gardens, inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s anime classic, “Princess Mononoke”.

Here’s Part 2 of the interview, click here for Part 1.

BLCKSMTH: We share an obsession for the periodic table of elements. My personal token of strength is the “Fe” symbol for Iron, and yours seems to be “Au” for Gold. When did the transition happen from the name of the brand “Michelle is well” to “Au”?

Michelle Lesniak-Franklin: I got advice from a friend and investor about the name “Michelle Is Well”, that it sounds like a hospital update. “Oh, we went to the hospital to visit Michelle, how is she?” “She’s doing great, Michelle is…well.” I never loved it either, I thought it sounded really juvenile, but was something that just stuck.

I like to be smart, and articulate, and slightly geeky. And so the periodic table…you know I have a little bit of a science background, it just stuck with me. And I wanted it to be Au, to represent a golden moment, a golden piece of clothing that will stay in your closet until the end of time. You know it’s geek chic, but there’s also something tough and hard about gold. Continue reading →

The Woman Who Runs With The Wolves

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Michelle Lesniak-Franklin, The Woman Who Runs With Wolves.

(l. to r.) Michael James Schneider, Michelle Lesniak Franklin. Photo and mask construction by Summer Olsson, digital artistry by Tucker Cullinan.

Do what you love. Be brave. Take a chance.

These are all things I’ve talked about often on this blog, since my decision to take an artistic sabbatical and share the journey with others. Recently, I met someone else who took a similar leap: Michelle Lesniak-Franklin, winner of Season 11 of Project Runway (yup, it was her I was writing about at the end of this previous post). You’ll remember her personal style and razor-sharp wit, and probably her obsession with wolves, too.

I met the Portland native at her studio this week to chat, and she was just as funny, tough, and candid as she appeared to be on the show. She was also game for a photo shoot in Portland’s Japanese Gardens, inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s anime classic, “Princess Mononoke”.

BLCKSMTH: You were excited when I brought up the “Princess Mononoke” concept of the photo shoot, are you a fan of Miyazaki?

Michelle Lesniak-Franklin: I am, definitely!

Explain a little bit of the wolf obsession, please.

At the time of being on the show, you’re alone during filming, and you don’t have your friends and family there. You don’t have your support system for weeks and weeks, and you’re cut off from the world. I felt, too, that my garments weren’t being received very well. Not having the fashion background, it started making me think, “Oh, I’m not good at this, no one will like my aesthetic, it’s not supposed to be out there in the world.” It started getting me down, and I felt like “You can’t be in this dark space, think of a power animal, put yourself into an animal that can survive through all odds.” And it was the wolf. And I ended up being pretty dangerous for the other people. Continue reading →

Will The Real Aiden James Please Stand Up?

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photo by Summer Olsson, enhancement by Tucker Cullinan

photo by Summer Olsson, duplication by Tucker Cullinan

Between touring and writing/recording his music, Aiden James probably wishes there was a few more of him to go around! He’s a Philly-based, emerging singer/songwriter who headlined Portland Pride a couple weeks ago. His story kind of inspired me, since I’m a little obsessed with connecting with people who have made the choice to leave their day job for creative pursuits. I got a chance to hang with him a bit after his gig, and he was charming, gregarious, and transparent. The fact that he was down for a fun photo shoot was icing on the cake. Here’s an interview with the guy; expect big things from him coming up:

BLCKSMTH: What did you do before what you do now? AJ: Find a way to do what I’m doing now.

What was the job you hated the most? High school … (pause for seriousness)

I was never trapped behind a desk or a slave to the man. That’s not my story. It’s nothing like Dolly Parton in 9 To 5. I’ve been involved with music, even during the early parts of my life. I was a karate instructor for a large chunk of my adolescence, a barista (while I worked the open mic circuit and small coffee house gigs, taught guitar, and then released my first album). Then later down the line… Continue reading →

The Warp and Weft, Part 3: Mind The Gap

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Who reading this hasn’t had a labor of love, a creative project that they’ve been thinking about for months, or years, or their whole life? Well, designing (in Part 1 of this series), then creating the model (in Part 2 of this series) for the set of the West Coast premiere of Robert Kauzlaric’s masterful stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, directed by Scott Leggett, was that project for me. And this week, that dream got even better when I connected with Mr. Kauzlaric, and asked him a few questions about his writing process, Neil Gaiman’s fanbase, and what role staging plays in his imagination when he’s writing.

After the break, check out our chat, a great “teaser” video with some of the people who helped bring this production to life, and a first look at the finished set!

Michael James Schneider, in London Below

Michael James Schneider, in London Below

Continue reading →