Fellow Creatives: Rachel Henderson
This series is called Fellow Creatives. These posts are my chance to get to know other creative of all kinds: Writers, Visual Artists, Musicians, and others may be popping by too. If you
call yourself a creative and want to participate. Submit your link in the Fellow
Creatives link list on the right side menu of the blog or at the bottom of this
post.
Today, I’m honored that Rachel Henderson has taken the time to answer my interview questions and tell me a little about her creative journey. She’s a fun and creative soul, so if you haven’t met her yet, you should skip over to her blog, Bowl Full of Cinnamon Milk, after the interview 🙂
Get ready some laughs and insight you’ll not easily forget 🙂
Rachel Henderson Fellow Creatives Interview:
Can you briefly tell us a bit about yourself?
Yes =)
I currently live in Chicago, but I’m originally from
Tennessee. I absolutely love the city and everything it has to offer; however,
I still find so much peace in the mountains of East Tennessee. I hope to make
visits to nature a more regular part of my life in the future. I take classes
at both Second City and iO, which is super fun! I love the people I’m meeting
and things I’m learning there. I also love trying new restaurants and drinking
red wine. Sometimes I tell people that my goal is to become a wine snob even
though I know it’s impossible for me to retain enough information to accomplish
that goal. I ran my first marathon in October, and it was an incredible
experience. I love to travel and try to make the most of my city adventures
while my budget is unable to send me abroad. Friends are very important to me
and so is my faith. I like riding my bike and someday hope to own a big dog!
Tennessee. I absolutely love the city and everything it has to offer; however,
I still find so much peace in the mountains of East Tennessee. I hope to make
visits to nature a more regular part of my life in the future. I take classes
at both Second City and iO, which is super fun! I love the people I’m meeting
and things I’m learning there. I also love trying new restaurants and drinking
red wine. Sometimes I tell people that my goal is to become a wine snob even
though I know it’s impossible for me to retain enough information to accomplish
that goal. I ran my first marathon in October, and it was an incredible
experience. I love to travel and try to make the most of my city adventures
while my budget is unable to send me abroad. Friends are very important to me
and so is my faith. I like riding my bike and someday hope to own a big dog!
If you told someone they could understand you better by
reading three specific books, which would they be? Why?
reading three specific books, which would they be? Why?
1.)Harriet the Spy because that was one of my favorites as a
kid; as I get to know myself as a writer more and more, I see that Harriet and
I have so much in common!
kid; as I get to know myself as a writer more and more, I see that Harriet and
I have so much in common!
2.) The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron because that book has
been one of the key ingredients in helping me unlock creativity and find
courage to take big risks. I’m currently reading the follow-up book, and think
it is a must read for all artists.
been one of the key ingredients in helping me unlock creativity and find
courage to take big risks. I’m currently reading the follow-up book, and think
it is a must read for all artists.
3.) The Hobbit because I love it! The whole Middle Earth
Saga in general is really soulful and exciting, but I especially love The
Hobbit because of its simplicity and adventure. I think there are so many
lessons to be learned from Bilbo’s journey. One of my favorite quotes happens
when Gandalf is talking to Bilbo and he says something along the lines of “Do
you, Bilbo, think that all of these events are happening just for you, a hobbit?”
(I know that’s not exactly right) But I love that quote so much because it
reminds me that there are bigger things happening out in the world than me, and
I can play a significant role in them if I listen, find courage, take risks,
and participate in those things.
Saga in general is really soulful and exciting, but I especially love The
Hobbit because of its simplicity and adventure. I think there are so many
lessons to be learned from Bilbo’s journey. One of my favorite quotes happens
when Gandalf is talking to Bilbo and he says something along the lines of “Do
you, Bilbo, think that all of these events are happening just for you, a hobbit?”
(I know that’s not exactly right) But I love that quote so much because it
reminds me that there are bigger things happening out in the world than me, and
I can play a significant role in them if I listen, find courage, take risks,
and participate in those things.
Being that the title of this blog is Anything Imagined, it
seems appropriate to first ask how you get inspired and what boosts your
imagination?
seems appropriate to first ask how you get inspired and what boosts your
imagination?
I’m rediscovering a love for science fiction and outer
space. I’m currently on a Ray Bradburry kick. He was such an inspiring man.
Likewise, I find inspiration for comedy in my everyday life. I love taking
something that happens and tweaking it just a bit or delivering it in the right
way to make another person laugh. I also enjoy seeing original works produced
here in the city whether its improv, stand up, story telling, a play…anything.
It’s encouraging, motivating, inspiring, and a bit scary, to see another
person’s new work displayed.
space. I’m currently on a Ray Bradburry kick. He was such an inspiring man.
Likewise, I find inspiration for comedy in my everyday life. I love taking
something that happens and tweaking it just a bit or delivering it in the right
way to make another person laugh. I also enjoy seeing original works produced
here in the city whether its improv, stand up, story telling, a play…anything.
It’s encouraging, motivating, inspiring, and a bit scary, to see another
person’s new work displayed.
Sometimes people say “they don’t have a creative bone in
their body.” Have you thought much about creativity and do you believe that
what they say is true? Or do you think anyone is capable of creativity if they
chose to be?
their body.” Have you thought much about creativity and do you believe that
what they say is true? Or do you think anyone is capable of creativity if they
chose to be?
No, I think everyone is creative in some way. One thing that
I learned from Julia Cameron’s book is that creativity is really play. I
believe that most of us who think we are not creative (because I once thought
that) were either taught that creativity/play was not important when we were
younger or, out of fear, chose to ignore our creative impulses so we could live
more comfortably (whether by making more money or avoiding failure or
humiliation). I don’t think there’s anyone that doesn’t enjoy at least some art
form—listening to music, watching movies, etc…–and I think that enjoyment is
an indicator of a creative bone. And anything can be creative, really—cooking,
sewing, knitting, playing a sport, writing, the way you organize your
spreadsheet, how you solve a problem at work. It might even be said that
creativity is less about producing “a work of art” and more about feeling the
freedom to just be you and letting that affect the way you impact your
environment.
I learned from Julia Cameron’s book is that creativity is really play. I
believe that most of us who think we are not creative (because I once thought
that) were either taught that creativity/play was not important when we were
younger or, out of fear, chose to ignore our creative impulses so we could live
more comfortably (whether by making more money or avoiding failure or
humiliation). I don’t think there’s anyone that doesn’t enjoy at least some art
form—listening to music, watching movies, etc…–and I think that enjoyment is
an indicator of a creative bone. And anything can be creative, really—cooking,
sewing, knitting, playing a sport, writing, the way you organize your
spreadsheet, how you solve a problem at work. It might even be said that
creativity is less about producing “a work of art” and more about feeling the
freedom to just be you and letting that affect the way you impact your
environment.
You wrote many assignments and papers in school, but at what
point did you realize you loved to write?
point did you realize you loved to write?
Hmmmm…I think I’m just now really discovering it, but there
are two moments that stand out. The first was in my Intro to Non-fiction class
when my teacher praised me for my snark and told me she liked my style. It was
the first time I realized that my opinions mattered and that it was fun to put
them out there. I think it was also the first time that I considered the fact
that I might be funny. The second moment was my senior year in my Intro to
Writing for Performance class. I absolutely hated writing fiction and I thought
it was because I just wasn’t good at making stuff up (which still might be
true). But writing for performance taught me to think visually and that has
greatly enