Diary of an Artist: Entry 26

As an artist, I encourage myself to reflect upon my interests and inspirations every now and then. I ask myself why these subjects intrigue me and how I can convey that intrigue in my work. Sometimes logic drives my intrigue while other times the intrigue is much more intuitive—so abstract, in fact, that articulating the allure of a certain topic proves difficult. Without any over-intellectualization, here is a list of things I like. You can guess the reasons for yourself. (I wrote this list today in honor of where I currently stand in my artistic career. Consider it a monument of sorts). I like:

purple paisley
chicken quarters
random ‘zines
pale lace
permanent markers
Victorian fairies
the scent of newspaper ink
gypsy make-up
iridescent dragons
graphic novels
sniffing spring flowers
rinsing with minty mouthwash
gold glitter glue
real hot chocolate
chubby cow-mice
trying new restaurants
discovering constellations in cracks on the ceiling
day-dreaming in the middle of long lectures
the faint glimmer of antique cameos
singing very loudly in my dorm room
burgundy velvet
the act of sealing an envelope
obscure indie music
book bindings
composing poetry
watching earth worms emerge after the rain
loads of lasagna
a balmy breeze
the Sunday comics
illustrating handmade birthday cards
smiling a full smile
bizarre collages
mixing two or three shades of eye shadow
a long kiss after months of separation
tiny vintage shops
the ability to think
black-and-white cartoons
high quality fashion magazines
walking barefoot across the beach
layering shorts over tights
finding money on the street
pseudo decadence
being tickled by the right person
seeing my name in print
remembering something I thought I had forgotten
the taste of hair
melting cheese on top of (almost) everything
improving my posture
moist chocolate cake
foreign films
hugging my mother
rolling my r’s
giggling like a five-year old
true blue eyes
riding my bicycle on a tepid day
the texture of angel wings
romping around playground
absurd alliteration
vanilla yogurt topped with strawberries, granola, and chocolate chips
hopeless fairytales
having eaten just the right amount
the sound of scissors cutting paper
naturally curly hair
visiting parks
granny glasses
Photographs of Edwardian burlesque models
layers of beaded necklaces
silky scarves in gentle colors
plump French Fry birds
new composition notebooks
day-trips to art museums
pretentious band T-shirts
having a real conversation with my father
my determination
chunky knitted sweaters
Roaring Twenties slang
rolls of postage stamps
my body
holding my grandmother
a sincere handshake
subtle sarcasm
my lover’s laugh
taking photographs of dead creatures
evading homework and other dull tasks I have no intention of ever completing
pretending to be sweeter than I actually am
writing for the mere sake of writing