Mother Falcon proved to be different. They defied the odds during a tough economic time, and while some local businesses shut its doors they kept growing into the next building size. INTERESTING. I found myself wanting to create and customize my own t-shirt of my favorite Magic player just to support the business (Remember Pietrus? Yeah, well I still miss him and his last minute three point shots). I also started attending the Mother Falcon art shows. It wasn’t too much longer before John and Melissa agreed to carry my book in their store. And soon it became very clear to me that Mother Falcon had always been much more than a t-shirt shop. COMMUNITY. Mother Falcon has become a gathering place for Orlando’s creative and art-inspired neighbors.  And now with the opening of their newest venture, a craft beer and wine art bar called The Falcon, the heart of Thornton Park is pulsating again.

Did you guys know that there’s a band called Mother Falcon?
John: Yes. They’re from Austin, where my family lives. And it’s totally a coincidence. We found out about them when we started our Facebook page.

I noticed that you beat them to the Mother Falcon Twitter domain. So that must count for something, right?
John: Yeah, we got lucky. We didn’t realize that they were a band until after we opened up the store.
Melissa: We went to South by Southwest about two years ago and they were headlining as one of the big bands there.
John: They were actually on the cover of the paper—the Austin Chronicle.
Melissa: And we were like, “Cool! Perfect.”

Where did the name Mother Falcon come from?
Melissa: Basically, we wanted the store to be called The Falcon. We were always talking back and forth about whether we wanted a second store or location. So we joked around that the first store would be the ‘Mother’ store. Then we kind of thought the name Mother Falcon was memorable and it just kind of developed from there.

Why a T-Shirt design shop?
John: We realized there was a niche for it. Both of us wanted to make custom clothes and couldn’t do it. So we thought it’d be a good idea to start doing it that way.
Melissa: Yeah. We both really like customized t-shirts. The only places around that did it were iron-on places, and we didn’t feel like you could completely express yourself with that. There wasn’t enough creativity.  At the time, we were thinking of opening a business together and so we just decided to do that—customize shirts.
John: Plus, the only other way to get a custom t-shirt was on the Internet. And there was no way to control how good it came out or …
Melissa: Yeah, there’s no personal experience on the Internet.

Is there a company you modeled Mother Falcon after?
Melissa: [Pauses] We looked at a shop that did iron-ons, where you picked your own iron-on. We liked the fact that you could have a hands-on experience with the graphics. So we did model ourselves after that a little bit. We also modeled ourselves after a tattoo shop, where you can look through books or pick art.  It all kind of came together organically. We kind of didn’t know what we were doing. We just put ourselves in the place of a customer walking in the shop, and thought of what they’d like to experience.

Why do you think your business thrives in Thornton Park?
Melissa: Well, we’re residents of Thornton Park. We both lived in other places for about eight years—out west. We both ended up coming back. I think when we came back we both realized how much we loved our home and loved Orlando. We have a lot of passion for our neighborhood and for our city. We appreciate it.
John: Right when we opened, everyone in the neighborhood totally loved and supported us.

But retail is so hard to do downtown…
John: Retail is hard to do anywhere right now thanks to the economy.
Melissa: Yeah, that’s true. I think we have a legitimate love for our city and people embrace that.

How did you two meet?
John: Through E-Harmony…
Melissa: [Laughs]

No way.  C’mon…
John: [Laughs] No, we met through friends. And we hit it off immediately.
Melissa: We had the same mutual friends from high school all the way up…
John: And we never knew each other.
Melissa: Yeah, we never knew each other.

So when did you officially meet?
Melissa: When we had both just moved back to Orlando…
John: …in 2004.

Who made the first move?
John: I did.
Melissa: [Laughs]

Who’s always right?
John: She is.
Melissa: [Laughs]

What’s the secret to sharing a business and a marriage?
Melissa: [Pauses] Communication.
John: Yeah. And understanding.

Understanding what? That she’s always right?
John: Yeah. [Laughs] We both have the same goals. We both want to be successful. And so we help each other out.

Who does what around the shop?
John: I do mostly t-shirt printing and graphic design. She does all of the business aspects and marketing. And social networking. Everything.
Melissa: Yeah, social networking. Marketing. Accounting.

You guys certainly draw a lot of business during the NBA season. What are you guys gonna do if the NBA lockout continues and the season is canceled?
Melissa: Cry. [Laughs]
John: Yeah, cry. And not just because we might lose business but because we’re fans. There’s nothing more that I like doing than watching basketball after work.

What’s been your favorite Magic shirt?
John: Matt Barnes Will Kill You.
Melissa: I like Dwight Power.

Have you heard any feedback from the players?
John: We had a player come in who thought the shirts were really funny.
Melissa: What was his name?
John: Malik Allen.
Melissa: Yeah, and JJ’s wife came in about a shirt for herself. Her and her friends wanted to spell out ‘WE  ♥ JJ’ on their shirts and wear it to a game. We also gave her a shirt to give to Ryan Anderson… the ‘I’m Gay For JJ’ shirt.

One of many shirts created by Mother Falcon.

Really? That’s awesome. Was she a good sport about it?
John: Yeah.
Melissa: Yeah. She thought it was really funny.
John: We also had a fan wearing that shirt pose with JJ for a picture.

Who’s your most loyal customer?
Melissa: Don Miller.

Who’s that?
John: He’s a radio personality. Hilarious. Really smart guy. Does political radio.  He’s very cool and comes in all the time.

Who’s your most famous customer?
Melissa: [Pauses] I don’t know.
John: I don’t know either. Shaq?
Melissa: Yeah, we’ve made shirts for Shaq before.

What were they?
John: They were for the Shaq Vs show, you know? We made him a Bieber Fever shirt.
Melissa: Yeah. It was Shaquille O’Neal versus Justin Bieber. And so he wanted Bieber Fever and #1 Dad.

What’s been the strangest shirt request?
Melissa: There’s so many.
John: Yeah, there is a lot.
Melissa: We get that question a lot too. Let’s see… what would be appropriate? [Laughs]
John: We’ll pretty much print anything that’s not racist. We don’t tolerate that. If there are curse words, we’ll print that. You know… we’re not prudes. [He looks to Melissa] What’s a good one?
Melissa: [Laughs] There’s one that comes to mind, but I don’t want to say it.
John: The pound one?
Melissa: Yeah. [Laughs]
John: That’s the one I was thinking of too.
Melissa: [Laughs] Let me think about it some more. Ask me again later.

I’m excited for The Falcon to open. Whose idea was it to open an art bar?
John: Like we said earlier, it’s really been an organic process. We started out making t-shirts and it grew and grew and grew. We started getting involved with the local art scene, and we’ve been having monthly shows… do you want to take over?
Melissa: No. [Laughs]
John: So basically, we decided to open The Falcon so we could host the art shows and cater them ourselves.
Melissa: Basically, we’ve been doing art shows each month and each month we feature a local artist. You can either buy the art or get the art printed on a t-shirt. The shows just kept growing and growing and we just thought it’d be nice to have a bigger space to have parties. And voila! The place next door became open. So we decided to try it.
John: See. Her answer was way better than mine.

[Laughs] Why are the arts so important to you both?
Melissa: Since high school, I’ve always been around artistic and creative types. And while I took more of a business path, I think I’m still a creative person.
John: There’s no such thing as too much art. It’s cool to be a part of what’s happening now. We love the artists here. There’s so much talent in Orlando.
Melissa: We never talk about it, but John’s a good artist. When we visit his family in Texas, there’s a painting his grandfather has from when he was ten or something. Right? His mom always tried to encourage him to go to art school, but he never wanted to. So I’m glad he has a way to express himself now.

What kind of crowd do you hope The Falcon draws?
Melissa: Hopefully just the same crowd we’ve been having… people that are fans of art and the arts. We’re gonna have craft beer and wine. So people who enjoy craft beer will have a new place to come.
John: It’s going to be no smoking too.

Which will be a nice contrast to Burton’s.
Melissa: Yeah right. I think it’s going to be for people who are looking for something a little different in Thornton Park.

What comes next after The Falcon?
Melissa: Baby Falcon. [Laughs]
John: I don’t know. Let’s just get The Falcon open first.

Now tell me… what was on that shirt?
Melissa: This guy came into the shop and he wanted a shirt with an ‘I’ and the pound sign and a women’s body part that I will not say out loud.  He wears it around Thornton Park while riding his pink scooter all the time.
John: I think his scooter’s white.
Melissa: Oh is it? [Laughs] I thought it was pink.
John: No it’s not, but a pink scooter does make the story sound better. [Laughs]

*Interview Date: August 9, 2011

To make your own customized t-shirt or learn about any upcoming Mother Falcon art shows, visit www.motherfalconclothing.com.

Ever since a close friend of mine told me Donna was once the VP of Ticketmaster, I’ve wanted to know her story. I was intrigued by the fact she never brought this tidbit of news up in any of our conversations over the past few years. Not one “You’ll never believe this onetime at Ticketmaster” story. Not even a name-drop.

Still, I didn’t pursue this interview for a very long time. I was waiting for the right moment. And then finally, earlier this year, I started pushing myself towards it, even though I wasn’t sure if it was timely enough. I had started questioning myself. Am I making excuses? Is there ever going to be a ‘right’ time?  Or am I just lazy?

Wanting to prove to myself that I wasn’t a procrastinator, I pushed forward. And then the strangest thing happened. The morning of this interview, I resigned from two positions I cherished very much, including stepping down as the publisher of Burrow Press, the very company I had created. Only I hadn’t told anyone yet. I wasn’t sure how to tell anyone, except my boyfriend who supported me very much.

There was no better time to have lunch with Orlando’s Ambassador of Love. Sometimes interviews come at the most appropriate times, even when I don’t plan it that way on purpose.

Let’s start at the beginning. Where were you born?
Tampa, Florida. At MacDill Airforce Base. My father was in the military.

What was your childhood like?
Interesting. Challenging. We moved to many different cities. On the air force base, we were always the ‘other people’, which taught me great lessons about not being afraid. And that it’s okay to meet new people and introduce your self to people without preconceived notions.

What places did you live in?
Interesting places. Dallas, Texas. Rapid City, South Dakota, Roswell, New Mexico.  Spokane, Washington.  Sacramento, California. Riverside, California. Los Angeles,

California. Washington D.C.. Virginia. Maryland.  Lakeland, Florida. Orlando, Florida. And of course, where I was born Tampa, Florida.

Now did you go to college?
I’m a high school graduate.

So how did you go about your journey from a secretarial position to vice president of Ticketmaster?
My father wanted me to join the military. My mother thought that if you were a secretary, you’d always have a job. Well, my father took me to see a military recruiter. Military life was very good for our family. We traveled. We received education. We got to live in places we probably could have never gone before.  My father got to travel internationally. We never made it. Still, it wasn’t for me.

As far as my career, I worked my way up through the ranks at live sports and entertainment venues.  It was interesting to me and I wanted to do it. I was always told, “It’s not a woman’s business,” and “You don’t have an education” and “You should maybe think about something else.” I never listened.

How long did it take you rise to your ultimate position?
It took me 5-6 years to become a supervisor and then a manager/director. After ten years in Washington D.C., I moved to Florida to work at the Lakeland Civic Center. In 1981, I became the director of it. I had progressed through the ranks there as a ticketing manager, then assistant manager and then manager of the whole operations. Then I was hired as the Executive Director of Ticketmaster, Florida.

After being at Ticketmaster for several years, I became Executive Vice President of the Southeastern Region and also Vice President of industry relations. It was a lot of responsibility. My territory covered seventeen states. So I had seventeen managers and almost two thousand employees, because we also had a call center, a customer center, and mangers for marketing and general managers of operations. I had a large division and large territory, and close to three thousand clients—from the smallest nightclub that held forty people to largest stadium that held 100,000 people.

It takes a certain type of person to be a good manager. Where do you think you learned those skills?
That’s a real interesting question. I know a lot of managers. I’ve been a manager. And I’ve had a lot of managers. I learned many important lessons by the way people treated me, you know, hands on experience. Immediately I’d know that’s not the way I want to be or manage.

I always wanted to be around people that were smarter than me, people I could learn from. I was around the sports field a lot and you see team spirit often. My management style was about being a good communicator, and sharing information and asking a lot of questions.

So when you’re living that kind of lifestyle, you know hanging with celebrities and such, what makes you leave that job?
I always was an artist too, self-taught. I was self-taught as an artist and also in my career. [Pauses] I was full-time at work and full-time doing my art, and it was my art that was taking over.

Also after working at different jobs and having accomplished many goals, I’m a person that likes to keep going and sharing and giving and loving what I do. I’m still a consultant for Ticketmaster. I have my own arts and entertainment consulting company, xoxo Media Group, and have been consulting for the past six years and will continue to for years to come. I love the industry. I love being involved.

Now I get to use all the skills I have learned to support the arts with being the chair of the Downtown Arts District. I get to be active in the community and active in the industry. I’m active at Full Sail [University] and am on the advisory board for the entertainment business school. I guest lecture there twice a month.  So I love giving back and sharing with the students.

I’m very honored to have an Honorary Degree from Full Sail. The students actually suggested to the management that I get an honorary degree because I didn’t have a college degree. That was always the story of my career. Sometimes I wouldn’t get a promotion because of it. All these years later I’m very thankful to have my honorary Full Sail degree.

What planted you in Orlando?
Ticketmaster was a young and growing company. They had offices in New York, and an office in L.A., and Chicago. The Orlando arena was under construction here in the late 80’s—’87 or ’88—and Ticketmaster was looking for someone to run the offices for the state of Florida. They wanted to set up here with a plan of expanding throughout the Southeast. At the time, Tickettron was the big ticketing company, among a few other smaller companies. So Ticketmaster pursued me to be the Executive Director of the Florida offices with the intention to expand into the Southeast region, which we did. It made since to locate the head offices in Orlando because it had good infrastructure, you know, with technology, and you had the new buildings being built, you weren’t far from Atlanta, Miami was having a new arena built. So it was centrally located. I moved here to take that job.

I continue to love Orlando and this is where I choose to live and work. Such a vibrant and exciting city on the move. And the people … they are amazing. Orlando is my home.

How did you gain the title Orlando’s Ambassador of Love?
That’s a title I cherish and treasure very much and I accept my responsibility with an open heart and a strong mine. In giving back to the community, in working with the arts and bringing communities together and in the theme of my art, the message is love. I have always been an advocate of the arts—the venues, the performing arts, visual arts, all of it. I think that’s what makes a vibrant and sustainable community.

Years ago there was a National Ambassador of Love over the United States appointed by Richard Nixon, the entertainer Pearl Bailey. And then the United Nations appointed her to be the Ambassador of Love for the entire world. Mayor Dyer knew of that.  I had had some discussions with the Mayor about different opportunities throughout the city. He would come out to the art shows, along with the rest of the community, and he would see the reaction to the artwork—the love and the heart. About three years ago, he made a formal proclamation [for me] and I love it.

I love being the Ambassador of Love. We’ve had articles about it in the New York Times. I was on the Samantha Brown show on the Travel Channel. It’s a very unique thing. We’re the only city in the nation that has one. It’s very nice.

What is your definition of love?
Wow. [Pauses] I think love is a way of life. Love is understanding and caring and sharing and being patient. It is feeling responsibilities to yourself and others to love and be loved. I just think it’s the greatest gift of all.

Loving yourself, loving others, loving your community, loving humanity, loving the arts—it’s just a feeling you have. I think everyone has it, just not everyone is great at expressing it. I’m not afraid to say ‘I love you’ to people I know and people I don’t know. I truly give the gift of love. And I want to.

Is that why the theme of your art is love?
I paint hearts, and love, and words and expressions of love, like the face, angels, the big red lips—I just have always loved life. I’m in love with life. I’m interested in people. I’m interested in community. I think that purpose and respect is just what comes out in my artwork. I don’t control what comes out in my artwork. I just paint.

Do you think these feelings stem from your upbringing or life experience?
I think a little bit of both. You learn from family and being around family. Watching love that people share for one another. And I think being around so many different people, and seeing the reaction to audiences of people, like what happens at a sporting event when everyone comes together, or what happens at a musical when everyone is laughing or crying together, or when you go with your friends to a concert, it’s just … [sighs] such a wonderful feeling. I’ve been around a lot of love. I’ve been around a lot of heartache too.

I’ve seen challenges. I’ve seen people living with nothing and people living with so much. I’ve experienced so many things and I think it’s a combination of it all.

What is your recommendation for overcoming heartache?
I think heartache happens from time to time. We’re always gonna have it. I think once we reflect upon why we have it, we understand why our heart is aching. We wise up. And we move on. There’s no feeling like loving someone and loving the people around you. I always say, “The journey we don’t always understand, but we travel it everyday.”  And if we choose love over everything we will be okay even when the days are terrifically tough.

What has been your proudest moment as an artist?
I have so many of them. One of the proudest moments for me is when someone sees one of my paintings, they make a connection with it and it changes them. It has an impact on their life. So much that they take it off the wall and take it home with them to live with every single day.

To have my art in the Art Collection in the Amway center. To have collector’s all over the world. I have a lot of proud moments. My artwork is in Paris, London and Hong Kong, and people I know and don’t know get to experience it in collections all around.

Something else I’m really proud of is that I was one of the first artists to teach a class at the Coalition for the Homeless. They have a program called A.B.C.—Art By Children.  One of my friends volunteered me without telling me. I taught a six-week course to children, ages 5-years-old to 15 years old, titled Stories from the Heart. It was just the most amazing thing. To see children expressing their feelings and pain—it just breathes life into your soul.  That’s definitely one of my proudest moments too.

You have come to a point in your life where you can relax. Wait, I don’t want to say that because that’s not true. But you’ve come to a point in your life where you can do anything you want and you have recently chosen to be the Chair of the Downtown Arts District. What motivates you to keep working and giving back?
[Laughs] I see the difference that it makes. I know the difference that it makes. I think it’s important to life and it’s important to people. It’s important to cities when you’re growing and developing as much as Orlando is. It’s one thing to have the best arena in the nation in regards to lights and technology, but we also have a million dollar art collection in there. The owners of the Magic and also the City both acknowledge the importance of art and how it enhances life, so they commissioned it.

It does make a difference. That’s what keeps me going. I want to. And I chose to. Of course, every now and then I’d like another day off … [Laughs]

What direction is the Downtown Arts District going?
Growing. That’s what we’re doing. We’re growing and doing more community outreach. We have a new young artists program at the CityArts Factory that is doing so well. It’s bringing artists together and giving them the opportunity to learn how to show as a professional artist. We’re looking to expand into other venues. The Downtown Arts District is on the move.

What are the challenges it faces?
We’re challenged by funding, always. And finding new people to get involved. It’s the same challenges I think all non-profit organizations face. You have to have funds to operate. And coming up with new creative ways to do that can be challenging.

What keeps you grounded in Orlando?
I love this city. I love the people. There’s something very special about this city. I’m really proud—and this is another one of my proudest moments—that people have stayed in Orlando because they have felt the compassion and heard the passion in my voice to what a great city we live in. They were going to move away to a bigger city, but they stayed. And that’s terrific! There’s only one Orlando. I mean, c’mon!

If you could sum up Orlando in five words, what would they be?
Five words? I think we’re a smart city. A vibrant city. A growing city.  A special city. And I think we’re a changing city. We’re always changing and trying new things. I think our citizens are committed to our city. They’re loyal and devoted.

Where do you see our city in 10 years?
I see the Performing Arts Center open. I see more people traveling here for our attractions. I see better transportation networks. I see us with more artists, and more art, and more creativity throughout the city. I see more business moving to our city.

And what about the love?
The love has always been here. [Laughs] And will continue to be.

Interview Date: May 19, 2011

“How do you feel about having a mural on this wall?” asked my boyfriend. He was pointing to the wall in our living room in between the kitchen and guest bathroom hallway.

“I think that’d be cool,” I answered. I hadn’t given much thought to owning a mural before.

“How would you feel about having an Andrew Spear mural on this wall?” He obviously had been thinking about it for sometime now.

“Yeah, that’d be good.” And within seconds we were on Andrew’s website looking for ways to connect with him. Cory had pointed out Spear’s work to me at City Arts Factory and Mother Falcon’s Star Wars tribute months before. That was before I knew that Andrew had done a wall in the Las Vegas Real World house (which I found out from Andrew’s site. I’m too old to watch the Real World that is now a Real Train Wreck.) Cory was unsure he’d even have time for us now that his work was receiving so much attention.

“I’ll just ask him. Send him an email,” I said. “I’ve been wanting to start up the blog again. Maybe he’ll let me interview him too.”

Within one day, I received an email response. The next day a phone call. And by the following day he was at our house scoping out the situation.  One thing I love about Orlando is its artist are accessible and willing.

“Disco Circus was just something I whipped up for the back of a skateboard,” Andrew explained. Out of the three pieces we were considering, it was the piece featuring an elephant that I wanted.

“We just love the black and white lines with the pop of color you do,” Cory replied. “So we’d like to change the red carpet possibly.”

“Done. We’ll work it out. It’ll be dope.”

By that following Monday, Andrew began moving himself and his art stuff into our house. He stayed and painted for a total of five days, dedicating a few hours to his piece each day. It’s an experience I recommend to everyone. He will leave you with more than just his art work.

Option 1

Option 2

How would you describe yourself in three words?
Describe myself in three words? Loyal. Critical. And ready.

How would someone else describe you in three words?
Asshole. I’d hope they say funny. And motivated.

What about your mother?
She’d probably say I’m motivated. We’ve discussed that.  She actually thinks I work too much. She wants me to stop.  She doesn’t think I take time for myself. But she also thinks I ruin my relationships with people because I work all the time. What’s a word to describe that?

Selfish?
Yeah.  I’m the selfish son. You know? I’ve definitely forgotten birthdays. She’s called me and left me messages like, “Hello. It’s your Mom. Remember me? The woman that spawned you?”

So, yeah, I get that every now and again. But it’s her fault. She made me this way.

How so?
When I was a kid I said I was bored once. I must have been about eleven. She said, “You don’t have anytime to be bored in this house. If you’re bored, than you’re depressed. I don’t have depression around me. Get outside and rake!”

What made you move from Boston to Orlando?
I wanted to get the hell out of the Boston weather. I couldn’t take it anymore.

I figure, if you’re gonna be neurotic and crazy you might as well take something off the list that’s gonna make it easier to deal with life. For me, it was dealing with weather and getting that off the radar. Not worrying if it was going to be gray and all that shit.

What do you think has made you stay here for over a decade?
Probably the weather. [Laughs] I was just in New York yesterday, and even then I was like, “Okay, I’m ready to go.” It was shitty and rainy the whole time I was there. When you walk around Manhattan and in between subway stops and you don’t have an umbrella when it’s raining, it sucks. It’s pissing rain. It’s 40 degrees, too cold for it to be raining. It should be snowing. That whole thing just sucks.

Are you a Celtics or Magic fan?
Awe man. I’m not really a sports person. You have to understand that I grew up in Boston with the Celtics in the 80’s. Do you know what that means? It means Larry Bird, Robbie Parish and Kevin McHale—I know them because up there it’s a religion. But now that I’m down here, I’m definitely a Magic fan.  There I didn’t have a choice. It was like I had a gun to my head.

What made you pick up a paintbrush?
The Celtics. [Laughs] No.  My Dad was an artist. Not like gallery show artist but he was a creative guy. My Mom is creative too. Like I said, we weren’t really raised on TV. We had to do shit all the time. It was about music and art, and sports kind of fell to the wayside. We played instruments and drew, and our parents supported us with all that, which I think is good.  I don’t think a lot of parents want their kids to be A. an artist or B. a musician because you don’t make any money as you get older. You can if work your ass off.  But even that’s a pain in the ass.

Can you remember how old you were when you first picked up a paintbrush?
The first memory I have of that is painting the back of Beatles albums when I was a kid. The first time I had any credit to my name was when I was in the first grade. I drew a pig, and then we had to write the name “pig” in upper case and lower case letters all around it. My Mom kept all my stuff, but this one particular drawing I just was recently looking at and it’s so weird. It’s so particular and detailed. I wouldn’t have seen it as a kid but now I could.

You see these kids doing something and it’s like, “That kid’s got something. That kid’s got something. That kid’s a doodler. That kid’s a stoner. That kid should be doing something but his parents won’t let him.” All that shit happens.

Anyways, this one particular time I remember getting recognition. The teacher wrote on the page: This is outstanding! He should do more of this! And that’s all it took.

It’s crazy how one person can be so encouraging to us as kids.
Yeah. We need that as adults too. I don’t think it ever goes away.

What’s that? The need for validation?
Yeah.  Meaning you have to fail to succeed. Sometimes you fail so many times you just wanna give up, but then someone comes along and it changes. It’s like in dating or going for a job interview. Many people are gonna say no before someone says yes. You just have to have the nerve to find out.  A compliment on an illustration or art piece can go a long way.

Why murals?
I started doing these bigger murals when these Krink pens came out because basically it allows me to do my illustration stuff on a bigger scale. I wouldn’t be able to do this line work with a brush. I’d go crazy. The linear side of my work couldn’t read as well until these pens were available. Now, it’s like, the sky is the limit. You can do anything. It’s only been about three years since these pens came out.

Our Disco Circus completed mural.

And what do lines mean to you? What draws you to them?
What draws me to them? Is that a pun? [Laughs] Um, it’s weird because I like to think that I’m an all-over-the-place kind of person. This [he points the mural he’s painting] is kinda like someone who does yoga, controlled. I’m not using a ruler. You have to get in the flow to keep the lines straight. There’s a rhythm.

There’s also a lot of sound to it.  Line work being heavier and thinner, and if there is a lot of weight to it, that’s like music to me. I don’t want to sound like too analytical because it’s not that crazy. But if you were to analyze it, I guess there ya go.

Which murals around town are yours?
The Peacock Room. The Hideaway. The Dynatech Building. City Arts Building. Sam Flax, both stores.

Which ones are your favorites?
The Peacock Room. The Hideaway. The Dynatech Building. [Laughs] I love them all. They’re like kids. You give birth to these things and then you let them go. There’s different moods to different pieces. The one I like the best is probably the one at City Arts Factory, the big black and white of the woman’s face. It’s the one that has the most raw energy.

What’s with all the women in your work?
Is [my girlfriend] Becky gonna read this?

I don’t know. Does she read blogs?
[Laughs] There’s a lot of sexual stuff going on there and there’s a lot of … [Laughs] I don’t want to sound like an idiot. I like drawing women because I like women. The face, the hair, the whole thing. It’s a good subject for me.

Do you draw women you know?
I try to keep it anonymous. If I were to do someone you know it takes the mystique out of the piece. If there’s a resemblance that’s fine, as long as it’s not exact. I’ve seen people use real people in their work and I just can’t take it seriously. I’m like, “C’mon really? That’s the guy from Octopus carwash.”

What artists do you look up to?
My favorite is Paul Guaguin. He’s old school. If you look at my stuff you’ll notice a lot of black woman and features and Tahitian. Ralph Steadman, the illustrator. He did the Hunter S. Thompson line stuff. Philip Burke. He became a Buddhist, but he was the guy who did the main illustrations for Rolling Stone back in the 80’s.

Then there’s Stevie Wonder and Eddie Van Halan. And actors, Scorcese. All that stuff. It’s not just visual. It’s all things. All things are important in shaping who you are.

Do you care to comment on the Orlando art scene?
Yeah. I’d love to comment on the Orlando art scene. [Pauses] It’s easy for anyone who wants to get involved. That’s a very positive thing. It’s also a negative because the scene is not as big as it should be, and it’s usually the same people doing the same thing, which is redundant. People here get locality disease. They get comfortable and stop pushing themselves outside their boundaries. Then again, it’s always hard to tell. That has to do with ambition, and I don’t know what everyone’s ambitions are.

I do know that there’s been a lot of change for the better since I’ve lived here. And that’s a good thing.

What do you think Orlando will look like in 10 years?
Hopefully the whole city will be murals. I’d like to see a lot more public art work, and not just mine. I’d like to see more sculptures and more … just more. More growth. And more art.

Where do you think you’ll be by then?
I don’t know where I’ll be in a month, never mind ten years. I hope to be happier and I hope it’s easier. That’s what I want. I’m not one of those people who are leaving. You know what I’m talking about. The ones that are always like, “I’m leaving I’m getting out of here.” I’m not that guy.

I’m just gonna let the art work takes me where it wants. And recently, that’s been to some pretty dope places.

*Interview Date: April 12, 2011

To check out what Mr. Spear is up to and possibly sign up for your own wall mural, go to www.spearlife.com.

How did I get the opportunity to interview a Blue Man? I asked.

My friend Brook had introduced me to her friend named Tisse, who had introduced me to her friend named Beth, who had questions about publishing and also happened to work behind the scenes of the Blue Man show. “Think a Blue Man would want to do an interview with me?” I asked. It was a question proposed on a whim. The next day she e-troduced me to Jordan through a Facebook message. Before long me and the Blue Man were exchanging messages about where we should meet up.

This interview happened at Dandelion Tea in the middle of the afternoon. It was two strangers meeting for the first time. Jordan was not blue at the time of this interview.

Jana: Did you always aspire to be a Blue Man? Or was it something that happened by chance?
Jordan: I saw the show for the first time in 2001-2002.  I went to visit a friend in New York. She took me to the show and was like, “This is gonna be right up your alley.” From the first time I saw it I loved it. There are certain things you experience and you immediately get. It just hits you somewhere inside.

I went to New York University for Theater. My acting studio was right next door to the [Blue Man] theater, like literally we shared a wall with them. Back then they had an ushering program, so that if you ushered the show you could watch it for free. You just had to give them your name and about two weeks notice, and they’d assign you a specific night.  After you ushered, you’d get a folding chair to sit in the back and watch. I did that four or five times.  Then, during my junior year, Julie, my girlfriend at the time, my wife now, said, “There’s an open call for Blue Man Group coming up and you have to go to it. Why not?” I was like, “Ugh. I’d have to skip class.” But I did. I played hooky and went to the audition. It was an open call with hundreds of people. And an open call in New York … there’s just a slim to no chance of getting anything out of it. But I did it. And about a month later I got a phone call from them saying they liked my open call and that they wanted me to come in and do an acting audition. So I did. When that was over, they said, “That was wonderful. We’re so excited, but we don’t want you to drop out of school to come into training with us. If something happened or you got cut during training … we just don’t want to ruin your life, pull you out of school and you don’t go back. Graduate. Do all of your work. And keep in touch with us.”

So I worked to graduate a semester early, keeping in touch with them the entire time. I’d send Christmas cards and stuff. [Laughs] Then they actually got back to me.

Two weeks before I was to graduate they called and said, “Hey, we heard you’re graduating. Do you wanna come in for training?” And that was it. I went in. Did the six weeks and made it through.  I got whisked out to Vegas to do some coverage out there for about eight months, and then came out to Orlando.

So the show is what moved you here?
Yeah. Julie had a similar story for Disney. She went to an open call in New York for Disney’s Finding Nemo Musical.  I was like, “Yeah, good luck getting that.” She was, “Wouldn’t it be great if I moved to Orlando for Disney and then you got Blue Man and we could all be in Orlando together?” I still was like, “Good luck with your open call that’s not only in New York but in Chicago, LA and all over.” She booked it though, and within her getting close to that I told Blue Man that I needed to go to Orlando.  They moved me down within a month of her getting here. It was perfect. And we’ve been here ever since.

What do you think of this city?
That seems like a weighted question. [Laughs] I don’t think I’d live in Florida if I hadn’t been sent here. I grew up in Tennessee, and even there I was always tired of the slower paced living, which isn’t necessarily the case here. There’s just a certain stagnant vibe too it.

The more I learn about Orlando, the more I like about it. Maybe that’s where we should start. [Laughs] I used to say it has absolutely no culture and there’s no art, but at the time I was living on I-Drive and working at a theme park. It was hard to feel a part of any community. It didn’t matter that I went to the same Publix every time, because I lived in a tourist trap it was assumed I was a tourist. Now, we have a house outside the city and I have more respect for everything. It’s homier. There’s community. Still, I can see the tentacles of Disney and the other theme parks wrapping around everything.

As an actor, you have a certain ego. It’s hard telling someone what you do, and having people say, “I’ve never heard of it.” Here, I’ve never had so many people say, “Oh, you’re an actor? That’s cool. My cousin plays Goofy.” I’m like, “You just completely demeaned me.” [Laughs] It’s not about whether or not you know the show or like the show, or even acknowledge that acting is a profession. It’s just “actors”—and I’ll use quotes here—are seen as a dime a dozen because Disney can put a Mouse head on anybody.

Tell me more about what it’s like being in actor in Orlando.
Before I came to Orlando, I never would have imagined that it was a good place for film and television. But it is.  Film companies are bringing their projects to the Southeast because it’s cheaper and the states are willing to help out more.  As a result, a lot of castings are out of Atlanta or Orlando, and it’s all considered one big melting pot of talent. There are lots of projects to have opportunities to work on.  It’s been a pleasant surprise. I never did film or TV when I was studying acting. When I got here, I found an agent and kind of flew by the seat of my pants. I’ve done well. It’s been a fun experience.

Does Blue Man allow you flexibility for other projects?
It’s fairly open. Fortunately, the company realizes that as an actor trying to recreate the exact same show every night, you sometimes need to get away for a little while.  Most of the time, they’re willing to accommodate that. We don’t have a set schedule. So when in a casting room, I can say, I have availability if I can know in advance.

I’m at Blue Man five days a week. There are five guys in town right now, so someone is always available to fill in at a show. We’re all currently working on other projects to keep our careers, or egos, going. Whatever you want to call it. [Laughs]  We really focus on it being a brotherhood.

How long does it take to get into costume?
You can do it in half an hour. We allow an hour so that we’re not rushed. Most of the time, it’s just sticking around waiting for the glue to dry. We have this strong glue that we put on and then a cap. It’s all hand made by this one family in the mid west somewhere. But we wait for the glue to dry, stick on the suit, and we have people around us to help cut it all down and make sure it’s smooth.

So it’s not all make-up, it’s like a skin?
Yeah. For the most part.

Does the glue eat away at your skin?
If you’re dry, you’re skin will really absorb the glue and it’s nearly impossible to get it off. We have a bunch of solvents we use. Everyone knows their skin and knows what’s best for them after doing so many shows. I’m always asked if my face breaks out. All we’re using on our face is grease paint. I actually like it because I get to exfoliate every day. You have to scrub your face with so much stuff. It works for me. I like how my skin feels after a show.

What’s the hardest part about staying in character?
The unexpected. The stories that we’re telling in our heads and that the Blue Men are trained into is very serious: life or death. So there’s no laughing, unless something completely unexpected happens. Then, we as humans, see how funny or how bizarre it is. If you don’t focus on staying in the character mindset then you’re like, “That was hilarious!”

Sometimes the guys will come up with stuff to make each other crack, for no other reason but to try and make each other laugh. It’s a fun game for us.

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened on stage or during a performance?
Often, guys will hit themselves in the head with drumming mallets. There’s really nothing you can do since there’s only three of us in the show. There’s been times when a guy has gashed himself and he’s bleeding. So he’s had to walk off stage and cover it with blue.

Not too long ago, we had a funny thing where our lighting decided to just throw up all over the place. Our house lights came on and the audience was sitting there exposed. We could see everybody. At first, it was weird. But then it somehow it made the show more intimate.

There’s a strong story [to the show]. In the beginning, we’re isolated because we don’t understand each other. There’s not a fourth wall because we acknowledge the audience as that.  But all of that went out the window when the lights came on. It wasn’t a dark, mysterious void anymore. It was the entire audience staring at us. We didn’t have to try so hard to connect with everyone because we could see them. It was cool.

How did the Blue Man group start? I can’t remember. Was it a rock band or something?
The Blue Man Group started because of a group of people in New York. They were looking at art and artists, and it seemed that everyone was creating art to try to isolate themselves or isolate you. It was kind of elitist, like, “If you don’t understand my art it’s because you don’t understand me. You’ll never be able to understand me.” And that’s not what art should be. Art should bring people together.  It should start debate, conversation, communication and connection. It doesn’t have to be this long drawn out process. It can be spontaneous and a memory that everybody shares.

So a group of people got together to try and create that and bring it into this world. After many, many brainstorming sessions, The Blue Man Group came about. They started out doing guerilla-like stuff. Three guys would pop up in the New York streets, do something, and then disappear as randomly as they appeared. It wasn’t anything that they stuck around after to see what people thought. They just knew that those people, all 17, 23, or however many of them, would have this shared connection whether they realized it or not.

All the elements that came out of the show … like, the reason we throw things like marshmallows and gumballs that dissolve into paint across the stage and catch them in our mouths is because two of the original guys worked in catering together. And in the kitchen, they’d throw things to each other and catch them in their mouths.  It’s something that means nothing more than what it is.

Then one guy was a drummer, so … yeah, we drum.

Why the color blue do you think?
Blue. First of all, the specific shade of blue is called Yves Klein blue, which is after the painter Yves Klein. He had big parties where he’d bring in models and people, paint them blue, and slam them up against the canvas. It represented their life force, essence, at least it was one way of capturing it, ya know?

The blue itself is one of the only colors that doesn’t have a notion attached to it. If we were all green, people would say we’re aliens. Red represents anger. Yellow represents jealousy. Black, well that’s a whole ‘nother story we don’t want to get into. Blue is tranquil. It definitely doesn’t have any negative stigmas to it.

The thing with the blue paint is that it removes any sense of defining characteristics of the actors. If you saw all five actors lined up side by side, we all look extremely different. We don’t have the same facial type or anything like that. But you get us in blue, and people who don’t know us as individuals wouldn’t be able to tell us a part while we’re on stage. It’s an interesting phenomenon. It does a good job of wiping the slate clean so that all you have are eyes to really fixate on.

How many Blue Men are there?
Let’s just say how many shows we have. There are five of them in the US—Boston, Chicago, New York, Vegas and Orlando. We have a North American Tour that has a number of guys on that as well. There’s a cruise ship, European show and show in Japan, all of which have about four to eight guys, depending on the venue.

Why do you think this particular show has been so successful? It’s not like it’s changed at all.
That’s something we’ve talked about inside the company. We need change. The tour that just went out is mostly all new and cutting edge material. That’s where all the US cities are working towards, and these new show pieces and technology will be introduced in Orlando in the next year to year and half probably.

About its success, first of all, the show is universal. Everyone can watch it. Besides a couple of signs and a voice over, the audience doesn’t receive the story line through dialogue. There’s no language barrier. Music is the universal language and that’s pretty much all it is.  We have a rock band that underscores the entire show. We communicate through music.

I know you’re not suppose to talk, but if a Blue Man could what do you think he’d say?
[Laughs] That’s a good question. [Pauses] The three guys are supposed to be one organism, kind of like the three-headed dog. They all see things slightly different, like what should happen next or how they should achieve something, but still they need to work together. So first of all, what they’d be saying is something to get on board with each other. Something like, “What do you think? Good or bad? Good? Good, because that’s what I think. It’s two against one. Let’s try it. If it’s bad, we’ll take a step back and figure out a new plan.” That’d be the main thing.

But then to the audience it’s be, “We’re not so different. Look at us, and look at the person next to you with the same fascination and see them for the first time with open eyes. Let go of all those judgments and just talk to each other.” If you’re trying to play a Blue Man, it helps to practice the same fundamental ideas in real life. It’s hard. We’re flawed beings and that’s what’s cool about the Blue Man. He’s not an alien or someone from a different planet, he’s us, just stripped away of all the negative crap that gets in the way of experiencing. You know?  There’s no resentment or harboring old feelings.

Okay. One last question. Do you guys recycle the paper used during the show?
Yes. We use something ridiculous, like many miles of paper during one show. It’s all recycled. We only deal with one company, and we send it back to them. We strive to be as green as possible.

Even though you’re blue?
[Laughs] Um, yeah.

*Interview Date: October 21, 2010

Visit Jordan’s website to see his latest acting gigs. www.jordanwoods-robinson.com

There are two types of people that live in Orlando. The people who attend and welcome cultural affairs with open arms. And then the victims of urban sprawl that fail to experience any cultural events because they either live too far away from downtown or can’t be convinced to rise up off the couch. Now that I’m working on the Urban ReThink project (urbanrethink.com), getting people to events is something I’ve had to consider more than ever. The questions I’ve had to ask myself as we plan the new space are: how can we ensure a healthy number of people will attend events? And then, how do we make that experience so solid people want to come back again and again? When I discover the answer to those questions, I’ll let you know in the form of a tell-all book, which obviously would sit next to Oprah’s book/audio/DVD collection Final Farewell: Guide to Success, available for iPad only. But hey, at least Orlando will have a successful community space.

So until that happens, you should pay attention to Patrick Kahn. He took on the “Orlando Arts Challenge” last May when he founded Snap!, a four day photography festival that hinges on showcasing photo galleries, famous guest speakers, workshops, and lectures. He’s hopeful for Orlando’s future, so much that he’s dumped his whole heart into this one project.

Jana: What drew you to Orlando?
Patrick: My wife, she’s from here. Way back in ’95, I had an office in LA and a small office in Miami, and was moving in between, back and forth.  I met her in Miami. After a couple of years of dating, going back and forth, we sealed the deal and I brought her to LA. Ten years later—six of those years we were single and then we started having kids—little by little, she started to pull me back to Orlando. She wanted to raise the family here. I was not very keen on it at first.  But … the economy. The house was just getting too small for two kids.  It just technically wasn’t a good idea to stay in LA with the family.

I came here after twenty-five years of living in LA. I thought it was going to be so difficult starting from scratch, but I like new challenges.  I lived for four years here and did not give the city too much time of day. I thought, this is not my cup of tea. Then, I realized that I needed to immerse myself in the community more.  Once I started to do this, and networked with a couple key people, I was very surprised. I had expected to meet ultra-conservative type people but some were young and energetic. There was one person who had lived in London, and I was just like, “Wow. This is the type of people working for the city? I want to work with the city.”

So I approached them about bringing a photography presence to Orlando. It’s lacking. There’s no gallery. There’s no museum for it. It’s unacceptable for a city like this. So I talked to them about putting together a big celebration of it, without much of a plan, just talking. They were so into it, it pushed me to go ahead and do it.

What kind of background do you come from?
Basically, when I was a kid I always wanted to have an advertising agency. In France, I grew up seeing huge billboards. I had a dream to one day have my art on those billboards. My first love is drawing. I realized being a painter or being an illustrator is not something that is going to reward me.  So I took a step back, and took more of the producer standpoint, so that I could still have my vision, but have other artists do it.

That’s how I started the ad agency I had for twenty-five years. Then through my agency I published a magazine. It’s a celebrity magazine, and so we were taking pictures with Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Christina Ricci, and in order to get those celebrities to commit you have to have the best photographers. It’s allowed me to have access to some incredible talents, in LA, New York, Paris and London. Now that I’m here, I have this whole wealth of connections, and I thought, “Ah! What am I going to do? You know?”  Then I had this idea.  I did a book in LA. Now, I’m going to do a book in 3-D in Orlando. I wanted to create a book on walls, and that’s how the exhibition started.

Where did the name Snap! come from?
Once I started creating the team, I brought on board a local design agency. I was so floored by the talent of creatives here. They’re so much on the cusp of a different level. The name of the agency I chose was Wilkie Birdsall. It’s a tandem, a guy and girl. They came up with the name, Snap!, based on what I told them I wanted to do.

Friends of Snap! Portrait #19, executive director of Page 15 Julia Young

Were they responsible for the Snap! t-shirt campaign prior to the event?
The Snap! t-shirt campaign was them and me.  Let’s put it this way, they had the concept of the shirt. I told them I wanted a shirt, but it became this organic thing. I wanted to give my friends the shirts so that there was a presence. One day, I saw a couple of my friends here [at Stardust] with them on and I was like, “Hey! Can I take a picture of you?” And then I started putting them on my Facebook. The way I took the photo with my iPhone was with a special filter. A couple of the pictures looked artistic, and once they started going up on Facebook, I had so much of a response I had to keep doing it. It became a viral campaign.

I thought it was brilliant. I kept seeing all the people I knew in those shirts, and I was like, “What is this Snap! thing?”
Exactly. It started as just a few friends, but then I reached out to recognizable people in the community.

Tell me more about Snap!’s first event.
The original intention of the event was to bring something of a very big caliber and size [to the city] and have people notice it. So we took seventeen galleries, and when I say seventeen galleries I mean there were seventeen different spaces including Avalon, City Arts Factory, NV and then we took part of the Church Street exchange building. This building was completely empty. So what we did was take nine rooms and individually curate those spaces into galleries.

The way it played out was that Avalon and City Arts Factory are regular galleries so they have revolving and changing art each month. We could not do international artists there because I couldn’t have the photographers here for a month. So we did locals there.  The Church Street Exchange was open for three days, Friday through Sunday, and that was where the international presence was and also that was the nucleus for the whole show. We flew some people in from LA, one of them was Douglas Kirkland, who is seventy-five years old, and a legend. He photographed Marilyn Monroe, and once those were published in Life magazine, he became a celebrity photographer and well recognized. The thing about him is that he’s a wonderful gentleman. So he did lectures, a book signing, and nobody knew him here. Douglas Kirkland! And nobody knew Douglas Kirkland. [Laughs] He is a very famous person, and having him here was a very big deal. Because of it, we were able to attract a few other photographers. A total of ten people came from LA and New York, and we even had one come in from Switzerland. That was nice.

That was the exhibition part. We also had a series of lectures at the UCF center for Emerging Arts. We had workshops. We had competitions… Did you ever see the brochure? Let me show you real quickly. [And he does pull up a PDF on his lap top and gives me a first hand account of the first Snap! festival.]

How much does it cost to throw an event like this?
We raised $50,000 cash. I was pretty happy about it. We spent $55,000, so basically I gave about $5000 of my own, which is nothing compared to what I thought I was going to put in, $25-30,000, which I didn’t have. [Laughs] That’s the cash value. We had to attach a value to what was donated in kind, and that’s when we realized how much it really cost, $300,000, for a total of $355,000.

For an event so costly, did you think enough people showed up?
No.  There were 3,000 people that showed up to the event, which was good and bad. Good for our first year and having no presence before that. Bad because with everything we benefited, all the free advertising and our marketing, which was very strong, I was wanting to double that number and have 5-6,000 people in attendance. But here’s what happened. The Fringe Festival happened exactly at the same time as us. We chose our dates with The City and everything was clear. We asked, “Are those dates clear?” And they said, “Yeah, those dates are great.” Two weeks later, The Fringe Festival gave their dates, which were the same as ours. And we dealt with it.

After the event, I met with the producer of Fringe. I said, “Can you tell me your dates for next year? I just want to make sure we don’t have the same dates.” We can work together and help each other out instead of competing. And she said, “Our dates for nineteen years have always been ten days before Memorial Day. “ The City didn’t know that. But now I know. [Laughs]

So that’s one thing we’re doing for next year. We’ve cleared other events. No Film Festival. No Fringe. No Easter.  We are falling on a time where there is no major competitor, except for Sunday, which is Mother’s Day. But we’ve turned what could be a minus into a plus by dedicating the day to mothers and kids.

What does success look like to you?
Success looks like what happened this year to tell you the truth. I don’t judge success by the numbers, but by the impact it had on those who actually attended it. The impact was maximum. First of all, the people were captivated, in awe, inspired, enthralled—is that good word? [Laughs] The response we received by email was, “Thanks. We’re so happy. We can’t wait until next year.” So in terms of quality, it was a huge success. In terms of quantity, it needs to be worked on.

In LA, when you go to a gallery or exhibition, what you see is people standing around, having their glass, chitchatting and what not. At the end of the day, you don’t really know if they are looking at the art. Here, everyone was art first. The people were glued on the art, then they socialized.

That’s one thing I like about our city.  As much as everyone complains about it not having culture, I like to think the cultural events that do happen here are fairly genuine and are done with good intent, because the people doing them know there is little reward in regards to making money or gaining any kind of recognition.
Exactly. I agree.  The problem is appealing to the critical mass of people out there, and then trying to get them to come to a place that they can appreciate art.  And I’ll tell you why. The expectation level is low. They already have an idea what photography might look like. They think … eight by tens of landscapes. You know what I’m sayin’? [Laughs] It’s a concept I have to fight. I have to find a way to convince them that’s not what it’s going to be like. In New York or somewhere, that’s never a problem.

What do you think will get people off their couches and into galleries?
Time.

Did you see that recent Forbes.com article that named Orlando the sixth coolest city in the country?
Yeah. That’s crazy. I wish. [Laughs]

[Laughs] You do seem hopeful for Orlando, though. What keeps you so hopeful?
I’m actually passionate that I see, relatively, a blank canvas. I’m very hopeful. Orlando has all the ingredients of a big city. It’s just not acting like one.  I think the impact of the Dr. Phillips Art Center will change its entire landscape.  The whole perception will change, and that’s what the problem is. Orlando has a perception of being just Disney and conventions. It’s been hard to infuse in anyone’s mind that it could be a leading cultural center. It may not be now, but it will.  There are a lot of cool things going on in this city. It gives me the energy to keep trying, whether I’m successful or not.

And your wife, is she happy now that you’re both here?
Yeah, she is. To her, it’s all about the children. Some days she says, “Oh my god.” [Laughs] I’m sure she misses some of the lifestyle and things we used to do in LA.

That or maybe she thought by moving here she was going to have you all to herself. Instead, you’ve just created new projects to work on.
Maybe. [Laughs]

*Interview date: September, 14, 2010

Visit the Snap! website to learn about the upcoming festival in May.

I first met Skip four years ago, right around the same time I fired up this blog. I wanted something tangible to remind myself of my new commitment to creativity. So I was on a mission to find something cheap to slap my waringis.com logo on. Buttons, you know, the little round pins that served as trophies from intoxicated nights downtown, were the trend at the time, at least they were something I had started collecting without much effort. The buttons I collected sat in the dark, deep depths of my purse, and every time I would accidently grab one while digging for something else, I’d wonder, “Who actually has the time and effort to make these little things?”

“My boy Skip makes them,” Swamburger began. “Go get you some, yo. He’ll cook you up a deal.” And that’s how I first met the young hip hop artist, aka. Skip.  He designed and cooked me up some buttons, just like the ones I had seen in Swam’s shop, Culture Mart. For those who don’t know Swamburger, he’s a local artist, musician, store owner and founder of his own record label. He’s one of the first interviews I ever did for this site, and still, in my opinion, one of the hardest working entrepreneurs downtown. [Read Swam's interview now.]

To do the exchange of buttons for cash, Skip and I met at Panera Bread by Lake Eola. I had never seen him before, but based on what Swam had told me about him, I was expecting Skip to look like him, a medium-sized black man with dreads.  So you can imagine my surprise when a rather small, skinny white kid approached me. “Have you heard of my album?” he asked. All the common courtesies had already been exchanged. “No, I haven’t.” I felt bad because all I could do is sit there and think, “Is this kid serious?” Certainly, in rare occasions, white kids can rap.  Eminem happened to be riding his first wave of success and receiving respect from Dr. Dre, among other qualified hip hop artist, during the same time. So the idea wasn’t too outlandish. But then again, Eminem also had a hard-core image, all covered in tattoos, with a baby and baby mama drama, and then there were people that openly boasted about killing him. Skip, on the other hand, I don’t think he’d kill a gnat, even if the little bugger was on a suicide mission aimed straight for his nostril. The guy is just too nice. He’s polite, gentle and everything about him is completely non-threatening.

And then he goes on stage.

When in his element, Skip is everything but small. It’s incredible to experience the power and energy of such a delicate being. If you don’t trust me on this one, go to one of his shows so that you can feel it yourself. It’s mind-boggling.

I hope you read this interview in its entirety, and it gives you the heart to support Skip on his latest venture. After three years, and some careful introspection, the young artist is ready to share his journey in a new album titled, Until the Very End.he The problem, however, is that he’s ran out of money. He needs to raise $3000 by September 16, 2010 just so that he can finish mixing and duplicating the CDs. To get a taste of what he’s up to, download his first single “Red vs. Blue” for FREE by clicking here, and even if his music is not your style, donate just a few dollars. It will make his dream a possibility, and it only takes minutes. What if someone gave you an opportunity such as this? What would you do with it?

Jana: So I’m just going to get straight to it. How does a skinny, white guy gain credibility as a hip hop artist? And then how do you do that being from Orlando?
SKIP: When I first started performing—nearly eight years ago—that was the same question I had to ask myself. I spent a long time trying to answer that question. Before I ever did a show, I was working with Swamburger. You know, the basics, like running while rapping my lyrics to try and build breath support, so that when I did my first show I wasn’t out of breath. I had to work on my people skills, because for my whole life I’ve been so introverted, like not able to talk to people at all. So I had to learn how to communicate.

I did a lot of open mics. I started to get to know people and putting my name out there, stuff like that. Then with doing shows, releasing CDs and selling them around town, meeting people—all those things brought me to a point that when I’d walk around downtown people would recognize me. They’d say, “Oh yeah. That’s SKIP.”

Then I reached a point where—I mean, I haven’t reached the point where I’m famous or anything—but I had become really well known as the white kid that raps. Ya know? But because of my musical upbringing and training, and stuff like that, it was really unfulfilling. I didn’t want to be the white kid that raps anymore. I wanted to make art. I wanted to make music that moves everybody. I wanted to sing. I wanted to play instruments. I wanted to play a show that has live instruments in it. So I started playing around with a full band, and finding different ways of using instrumentation, things like that.

Autobiographicology, the last solo album I did, was kind of a playground of trying new things. Half way through that album, I was like you know what, I don’t want to rap anymore. I’m tired of this. I don’t just listen to rap music, I listen to all kinds of music. I wanted to do something different. So me and Swamburger had a conversation and decided to completely change my direction, like who I am as a person and musician, and also how people saw me and how I presented myself to people. At that point in my life, I was twenty-five years old, angry and kind of rebellious. You know, with politics, power, and this and that. When I started growing up, I realized I didn’t want to be that person anymore. I wanted to be able to relay things from a heartfelt perspective, not a brain perspective. I had to make that switch, and then ask myself how I could be respected as an artist. You know what I’m saying? I had to make adjustments.

I want to make things that capture the imagination of the people, whether it’s music, a painting, or making a comic book.  I’m not a fly by night fan—I’m dedicated. I love getting a CD and looking at the art work and thinking, “What were they thinking when they made this song?” There’s so much that goes into that stuff. When Swam would lay down a beat and I’d rap over it, we put it on the album as my song. It wasn’t really my song. I felt I had so much more to offer. I’ve been in band since I was twelve years old. I was a music performance major at UCF for three years. I was in the head orchestra at UCF. I’m a classically trained artist, so I always felt like I was in a box, especially with the white kid thing. I wanted to do something that transcended all that, with the acknowledgement that I’m from Orlando.

So this new album is really a reflection of no intentional endeavor, like just a reggae album or hip hop album. But you’ll see all those things flow together dynamically.  It’s meant to take you on an adventure, like you’re experiencing someone’s heart and mind. It’s a concept album, so you’re getting stories, and you’re getting a little piece of this and a little piece of that. I don’t know. It’s fun for me.

Right now it’s all trapped in my head. [Laughs] But I can’t wait to share that with people. I feel like my duty here in Orlando … I feel like if there were ever a point that I’d leave Orlando, it’d be because I failed to capture the imagination of its people, not because I gave up on this city or because it’s easier somewhere else. My passion at the end of the day is not money or fame, or anything like that, I want to be able to tell a story and have people be excited about it. No one cares about you unless you’re famous already, especially in Orlando.

So that’s kind of where I’m at now. The last few days we’ve started that Kickstarter program and made a promotional video. It’s the first time in eight years that I’ve been flabbergasted that the people have really latched on to what I’m doing. I feel that. People can see what we’re doing, and they get it. The time machines, the cards with my name on it, the walking around downtown, they get it. People want an imaginable escape. I want to provide that, just give them something that makes their day a little easier. Ya know?

Ha. Yes. I had a million questions to ask but I think you answered most of them in that first answer. [Laughs] Let me regroup here. How did you even know you had the talent to rap?
I used to listen to really, really bad music in high school. And probably the best thing that I took from that—and I really don’t even want to tell you what I was listening to—but one of the positive things I took away from that was that I thought I could rap better than those guys. [Laughs] Not to put them down, but to put me up. You know what I’m sayin’? I’m sure you could rap better than some of the stuff I was listening to. So I just wanted to try it.

I imagine you’re not going to share what it was you were listening to, not even if I ask really nicely?
[Pauses] I used to listen to a lot of new metal stuff, or rap rock. I really am truly embarrassed to even tell you that stuff—Cash Money Millionaires, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, a lot of stuff like that. I was a huge No Limits Soldier fan. Wu Tang, although I’m not embarrassed that I listened to Wu Tang.

Are you ever scared to put yourself out there to people?
When I first started, I was in a situation where I lost my job in a workman’s comp incident. I was injured and have a really bad knee because of it. I was inspired by what the Solillaquists [of Sound] were doing, and from being friends with Swamburger. I wanted to make music as a career, as a professional. So I would go downtown with my CD that I had, and I would go up to strangers and force myself out of this shell that I was in. I was laughed at. My CDs were thrown on the ground. One guy spit on me one time. And I’d go into the bathroom at Bar B Que Bar and cry for about fifteen minutes. Then I’d psych myself up, and go back out and keep doing it because I had no job and no money. All I had was an idea.

How did you first meet Swam?
I was going to Valencia at the time. I had just left UCF. I had had this professor who saw potential in me and rode me extra hard. Looking in hindsight I can see that now. When you’re a music performance major at a school like UCF, you spend four hours of your day practicing, four hours in orchestra, two hours of assemble and still you have to do all your classes and homework and stuff. So you’re playing about eight hours a day, every day. My professor just pushed me way too hard. I completed my third year and did my trials, which is like finals, and then walked out with middle fingers up. I wanted to go to Full Sail, but couldn’t afford it, so I ended up going to Valencia for their audio recording program.

Anyways, I had started getting into underground hip hop music. I was finally exposed to some good music at Park Ave Cds Jr., back when I was at UCF. So I started teaching myself how to rap. I walked out of one of my classes at Valencia one day, and out sitting on one of the benches was this skinny dude, a black guy with dreadlocks. He had his headphones on and he was writing rap lyrics on paper, and doing ‘em out loud. I was like, man, I’ve really been wanting to meet someone else that raps. I never had before. So I was like, I should just go up to him. And I did. I was all awkward and said, “Hi, my name is Justin and I rap, too.” He was like, “That’s cool. It’s nice to met you.” We went back and forth, and he started talking about how he goes to this place called Vocalization. He also started telling me about the Solillaquists, and telling me that I needed to meet them. And then one day, he took me.

I had to call sick into work that night, and I’m glad I did. I absolutely fell in love. I was kinda in a bad place at the time, battling depression, and the job I had was third shift, so I’d be up all night and sleep all day. To be able to get away from all that and the St. Cloud environment, where there’s no art, no culture, no place to go and be inspired, and heck, you had to drive twenty minutes to get to the shopping mall, I was just blown away by the vibrancies of it all. It was an energy I had never experienced before. I never saw that guy for two years after that. In my mind, I needed that guy. I wanted to get out of my shell, open up a little bit, and allow something new into my life.

I started following the Solillaquists and going to their shows, even the ones that were out of town. Over time, and one day, they asked me to come back with them and chill since it was so late. Then at another show, they invited me back to the house. I stayed and had a blast. There were eight people living in the house at the time. We had a blast just talking, watching movies and playing video games. It was having all the friends that I wanted, but never had before.

There was one night in particular that I had just gotten off of work, and I was dirty because I worked in a warehouse. I got home and sat on my bed. I had just driven to St. Cloud from the Florida Mall area. I wasn’t watching a movie or anything, just sitting there, bored, sad. And I decided that I didn’t want to be in St. Cloud anymore. So I packed a bag and grabbed a pillow. I didn’t want to be there, but I knew a place that I did want to go.  I showed up at Swam’s and knocked on the door at 5 o’clock in the morning, of course he was up. [Laughs] He was like, “Hey SKIP! What’s up man?” It was the only place that I felt like I belonged. He was like, “Yo, come on in.” It was a huge moment for me, pride wise, and having to be mad humble. I was like, “Can I just be around you? You affect me.” He was like, “Yeah, of course.” And I lived on his couch for six months.

Our house was destroyed in the hurricane, and we ended up going on this tour all the way up the east coast. They met Sage Francis and got signed to the label Anti Records. And when we came back, they were like, “We have this new house with an extra room, and if you want, you can still sleep on the couch, but we welcome you and would love to have you as an actual roommate.” I lived there for five and half years after that.

What do you think Swam brings to this city?
Something that’s not Orlando. That sounds like an asshole comment, but he provides an experience of something that the city hasn’t been exposed to. Even in other cities, he’s an original article. His determination and motivation and selflessness …. he’s a mentor. He operates and behaves now, like most people do in their fifties or sixties, with wisdom. Like, if he’s presented with an opportunity to take the easy road or the easy way out, he won’t do it. It’s not an option for him. Me? I’m like, “Fuck it, I‘ll take the easy way. I need money so that I can eat or whatever. I’m broke.” He takes the higher road every time.

I’ve known him for eight years, and he still inspires me. If I’m ever down, he’s like, “No. You got to fight that. You got to be now, what you want to be.” And I’m glad that some of that has rubbed off on me over the years. I’m not so quick to do what’s easy anymore.

Let’s talk about your upcoming album, Until the Very End. What does it mean to you?
Um, Jesus. The first thing that comes to my mind is totally cheesy, but I guess I’ll say it, transformation.  It’s taken over three years to complete this album, and after the first year when it was almost done, we scrapped it to start over. When I did “Red Vs. Blue,” which is one of the last songs I did for the original album, we decided we needed to start over, and start with it. We kept pushing from there. We did this song called “The Pride, The Cure, The Cancer,” and I’m singing like David Bowie-Robert Smith-The Cure kind of stuff—that’s when I found my voice.

When I first started rapping, my voice was nasally, up here in my sinuses. When I did Autobiographicology, my voice moved own into my throat. In this album, it’s coming from my lungs, my chest, my diaphragm. It’s a different sound. It’s funny, because even when I was doing the first batch of songs for this album, the songs scrapped were very throaty. It’s wild. There are so many aspects to life that change when you become comfortable with yourself, like my voice changing.

What was your original question? Oh yeah, basically this album chronicles a path and journey. I keep on saying on this cheesy, cliché’ like shit, but it’s the reality. It’s about a character that is trying to grow up and be a man.

Who or what’s influenced this album?
This album is completely unoriginal. It’s a collection of all my favorite comic books and science-fiction movies, TV shows, everything. It’s all my favorite stuff from growing up. It’s like a mixed tape.

What does success look like to you?
[Pauses] I have this idea in my head. I would love to learn how to sail, just get in a boat and sail around the world. I’d love to be able to get to the point where I can play in front of large crowds, and do shows with lights. I’m a huge fan of the Flaming Lips, which is another concept I tried to capture in my album. I love the theatricality of them, the lights, and the Teletubbies, the confetti cannons, the streamers and the UFO’s coming down. It’s so neat. I’d like to perform that, and share my story in that way.

I’d like to be in a house and have my bills paid off. I’d like to help my family with their bills. I’d love to be able to invest in other people’s projects that I believe in. That’s something that I’d really love to do. I’m so fortunate with what were doing with the Kickstarter thing, having people invest in my album. I’d love to do that for somebody else, even if it’s just buying CDs of the bands I love. I can’t always afford to go to the shows I want to go to. I’d love to be the guy that walks up to the merch table and buys all the band’s t-shirts and CDs.

I’ve already gone through my alcoholic phase, and just doing mad drugs. There’s a misconception that I’m a straight edge kid, and I’m not.  I’ve just done that already. I don’t want to blow money and spend my time going out and partying. I’m kinda a minimalist, so to me success has more to do with what I’m giving as opposed to what I spending.

Do you want to talk more about Kickstarter and how it’s helping you produce your album?
Sure.  Originally, we were using bandcamp.com. We, and when I say we I mean me and Swamburger, who is the producer of the album and owner of the label I’m on, we have self funded the recording aspect of the album. Now that we are in the mixing stage, we have flat ran out of money. We’re two self-employed people, he has his life and career, and we just don’t have the money. So what we’re doing is creating a situation that will fund the remainder of what we need to mix, master and duplicate the album, which is about $3000.

When we did Autobiographicology I created the idea, now I’m saying I “created” the idea, but I’m pretty sure no one in Orlando had ever done it before, but basically I had the idea to collect album money in advance so that we could complete it, and then supply the album a couple months later. With this album, we’re doing the same kind of thing with Kickstarter. Someone had put me onto the site, actually you did and Mumpsy. It really blew my mind to see what was going on there. People are trying to make films, publish books, create albums, do community projects and a bunch of other stuff. This really seemed to fit what I was trying to do. You really get an understanding of the power of people, and the power of money when you go there.

I probably pre-sold 212 albums when I did Autobiographicology, and that was with me out there annoying the piss out of everyone, saying things like, “Hey, what’s up? Wanna pre-buy my album? Do ya?” until the point where people were just like, “Here, go away.” I didn’t want to do that with this album. I don’t want to be a salesman. I just genuinely want to touch something inside of people so that they want to be a part of my project.  Bandcamp wasn’t working. I had failed to capture imaginations in my explanation on that site. I know I have a responsibility to bring people into my world, so [for kickstarter.com] I created a promotional video with the help of Sean Kantrowitz, who is on the record label with me. I really feel that the promo brings you in, and gets you to experience what we’ve been doing and all the hard work we’ve been putting into it. The video’s cool and dorky, fun.

And what’s the response been like so far?
Great. Never in my eight years have I ever seen anything like it. Today is the third day we’ve been on it, and we’re up to $500 already.  People are just giving. There’s a lady that I didn’t even know who pledged $100. I emailed her and was like, “I don’t even know how to start thanking you.” She replied, “Oh, don’t worry about it. You look like you’re up to something cool. Good job.” For me that’s so foreign. Usually I’m out on the streets haggling people. “How much is your CD?” “Ten dollars.” “Ten dollars? What? It should be five.”  So to see people react and want to be a part of it, it’s just been great.

How do you think programs like Kickstarter are going to change the music industry?
For one, they have standards. Not to dog anyone else, or any other organization out there, but anyone can have a Facebook or MySpace. When MySpace first came out, it was so cool because it allowed people who were serious about what they’re doing connect with other people. And then it blew up.  Everyone had a MySpace. Anyone could be a rapper or muscian. It just became over-saturated. Ya know?

Same thing happened with Facebook. Everyone’s an artist and everyone expects you to come to their shows. There’s no difference between the person who’s put fifteen years into something and the person who’s put fifteen days into something. Everyone is on the same field.

What I really like about Kickstarter was that I had to be approved for what I was doing. I was chomping on the bit. Ya know? Just wondering if I was going to be accepted. Then, when I got approved I was so excited. To answer your question, what I think Kickstarter is going to do for the industry is create a place where people can go and know that whatever they see will be good. It may not be what you like, or exactly what you want, but it’ll be quality. The people are showing their projects to you, almost like you’re a potential investor. They show what they’re doing and where they want to go and how they plan to get there. Where as all the other spots are like, “This is who I am.” They’re so definitive.  Do you really want to help people like that? I don’t know.

The best part of Kickstarter is that you get to be a part of someone’s story.  You get to be a part of a project before anyone else, and not just monetarily but through a true energy exchange. If someone donates $5 or $100, I feel that so much more than someone just buying a CD to shut me up.  It’s people saying, “Skip, I believe and support in you.” That’s so humbling.

*Interview Date: August 5, 2010

To support Skip, check out his page and promo video at Kickstarter.com.

This piece I needed was gold and made of two different chains, a longer one that carried a locket and a shorter one that held what looked like a stick. The locket I immediately loved because it eerily had a bird on it that matched a tattoo on my wrist. Once I opened it, I also found two adorable sepia pictures, each with a portrait of a young boy, one chubby, one not. “What’s with the stick,” I asked Ansley. I liked the locket enough that it really didn’t matter what the stick was, but still I was curious. “It’s something writer’s wore around their necks in the 1800’s to carry their pen or ink.” She had no idea that I had just published my first book that month. The piece clearly belonged to me. Sold.

The bonus was learning that half of my money was going to charity. That’s how Dora Mae works. So I bought another piece for my best friend, Julia. She always wears jewelry. For her, jewelry is more like art in that it adds and changes her already stylish wardrobe. She’s convinced me that I’d probably own less clothes if I owned more jewelry. And if I’m going to start buying more jewelry, it seems I’m going to be spending much more time following Ansley.

Jana: What have you accomplished this morning?
Ansley: This morning I spent time with my three-year-old little girl, Haven. It’s been one of my goals to not to get up and get running if I don’t have to. We call Fridays “Fun Fridays” at my house because we try not to plan anything. Every other day of the week, I’m either working or the kids have scheduled activities, so Fridays are our day for fun.

This morning Haven and I woke up and had nothing to do. My son Cade spent the night at his cousin’s house last night, so we hung out on the couch, talked, and ate breakfast. It was wonderful.

How long have you lived in Orlando?
Since I was born. I’m a native. I grew up three blocks from where I live now in College Park. [Laughs] I know it’s kinda strange to be a native, but my parents were born here and so were my grandparents. My family’s been here for a long time.

What keeps you in this city?
I think community is the best way to say it, both family and friends. My husband’s family lives here too, and he is one of seven kids. Both my sisters live two blocks away, too.

We’ve considered moving several times because of one, Jake’s job, and two, for a change, or what Jake calls “an adventure.” But when it comes down to it I feel like the most important thing in life is our relationships and community. So we’re sticking around. We love it.

Do you want to talk a little bit about Dora Mae and how it was started?
Sure. When my grandmother was cleaning out her house in order to move to a nursing home, she gave me boxes from her attic. I can picture her on the ladder right now. She just started passing them down, box after box. They were old crusty boxes. [Laughs] My sisters and I laid them all out on the floor and just started going through them. We found amazing things, like jewelry she had had for over sixty years and some other antiques that she collected as a young girl. Some of the pieces you could wear as they were, but most of them were out of date, really pretty, but out of date.

Very slowly over time, I started taking the pieces and redoing them.  There were two bead stores I went to—one in Maitland and the other in College Park—that taught me the basics, like how to crimp and wire wrap. So slowly but surely, I started playing with them and then giving them back to my sisters, my mom and cousins. Then, um … people started liking them and noticing them. [Laughs] And I started getting requests, especially from people who had their grandmother’s pieces and wished they could wear them. That’s really how it started. I started making custom orders with family heirlooms and it grew from there.

Where do you find most of your pieces now?
I find them mainly at antique shows where there are a ton of dealers. Like, there’s one called the Renninger’s Extravaganza up in Mount Dora. It is three times a year with over five hundred dealers. You’re guaranteed to find some really nice pieces from all over the country there. Then there’s great shows in Atlanta, Charlotte, New York and really all over the country.

Wherever I go, I always stop in antique stores.  Small towns are the best. My mom and I have taken a Florida tour, and we’ve gone through Deland, Leesburg, Ocala and all the little, tiny towns in between that have great antique stores, mainly because they have an older population. People tell me all the time, “You can’t find all of these pieces in Florida!” And I don’t. But Florida is a great place to find vintage jewelry.

That’s surprising because we’re much younger than most states. How do you think the vintage jewelry gets here?
I think because a lot of grandmothers live here. [Laughs] There are a lot of estate sales here, too. I try to go to estate sales, but I need such a large quantity of pieces, that sometimes, it’s not worth my time. I wish I could do more of that, cause I do love ‘em.

Roughly, how many hours do you spend combing antique shops?
It’s in chunks, so it’s kinda hard of hard to say. For each collection, I’d say I spend three or four days of concentrated time looking for pieces.

How often do you release a collection?
One for each season, so four times a year.

Where are your local go to antique shops? Unless you don’t want to give away your secrets.
Oh no! No secrets. There is so much vintage jewelry out there, plenty for everybody. I have my own specific style and taste so I don’t ever worry that I won’t find anything.

One of my favorite places, which sadly just closed down, was Two Sisters off of Michigan and Bumby. I loved the owner’s selection. There are many places in New Smryna. There’s the New Smyrna Antique Mall, and Jeff’s Antiques, which I just went to over the 4th of July weekend. There are some great shops in Deland on the main street, but I don’t remember names. Those aren’t hard to get to … and Mount Dora! There are great shops there.

How do you price your jewelry?
I basically double it. So I haven’t yet taken my time into account, which I’d love to do but I’m afraid I’d price people out of being able to buy it. I don’t want to go there.  I want to stay in the hundred range and so I price it based on the piece. I try to stay in the $35-70 range when buying a piece. Then I add the chain, the beads and the clasps and so the price ranges between $100 and $200 for the finished product.

My goal, however, is to have a less expensive line called Mae. My grandmother was a crazy bargain shopper, so I feel like she would love it. If she saw the price of my jewelry now she’d go crazy! So the line Mae would be between $50 and $100. I’d just need to buy less expensive pieces.

What’s the most you’ve ever paid for one piece?
I’ve paid $120-130. It was for a piece I loved. Usually, the older the piece is the more expensive it is. So if I love it, I‘ll splurge on it and hope someone else loves it too. [Laughs]

How do you know ages and styles of vintage pieces?
You know, I didn’t know at first. I’ve been looking at them now for five years, and now I can tell from the sheer amount of jewelry that I’ve looked at. I never took a class. I never read a book. I just talked to dealers. Antique goers love to talk about their pieces, so I try to get as much information from them as possible.

That’s the unique thing about jewelry, the real stuff never dies. It just gets passed on. You never know who may have worn the pieces before you.  Do you think there’s an importance to that?
Absolutely. I want my jewelry to have the look of age. Some pieces look like they’ve never been touched, or they’ve been kept in a box. I usually don’t want those. I want the ones that have been worn.  To me, it makes it so much more fun to wear. I try to include the story of the piece on the back of every price tag. Sometimes I don’t have time to attach them and I often get requests for it if its not there.  It’s a big part of what makes the jewelry so appealing.

Yeah, like my piece and the locket. People ask me if I’m going to trade out the pictures of the two boys in it. And I’m like, “No way! Those boys are staying with me.” I do wonder who they are though.
[Laughs] It’s true. Someone else loved those boys so much that they wore them around their neck. I thought that made it really special. [Laughs] But you’re like me. I rarely change pictures or things like that. Sometimes I’ll but pictures over them, but I like to keep the originals there.

I heard you recently spent time in the New York offices of People magazine, how did that go over?
It was so much fun. I had a blast. A friend works there and thought the people who work with her would love my work, and the show went really well. There was such a great response. It was definitely a confidence booster for me, because I’ve only ever had shows in my neighborhood. I’ve expanded to Winter Park, but that’s it. [Laughs] It was great for me to get outside my own environment. It’s inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing.

Is there ever a challenge to selling your jewelry because it’s something that can’t be massed produced?
Yes, there is. So many times I’ve considered reproducing if I could find a quality manufacturer, but I can’t ever bring myself to do it. It’s part of the charm. I personally love one of a kind jewelry. Anthropologie has great appeal because it has that vintage feel and charm, but there is a hundred of them all over the place. Vintage for the masses is wonderful, but there is something extra special about the real thing.

I don’t think Dora Mae is about becoming a big business and mass producing. To me, Dora Mae is a creative outlet and a way for me to express myself and serve our community. At this point in my life, that’s perfect for me. We’ll see where God leads me in the future.

What made you decide to give half of your proceeds to charity?
Honestly, it was what I felt I wanted to do. When people started responding and Dora Mae started growing, I realized that I wouldn’t stay motivated to do it just to have a bigger amount of money in my bank account. That would not be inspiring or motivating to me. It had always been a hobby up until then, so to turn into this business—well, some of the joy was lost in the idea of that. So I prayed about it. I felt like God wanted me to release the business to him and trust him with it.  He wanted it to be about loving others. And it’s been such a joy. I’m so glad that’s the direction it’s gone.

More than a jewelry maker, you’re a landscape artist, a mother and wife. How else do you define yourself?
You know, this year identity has been a huge part of my life. We spend so much energy trying to define ourselves, but I believe that God, as our creator, is the only true identity giver. I don’t want Dora Mae to just be “Let me make something beautiful and unique so that others can see and appreciate how creative I am.”  That would be all about me and building up of who I am. There’s something empty to that. Actually, it’s not empty, it’s just not ultimately satisfying. You think you’re going to be satisfied from defining yourself by your talents or abilities or by reaching your goals, but it always leaves you wanting more.

It kind of goes along with how I feel God called me to do this for others. More importantly, though, I feel like he called me to do it for him. I’ve created an outlet that I can love both him and others through.  That’s been part of my identity: I am his dearly loved child that enjoys creating in order to love both him and those around me. I love that … and to me it’s way better than defining myself based on what I’m good at or what will give me the greatest sense of accomplishment.

I am also a mother, and a wife and a friend. Relationships are what I prize the most.

And what are your plans for the rest of today?
[Laughs] I don’t know.  When I go home, we’ll have our huddle. I’m gonna leave it up to the kids. Fun Friday is their day.

*Interview Date: July, 9 2010

Check out Ansley’s Dora Mae line at www.doramaejewelry.com. Also, there is a trunk show this weekend, July 17th, 12-4pm, at Sultre Boutique in Winter Park. Come see us!

“You should come into the salon one day and just listen to my clients talk,” Lisa says to me. “You wouldn’t believe the stories you’d hear.” She’s cutting my hair.

“I bet,” I reply.

“No really. We could just sit you in the corner with your recorder, and you’d be able to write a book about it no doubt.”

I laugh.

“I’m serious,” she snaps. In the mirror, I can see her pointing the scissors at me.

“True. I bet someone’s done it before. I can just imagine all the dirty secrets that come out during a hair cut.”

“For real. I think we should set up a web cam over there.” She points to the corner of the salon, above the hair dryers, with her finger, not the scissors.  “That way people could watch from home and be entertained for hours.”

I smile and say, “You may be on to something.” But what I think is this: Hairdressers are the most powerful people in the world.

Hairdressers hold our secrets. They get us to do things we’re not sure of, like cut all of our hair off or dye it red. They give us relationship advice, and also tell us what to do next time we bump into our exes. Like we are children, they ask us to put on a cape, spin us around in a chair, pump us full of air, drop us to the floor again, and all while doing things to us we’ve been told is bad, like whizzing sharp objects close to our eyes and ears.  They control our mirror time. They tell us when we’re using the wrong shampoo. They allow small hairs to spill into our eyes, and then blast us with a big brush full of powder and say, “Better?” More than anyone else in our lives, even our mothers, hairdressers cross into our personal space and we allow it. Actually, we willingly pay for the invasion and we do it for one reason alone: we want to look and feel beautiful.

So I wanted to know what runs through the mind of someone on the other side of the chair. I asked Lisa for this interview.

Jana: I want to know what kind of dirty secrets were exposed in the salon today?
Oh my god! A good one was shouted out on the floor today, but I don’t know if I’m at liberty to talk about it. [Laughs] Let’s skip this question and come back to it later.

What do you think clients expect from you when they sit in your chair?
Magic. Miracles. Reinvention. I don’t think they know what to expect! What they’re not expecting is me to sit down and find out who they are, and create a look based on that. You can’t create a look for somebody if you don’t know who they are. I like to give myself fifteen to twenty minutes to figure that out.

How much money is too much when it comes to hair?
Hair is an outfit that you wear on your head everyday. You can’t take it off.  So think of your favorite pair of jeans. Do you wear those everyday? [Laughs] You would if people didn’t say anything. So why should your hair be regarded any differently? I don’t think you can put a price tag on a great haircut. I always tell people “Never get your hair or your cosmetic procedures on sale!”  You get what you pay for.

What goes into the process of choosing stylists to work in your salon?
In my salon we’re a family. We’re artistic people who work together as a team. Creative people can get very temperamental. You’re familiar with hairdressers … our kind can bite.  For me, it’s about putting together a balance of people that become a family, and not having anyone that has a diva mentality.

It’s chemistry. When I bring in a new Lamb, I basically bring them in on a trial basis to see how they “fit.” If the chemistry is right, then there’s solace in the room. Having that harmony is the most important thing. It helps keep the creative process in balance.

What drew you to having a Thornton Park location?
I’ve been here for thirteen years. As a matter of fact, I got here before the sidewalks did. There wasn’t much of anything on Washington Street at the time except Dexter’s and a really cool shoe store. My first apartment was on Harwood Drive. I had no furniture. I was eighteen years old, and didn’t care. It was more, “What am I going to wear to go out,” my mattress on the floor, my cassette player, my cat, Chester, and Visage.

Once I moved to James Street, I’d walk by this place on the way to the Sev [7-Eleven]. It didn’t have the ivy yet, and it was mustard colored. I had never noticed it before and I don’t know why, but it stopped me in my tracks.  I fell in love. It wasn’t available at the time. Still, I walked by it all the time.  I think it was fate, because one day a hairdresser I knew called my roommate to gossip. When she told me that someone was opening a salon downtown, and it just so happened to be in that spot. I flipped out!

I had known the guy that was opening up the place from competitions. I was working in Altamonte back then, and one second away from moving to New York.  There was nothing open downtown … nothing for me, anyways. I had to get out of suburbia—I was dying. Sorry Altamonte Springs. No offense. Loved ya, needed ya at the time. But I really wanted to get into the Thornton Park neighborhood.  I like being down here. It doesn’t make me feel like I’m in Orlando. It’s historic and quaint. People come in here and they go, “Oh, this reminds me of __________.” That’s what I like about it.

So anyway, I pushed my way in. I knew I was going to lose all my clients, and I didn’t care.  I took a big gamble. He hired me, and I don’t know that he had a choice. I knew from that moment that I’d have this place one day. Ten years later, it became true.

What has changed the most in Thornton Park in the past decade?
Holy crap.  It’s amazing. I look around me and I don’t even recognize this neighborhood anymore. It’s changed so much. The change has been mostly good with a few exceptions. For the better, lots of new local businesses have opened up and the city is now coining it the “Thornton Park Shopping District.” I love seeing people and dogs outside, and people gathering for Magic games. It’s way more pedestrian-friendly, and alive!

For the worse, I’ve seen some historic buildings and homes get destroyed in this process. Basically, the city overextended themselves in building down here. High-rise condos—not a fan. Blocking the view of the city—not a big fan of that either. Other than those two things, I think Thornton Park has really grown to be a place that the locals can come and hang out.

Have you always lived in Florida?
Pretty much. My family moved down here in’72 from New York. My dad moved us out of the cold and down here to open up an ice cream and sub shop called Sweet Treat, and we’ve been here ever since.

Where did the name Lambs Eat Ivy come from?
My dad. It’s a song. He used to sing it to me years and years ago when I was little. It goes, “mairzy doats and dozey doats and little lamzy divy.”  I never knew that it was a real song though. My dad was quite the character. He was always singing, and laughing and playing, a real entertainer. He was so funny. I had always thought he had made the song up, just being silly.  Then about five years ago, a friend of mine was filling in at the desk of the salon I worked at and he started singing it! I stopped dead in my tracks, turned around and said, “What are you singing?” He sang me the lyrics and I realized for the first time it was a real song. Don’t laugh. It’s true.

“Lambs Eat Ivy” is my ode to the building. There’s really no ivy on it. It’s creeping fig, but “Lambs Eat Creeping Fig” doesn’t really sound catchy now does it? [Laughs] I really like the name because it makes people scratch their heads when they walk by.  It confuses them. That’s my favorite part. I didn’t want the name to have anything to do with hair. I wanted it to be very playful and nostalgic, like we are.

What celebrity is rockin’ good hair at the moment?
Michelle Williams. Love the crop … ohhh my god, so sexy! I like it when a woman is confident enough to wear a crop and own it. That to me is so much more beautiful than trying to blend in, or become one of the Housewives of Whatever-County-You-Live in at the moment. [Laughs]

Also, I’ll say Rihanna. She’s really rockin’ that ’80′s cut. I love that we’re bringing that back. This is the first time in my career that I’m actually getting to repeat something I’ve done before. I didn’t get to do ‘70’s but I get to relive ’80’s fashion. How fun is that?

What’s going on with men’s hair these days? Some dudes seem to be working harder than the women to have good hair.
That’s a good point, and I’m glad you brought that up.  Men aren’t afraid to spend money on their hair and they also appreciate details. We have a very large male clientele. They’re getting their eyebrows done. They’re getting all “man”icured. It’s great.

I wouldn’t say the men are working harder than we women though. A few do like to bust out the flat iron every now and again, but I think it’s nice to see men having more fun with their hair.

I heard on the Today show the other day that magazines are now putting women with short hair on the cover for the first time. Do you think there’s some kind of taboo placed on women with short hair?
No. Not anymore. There were some pioneers who got it out there, like Twiggy and Mia Farrow. Then came Sharon Stone, Winona Ryder, and Halle Berry. It’s been going on for a long time, so for them to say it’s “the first time” wouldn’t be true. And those are some pretty sexy women, wouldn’t ya say?

I think what happened is we got stuck. I saw it and was bored to tears. Long hair is a safe, pretty place for women. But I think the launch of reality TV has veered women into a new mainstream look. Think about it. People want to look like what they see on Housewives, the Kardashians, The Bachelor. That’s what women are told is pretty. It’s a shame really. At the end of the day, a woman should choose a look that makes her feel amazing. That’s really what it’s all about.

Is there a most requested look at the moment?
Bobs are back. They’ve been back for a while. Jenny McCarthy started it.  People tend to give credit to Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham, but it was actually Jenny McCarthy that brought the bob back in.  We’re adding more texture to it, but women are rocking stronger looks now, which I like.

Do you want to talk about what’s going on in the Gulf of Mexico right now?
Let’s do it! I’ve been known to climb up on a soapbox every once in a while.  My clients know that about me.

Tell me about how hairdressers are contributing to the clean up.
Matteroftrust.org is an organization that’s rallied hair salons—actually anyone can do it whether you have a business or are an individual—to send hair clippings to make booms. The booms are the big things in the ocean that look like giant sausage links. They’re nylons stuffed with hair clippings, with netting around it.  Human hair absorbs oil better than anything. It’s our best natural resource. Cool right?

We’ve been doing our part. At the end of the week, we send our clippings to matteroftrust.org. They have warehouses that have been donated to them all along the Gulf coast. So the people are all banning together, but I feel like we’re stuck waiting on BP.  The Gulf of Mexico doesn’t belong to BP and it doesn’t belong to the United States. It belongs to the planet and the creatures that live in it. I was on Facebook the other day—I’m friends with matteroftrust.org there—and they posted something to BP about having someone call them. No one from BP has reached out to them yet. They are waiting with booms galore. It’s so frustrating and sad.

I know. It’s blowing my mind that we can’t stop this oil leak.
How do you stop the planet from gushing? We pulled the cork on it. So what the power of that means is unknown. How do we stop that? It would have been nice to have a preventative catastrophic protocol. I find it ironic that the one guy that survived the explosion—and those poor guys that died on the rig, by the way, no one is paying them any attention, which is sad—but the one guy that lived is the one that blew the lid on the seal being broken. It’s Karma.

Humans did this. Now, I’m a Pisces so bare with me, but we deserve what we have coming to us. My heart breaks for the creatures that live in that ocean.  That’s their home. Sharks don’t swim into you’re living room and bite you while you’re watching TV, you know? We go into their house everyday, whether we swim or boat. We throw garbage and oil in there. It’s unfortunate. What’s going to happen? We’ll see. The good thing is that nature is containing it, and that’s an odd miracle.

I still say a giant hairball should do it. It stops up my showers. I say throw it in there. If we’re willing to throw golf balls in there, it can’t be too far off.

Tell me about Shampooch, an event that is coming up at the end of June.
Shampooch is a dog washing fundraiser that we host every year here at the Lambs Eat Ivy salon. We are very affectionate towards our four-legged friends, and any animal really. As a group, the hair salon went up to the SPCA to volunteer. I had just reopened the salon and didn’t have the time that the SPCA required—they ask a certain amount of your time, and rightly so. So I figured, what’s the use of having a business if I can’t give back something to the community? I tend to get over-caffeinated and a little crazy when I’m working. And one day, I came up with the idea of a dog wash. I thought, if people can have car washes, why not a dog wash? And it just spiraled from there.

In a short period of time, we put together our first dog wash and raised $1200. We were so proud. We were out of our minds, actually.  With its success, we continued to host one every year and each time have doubled what we made the previous year. Last year we raised over $6,000 for Pet Recue By Judy. This year we hope double or triple that for Harbor House.

Why is the Harbor House important to you?
We choose a different local shelter to raise funds for each year. The Harbor House is trying to build a kennel for pets of abused women. Do you remember Shannon Burke? The deejay that shot his dog and “accidently” hit his wife by ricochet … ahem, likely story. Anyways, it will prevent situations like that. Almost fifty percent of women in abused relationships will not leave if they have a pet and nowhere to go with their animal. Imagine being abused by the person you’re in love with. It’s very confusing and painful. Then to have to make the decision to leave without the one thing that has been in your life unconditionally, your pet! I would never be able to do that.

A lot of people in Orlando don’t know that the Harbor House is trying to build a kennel, so we’re trying to spread the word for them through this event. So bring your dog! We’ll do the rest. There will be dog washing, and professional portraits going on inside the salon. It’ll be fun. This neighborhood is packed with people with dogs.  This year we’re doing a whole giant set-up on Washington Street basically a giant puppy party. All the businesses are getting together and becoming a part of Shampooch. It’s so great to see.

Okay. One last question, and I have to ask: balding men, what should they do?
I’m so glad you asked! There are two things I want to talk to you about, balding men and graying men.  Men, if you’re going gray do not color your hair. Gray is sexy, is it not? Men need to know that. It’s a benefit they get that women don’t. We get spinster they get sexy. Good for you men. Own it!  It makes you look more expensive.

Now for balding men, they should cut it short and own it! Don’t even worry about it. Just don’t leave five strands up on your head. Um … we can see that. [Laughs] Seriously, it’s not about the hair it’s about the man.

And what about that dirty secret you were gonna tell me earlier?
Tricky, Jana … very tricky! [Laughs] We don’t kiss and tell at Lambs Eat Ivy.

*Interview Date: June 3, 2010

To go on and get your hair did at Lambs Eat Ivy, call 497-245-7006.

I don’t know if I was ever formally introduced to Mikey. We just happened to be at the same places, at the same time, enough times, that we became aware of each other. Then one day we were no longer strangers, but hugging friends, and all this happened without any real conversation, just the informal talk that bar flies embrace, the “Hey, what’s up?” and “How’s it going’s?” Of course, Mikey’s always done more than just sit around the bar and make conversation. He plays music for people, like me, that need it.

I had seen DJ Kittybat spin at many places like Bar B Que bar, Firestone, Cleo’s, and a Florida Film Festival after party, but I didn’t realize he was big time until I found him on the stage of House of Blues. It wasn’t that he was performing on a large stage, or the fact that he was sharing the spotlight with bigger names like A-Trak, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Matt & Kim that made me feel this way. He simply filled the room with music and passion and love. He was in his element, and I loved watching that.

Jana: What are three things on your mind at the moment?
Mikey: A broken needle that I need to fix on my turntable. This salad that I’m eating, because it’s my favorite. And, um, I’m happy to have good weather right now. It’s not that Florida shitty weather … not yet.

Why the name Kittybat?
I had a couple of names that I was playing around with, I think one of them was DJ Cassettes and some other stuff I don’t remember.  I came into work at Park Ave Cds and I saw this [CD] cover for Melt Banana. Do you know them? They’re from Japan. They sound like they’re goin’ a million miles an hour, like “Na, na ,na, na na, na,” but it’s controlled chaos. It’s not shitty. The bass player is like three feet tall, and she’s all over the place. She’s amazing. And the guitar player always wears one of those Sars masks and he makes the guitar sound like laser beams. I’ve never heard that before.  There’s a cute girl who sings. She’s real high-pitched like a chipmunk. But they’re awesome, and tight.

So they have this cover, and I forget what the album is, but it has this cat-bat thing on it. I thought it was funny. Of course, whatever I think is funny, no one else usually thinks is funny.  So I just started using that name because I started meeting a lot of other deejays.  I wanted to have fun with it. Everyone else I was meeting sounded like X-Men heroes: DJ  Splice and Dice, Cut You In Half and Wolverine. [Laughs] I was like screw that, I’m just gonna have fun with it.

I’ve stuck with it, and it’s funny. At first, it was like, Who’s Kittybat? People thought I was a girl or some shit. Now, everyone’s like, “Hey, Kittybat, what’s up?” I kinda hate the name now, but I’m stuck with it … and fine with it.  [Laughs] It’s all in good humor, I guess. I’ve always liked the name Lemonade Thunder, but it’s never takin’ off.

Describe your style.
I think I sound old school. What got me into deejaying is watching movies like Breakin’, all that old school stuff. The way deejays play hip hop—and there was hip hop music before there was hip hop records—they were playing it with other music, like Queen’s “We Will Rock You” or some disco or punk song.  They weren’t playing hip hop, but their style was hip hop. That’s what I try to do.  I play a little bit of everything but I’m overall influenced by hip hop. I’ll play rock, but I’m gonna scratch in a NWA song.

Is there a certain person or thing that inspires you?
As far as deejaying goes? One person who’s really inspired me is this guy out of Arizona called Z Trip. He’s pretty big in the deejay circles. He’s opened up for millions of rock shows. The first time I heard one of his mixes it blew my mind. He started off with Oasis’s “Wonderwall” and then he threw in an instrumental of Jurassic 5. To hear someone do that with current music, and new records … it just blew my mind.  If I ever get frustrated or run out of ideas, I go back and listen to one of his mixes, or check out his web site to see what he’s up to.

How did you start deejaying?
It happened way late for me. I didn’t start deejaying until I was twenty-five or twenty-six, now I’m thirty-two. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but I was touring with my band [The Attack] for a long time.  At some point, I started borrowing friends turntables. Remember Room 39? Well, we used to deejay there on Tuesday nights. We weren’t doing anything but puttin’ on some records and enjoying a few drinks. Then, I kept practicing and borrowing tables. Eventually people wanted their tables back, so I bought my own.  I caught the bug, and just kept with it.

How did you go about building credibility?
Just going out and doing it, and finding places lucky enough to let me be bad for awhile before I got good. I never gave up.  Eventually, I got good because I had to. I had to hold down a night, no matter what.

What’s happened to your career since music has gone digital?
Just a lot more learning. I used to hate on guys using CD players, and this and that. As soon as I let that go, I embraced the technology that was coming around. It was hard to get used to.  It made me learn, which I appreciate now.

I think that technology is cool. It gives you things to do. You’re no longer limited. I appreciate it. I just hate having to turn around everyday and learn something new. That’s my only gripe.

If you’re a good deejay, technology doesn’t matter as much.  It’s not gonna make a bad deejay good, or even a good deejay bad, well maybe if they rely on it too much. As long as you stay on top of your game, you should be good.

How much money do you think you’ve spent building a library?
Oh man, I don’t even know. We’ll say a zilljillion.

Where do you go to get new music?
Fortunately, I work in a record store so I’m forced to hear new music. That’s a huge plus. A record convention comes into town every three months and those are always nice. Any time I do any sort of traveling, I hit up an independent record store. There are some cool sites online, too. Even on EBay you can find stuff you’re looking for. So as long as I have the time, I look everywhere.

I saw you last year at the HOB Bacardi event with A-Trak, Matt & Kim, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. A-Trek seems to have a huge following.
He’s always been huge. He’s been deejaying ever since he came out of the womb.  Nah, really he started deejaying when he was fifteen. He deejayed for Kanye West, he’s won every competition, and all before he was old enough to drink. He’s awesome.

I like to see where deejays go. A-Trak started doing these hip hop competitions and he’s evolved from a concert dee jay to doing really hard dance stuff. It may be not for everybody, but I like that he’s doing what he wants. He’s not being told what to deejay. He’s trying new things and killing it. He’s a fun one to look out for and watch.

Do you ever become conflicted between playing music you love and playing requests?
No, because it’s usually taken care of a head of time. I never walk up to situations where they tell me to do one thing and I want to do another. If I’m doing a regular night, I always ask, “What kind of music are you looking for?” And then I either answer, “Yes, I can do it,” or “No, I won’t.”

If I’m doing a one time event, or whatever, I go ahead and knock that ball straight out of the park. I’ve had one situation where I was told one thing, and the guy that booked me didn’t show up, and the people were expected another and I bombed for a good two to three hours. I swore I’d never do that again. I still got paid but still … now, I’m like tell me every song you want to hear. I may not play it but I want to know. It just ends up bad when there’s no communication.

What is the number one requested song?
There’s no number one request. People are all over the place.

Phew. I thought you were going to say something like Beyonce’ or something.
You’d be surprised.  I’ll be playing a straight hip hop set with Tribe Called Quest and maybe some new Kanye West, and someone will come up to me and say, “Hey, will you play some hip hop?” You wouldn’t believe it. I don’t know if it’s just this town or what. I’ve been all over and this doesn’t happen anywhere but here.

This town has a lot of weekend warriors. They come into Cleo’s and it’s free, so I get it. But it’s crazy.  Every weekend there’s a whole new set of people, all new requests. I want to be like, “Haven’t you ever been here before? First of all, there’s a sign above the booth that says no requests, and I’ve never played Journey in this place in my entire life.” [Laughs]

[Laughs] I think the weekend warrior’s anthem comes from Journey.
Yeah, I get asked for them a lot. That and whatever new song Lady Gaga has out.

Is there a request you won’t play?
There’s lots of songs I won’t play. I will not play anything by Journey.  [Laughs]

Are you able to survive by deejaying alone?
Close. I still work over at the record store. I like it. I can’t make a living off a deejaying alone, but if I wasn’t deejaying I wouldn’t have a house. I’d be on the streets.

Why do you think it’s important for a city to have an independent record store?
There are so many reasons. I’ve spent my whole youth in record stores. It shaped me into loving music, appreciating music and realizing what music does for people. I hope that there’s still people out there that care and has that same appreciation for independent record stores as I do.

What I like about the record store I work at is that it’s been open for twenty-five years.  That’s a big deal. There are so many reasons why an independent record store is needed to support the community. Imagine this town without it. I think about that sometimes. God forbid, but if anything ever happened to Park Ave Cds and it wasn’t around anymore—I can’t even imagine that. There’d be no communication among artists and venues. Where would our local talent go to promote themselves? The thing about this town, unlike New York or Chicago, is we only have one independent record store. They have five or so. We only have one of everything it seems, one good record store, one good venue, one this or that.  If it shuts down, that’s it.

I know what you’re saying. We just lost our downtown independent bookstore and it’s sad.
It’s very sad. Even on Park Ave there used to be a Walden Books. Okay, so it’s not an independent bookstore but there was something to it.  It’s a place for people to meet and talk and be face-to-face. So many of those little things—and I’m all about the little things—can be huge things at the end of the day. It makes a difference in a town.

What do you like about living in Orlando?
I was born in Monterey, California. My dad was in the military so we moved to Hawaii and then when he retired we moved to Austin. That’s where I grew up as a kid. I was there until about middle school and I’ve been here ever since, besides going back and forth to visit my family in Puerto Rico. Wait. You asked about what I liked about Orlando. [Laughs]

I think Orlando is a really cool town and no one appreciates it. If you’ve lived here you’re whole life, or you haven’t gone out to other cities, you don’t realize how cool this town really is.  I just had a friend move to California, and he was back in a few months. I was like, “What happened?” He said, “Man, I just like it here better.”

What makes this city cool?
There are so many cool things to do, and most of them are for locals only. You have to know where to go, like Red Fox or Enzian.  Now, there’s that Imperial bar that opened up in Washburn [Imports], that furniture store. I was there two weeks ago for a friend’s graduation. You walk in, they have furniture and a really nice bar, and everything is for sale. You can get a glass of wine or a beer, walk around, and if you really get busted you buy $500 spice rack. [Laughs] I wish we sold alcohol at Park Ave Cds.

There’s something to the landscape, too. I-4 is like the divider between tourists and locals.  Tourists just don’t know about the city and things like this, Mills Market. I don’t think we do a good job promoting those kinds of things, but then again I don’t mind it either. Like now, we’re just sitting here chillin’ and hanging out and there are no tourists around. That’s kind of nice too. There are cool things to do here, you just have to look for it. People should stop going to the same bars every night, and see what else is out there.

What do you not like about Orlando?
Besides my friends and the people I hang out with most of the time,  other people get on my nerves. There’s a lot of transients that come and go, they don’t care about the town.

What else? People don’t know how to drive in this town! They’re horrible drivers … and sometimes it gets too damn hot.

If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you go?
That’s a good question. [Pauses] I guess I’d have to say Amsterdam. I didn’t see enough of it when I was there the last time. I was on tour with my band and we had one day off and one day to play. With the tour, you’re in and out.  So I’d love to go back and explore that place more.

Would you ever want to tour as a deejay? And which profession do you think you’d like more?
Yeah! I’m all for it. When I do the deejay stuff, I want to do the band stuff. And when I do the band stuff, I want to do the deejay stuff. [Laughs]

How does the copyright thing work as deejay?
[Laughs] I have no idea. That’s one of the reasons why mixed tapes are hard to find. They only make limited runs. Like, I may have sold a hundred to two hundred albums. Bigger deejays sell a thousand here, or five hundred there.  Basically enough to stay under the radar or until someone sends you a cease and desist. Then you can’t do anything.

Honestly, I’d like to give the artists money, but at the same time we expose their music to a lot of people that wouldn’t have found it before. So, to me, it falls on both sides. It’s all about your attitude and how you treat it.

So what’s next for you?
I just want to get my ass into recording more.  I’ve been deejaying for how many years and have never had an official mix done? I finally got the one done that I gave you, that was my first album, and there’s one more. I just want to keep releasing stuff, and having something tangible to sell. In the past when I’ve deejayed, people have come up and asked me for a mix, and I was like, “I don’t have one, sorry.” Now, I’m like, “Yes, yes, yes!”

*Interview Date: May 14, 2010

To buy DJ Kittybat’s album Peanut Butter Summer Jams, go to DJKittybat.blogspot.com or Park Ave Cds.

I usually prepare for interviews. Granted it’s not very much work because the people I interview generally aren’t people that are interviewed. Or in other words, they’re not celebrities that have much content on the web but more of what Arrested Development sang about in the nineties. They’re your “everyday people.” Still, I’ll Google a name or find someone who knows this person so that I can probe a bit and come prepared to the interview with a list of questions. However, none of that happened in this case.

I was sitting in Chick-fil-a minding my own business and enjoying a number one combo with no pickles and a sweet tea when Lisa interrupted me.

“Hi, excuse me,” she began. “Do you remember me?”

She did look familiar. Turns out she’s worked at the Pier 1 Imports I frequent for the past three years.  As she told me this, it all started coming together.

“Anyhow, I went to your book signing. It was absolutely amazing,” she continued. Of course, now she had my full attention. “Mind if I join you?”

Quickly, Lisa jumped into conversation about how she’s been told she should write books, too. She wanted to know how I was published, and was impressed to learn I started my own independent publishing company. My knee jerk reaction to her inquiries were more like, “Oh brother, here we go,” although, I didn’t say that out loud.

“So why do you think you should write books?” I asked her.

“People have told me I should tell my story,” she answered.

“What’s your story?”

“Well,” she said, and then she paused for a brief moment, staring me right in the eye. “My daughter was murdered three years ago.”

I nearly dropped my sandwich.

Before she was too much further into her story, I cut her off. “Look, you obviously are familiar with what I do.  Would you like to tell your story to me? I mean, will you please let me interview you?”

And that’s how this interview happened. There was no set-up date, or any time to do research. I simply pulled out my recorder and said, “Um, okay. So this is the first time I’m completely unprepared for an interview … bare with me. “ And she did.

Jana: What did you have planned today?
Lisa: Well, today I was off work. So I’m trying to sell some of my mini-paintings—praying and hoping something will come along to get me a little further in the art world.

How do you normally go about selling your art?
I don’t have a car so I’ve been walking around to places and selling to people I know. I have some of my big pieces hangin’ downtown in City Arts Factory. I’m gettin’ ready for the library.

What’s happening at the library?
I’m the featured artist there for May and June. I get to hang my work on the first floor, and sell it too. To me it’s pretty special because it’s the first place that’s asked me to hang my work. It’s also a huge place that’s all about learning.

What do you hope to achieve by hanging your art in the library?
I hope to get recognition and get my name out there a little bit more. Hopefully, I’ll make some money from it. For me, I think that my art is a lot more than just art. There is a whole lot attached to it, as far as things I want to do with my life, like helping other people. I feel art is going to be the way for me to own those things.

What inspires your paintings?
Well, I want to do something different, something from my heart, something of my own. I want it to be inspirational. I want my art to give someone something if they need it, or keep them going. I did a series of butterflies once, and I did it because butterflies symbolize transformation. I did that so the person that bought the paintings could relate to whatever transformations they were going through.

What type of paintings do you lean towards?
I don’t know the terminology for it because I didn’t ever take classes for any of it. But I can tell you that I draw lines, and I tell stories with those lines.

How did you know that you were an artist?
Well, my daughter kept giving me that title. I’ve always liked art. I’ve always appreciated beauty in odd things, I guess. It something I’ve always wanted to be. I just never have had the guts to do it. Fear has kept me from doing anything.

What’s been the motivating factor for your recent work?
My daughter was murdered three years ago when she was just fifteen. It’s forced me to become a new person. I want that new person to be the best she can be. I want to use my gifts, and help other people. Do a lot of good. I feel I’ve been given some talent, and I need to use it, not let it just sit there. I have the understanding that all the suffering I’ve been through is actually going to empower me.

Do you mind if we talk about your daughter for a bit?
No! I don’t mind talking about her. It hurts, but I like talking about her. I’m very proud of her.

A picture Lisa carries with her always.

How was she murdered?
It was an older boyfriend that I didn’t know about and two other people.  She was the girl that was found in the retention pound on Lake Underhill and Goldenrod.

It was her older boyfriend?
Yeah. I didn’t know about him. There was a rumor going around that Jackie was pregnant, which she wasn’t. He had already had a girlfriend that was his age. He didn’t want her to find out about my daughter. So his bright idea was to kill her. I guess he thought he wouldn’t have to worry about it. And so, yeah, all three of them, him and his two friends, murdered her.

Do you know what they did to her?
Actually, the story was spared from the media. I asked and prayed for that to happen. I didn’t want it to be this media circus.  I wanted whatever message to be told from my daughter’s story to be a positive one. You know what I mean?

If it would’ve blown up like other stories had at the time, the focus would have been off of the good that could have come from it. I’m thankful. Even the trial was pretty private. People were everywhere but no one talked to us. A lady from The Sentinel told me the person covering the story had had an emergency, and then another person forgot about it. There were all these odd things that prevented the media from having too much access. Still, we do know what happened.

After nine months, the girl that helped [murder Jackie] up and confessed. She said Jackie had been haunting her in her dreams for those nine months, and she couldn’t take it anymore. That’s how we finally got to know what happened.

Apparently, the guy wanted her to stab my daughter. They had Jackie meet them somewhere. I guess Jackie kept trying to leave and saying things like, “I gotta leave. I gotta go home and see my Mom.” She knew something was up, and even called someone to come get her. Anyhow, they kept her there and the girl tried to stab her. Jackie took the knife from her and broke it in half. She was very strong, a Navy ROTC, skilled in martial arts, but I also know she loved them. The girl said that Jackie kept saying, “I love you. Please don’t hurt me.” So when the girl couldn’t stab her, I guess they started wrestling around or whatever and somehow Jackie slipped.  Now, I haven’t listened to the confession myself. I heard this part of it in court. There are some parts that I don’t exactly know about yet, you know? I just haven’t been able to be at that place yet, to listen to it all.

When Jackie slid, I guess one of the guys got a hold of her arms and held her down.  The girl started choking her.  Only she couldn’t finish it. She felt that Jackie still had a pulse. So the guy, her boyfriend, stomped on her throat and dragged her into the water. Until this day, I still don’t know the exact cause of death. During the trial, I made me and my family leave the court room. We didn’t need to see those pictures. It was too much on top of everything else that was going on.

What happened to those three involved in the murder?
Well, after she confessed, the [boyfriend] was already in jail for something else, but he was charged with murder in the first degree and received life. The girl that confessed got thirty years, and when she gets out of jail she will be transferred to Bosnia. Actually, you know in the Casey Anthony thing? She is one of those girls Casey has been writing letters too. Then the other guy got manslaughter, which I wasn’t happy about. He helped. He knew what he was doing. So I think he deserved more than that. I think the jury had some sympathy for him because he had just started hanging out with these people, and at some point he did say to stop.  He still continued to help though.

The way I see it is … I have to be satisfied with that.  It didn’t come out by the police. It came out by more miraculous things. At the trial, it was that girl’s word that held up in court. The police didn’t do the DNA evidence like they were supposed to. They waited eleven months to test under Jackie’s fingernails. They found forty-one hairs on her and didn’t test a single one of them. So they kind of dropped the ball on that. What made the final conviction was the girlfriend that he was trying keep, well, she called him while they were trying to kill my daughter. He answered the phone and she heard Jackie screaming, “Why are you doing this to me? I love you. Please don’t hurt me,” and she testified against him. So the girlfriend he was trying to keep was the one who ultimately testified against him, and the one who had him locked up for life. This came by God, and so I have to be satisfied with it. You know what I mean? They are going to have their own private hell that they have to go through. I have to be at peace with that.

Do you feel that there is such a thing as justice being served?
I feel that if we were a higher social status, and I wasn’t a single mom, things might have been different. I think [the case] would have been more of a priority. A lot of times, when it comes to teenagers, the sheriff’s department blows things off.

How does a mother pick-up and keep going after something like this happens?
It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. Unless you have a strong foundation, it’s hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. It just doesn’t make sense. It robs you of your identity.  When you’re a parent, especially to someone like Jackie who was such an accomplished child, I wanted her to flourish and do all the good things she was suppose to do. My life became about her. So I think I had to make a lot of conscious choices. Like, for example, with her not being here, I have to live for both of us now.  And if I can’t carry on, then what was it all for?

She wanted to be a motivational speaker when she was eleven, when most kids that age don’t care. I understand that I have to be the voice for her now. For me personally, I have a lot of faith in God.  So I turned everything over to him. It’s amazing how when something so significant is taken away, your eyes see things for what it is, and everything becomes more precious. That was part of the perspective I took. We don’t know when things can be taken away from us. Praying about things and trusting God was a huge part of recovery.  I feel that, for me, painting is not just about painting, it’s about faith, vision and perseverance

When you find out something like this … how … where … um … I’m sorry. I’m just trying to wrap my head around all this.
Like, what was my thought process? That’s a horrible story, too.  I was at my job. The police called and asked me, “When was the last time you saw your sister?” I said, “What do you mean? She only works a couple of doors down.” That’s when they told me that they were trying to identify a body, and that they had found my business card in this person’s pocket. Jackie was six-foot-one, so they probably didn’t think of her as a child at first. I told them about some tattoos she wasn’t supposed to get, one for her grandfather and brother.**  They put me on hold. I told the people at my job, “Um, look, they’re trying to identify a body here. If I hit the floor, you know why.” I was on hold for-ever. Sure enough, they came back and I hit the floor.

What they told me was to go home and wait for the police. I went home and the news people were the first to knock on my door.  I didn’t know why they were knocking on my door exactly. I called the police to ask why and they said they didn’t know either. Then I turned on the TV and I seen it—that’s how I found out. I heard, saw, “The girl found in the retention pond is Harriet Jacqueline Curtis.” Before anyone had told me what was going on, I saw it on the news. Do you know I couldn’t watch the news for a year-and-a-half after that? I just couldn’t. That really traumatized me. That wasn’t how I was supposed to find out. No one from the Sheriff’s office even came to see me for three weeks.

So what did you do then? Lock yourself up in the house?
To process information like that [pauses]  … I’ve never been asked this question, sorry … but I want to answer it the right way. [pauses] Okay. Because of my faith, I knew if I was given this it was for a reason.  Of course I was devastated. I loved my daughter, and that wasn’t something I ever saw happening. [pauses] I didn’t really do the whole “Why?” thing because I felt it was silly. There was no way I was going to understand it in that moment anyway. I’m a thinker. I guess at that moment, I was probably stepping towards accepting it. Know what I mean? I couldn’t try to figure it all out, yet. I wasn’t ready.

I don’t know. My whole life I’ve always had it rough. I’ve always had to roll with punches and make adjustments accordingly, adapt. I guess maybe I’m programmed to adapt to things. I don’t know. At that moment, I know I had peace and understanding that came from God and that trumped any other kinds of attempts of understanding.

Not too long after it happened, I asked God, “Help me understand this.” I was reading my Bible a lot back then, and I opened it up right to the crucifix, the part where God willingly gives his son for all of us. I felt he took my daughter for a higher purpose and who am I to argue with that?

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement to any other families that may go through something similar?
Yeah. Eventually, I’d like to start a program to help people go through that process. And to the ones that already have a foundation, to encourage them and let them know other people will see them. Because I’ve been through it, I understand it. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it’s devastating. But being bitter and angry is only going to hurt you.

What do you think about when you think about Jackie?
It varies. Sometimes I see families and I think, “Man, I wish I had that kind of life again.”  Sometimes I see other kids and I smile. It reminds of youthfulness. When I do good things, like paint, I think of how proud of me she is. I see this as a responsibility. I’m supposed to do something with this. I take it seriously. Thinking about it all and what it means. What I’m suppose to give to other people and so on.

And that’s why you’ve turned to painting?
I’ve always wanted to do something creative. Painting is a release. It’s a way to tell myself messages, like when I’m working on a piece that has to do with perseverance, in that same message I’m thinking about what it’s going to take for me to keep going on and how it will translate for someone else. I can paint pretty things, but I want to paint pieces that change people.

What do you think Jackie would tell you if she was here right now?
She’d say, “Stop crying Mom!” She always told me that I was a survivor. The weirdest thing was that she was singing karaoke at this place, and I came in the door and she made me sit down in the front, in front of everyone. She said, “I’m gonna sing ‘I’m a Survivor’ for my Mom because that’s what she is,” and she sang the song. I never forgot that.  I had no idea what that was really going to me for me in the future. I think she did. She informed of a lot of things that I needed to know. I don’t give myself enough credit sometimes. I see me how I see me.

And how is that?
I see myself as … well, here’s a good way of looking at it. My friend asked me a few years back, “If you could be any fish, which fish would you be?” I thought it was a stupid question. But instantly I knew my answer. I said, “I am one of those fish that live way deep in the bottom of the ocean.” Have you ever seem them? It’s pitch black and you can’t see any light down there. Those are the most odd fish because they’re totally transparent, but it’s okay that they’re transparent because they’re insides are bright reds, yellows and blues. That’s the kind of fish that I am.

People that know me can see that I’m a good person. The thing is nobody sees me because I’m at the bottom of the ocean and there’s no light there. This man told me one time, he said, “Lisa, think about it. When man discovered that those fish were down there. What did they do? They spent billions of dollars on equipment to get down there and see those fish.”  So I guess that’s where I feel I am. I feel that I’m beautiful. I’m smart. I have a big heart, and a lot to give.  But no body ever sees me because I’m at the bottom. But I’m ready to be seen. I’m ready for some light.

*Interview date: April, 13, 2010

** Jackie’s brother was born with both physical and mental disabilities. Upon learning the quality of her son’s care would increase under different circumstances, Lisa agreed to doing an open adoption with a wealthier family in St. Cloud. Her son lived thirteen years longer than expected, and passed away just last year. “At least I know Jackie was there to welcome him with open arms,” said Lisa, after I had turned the recorder off.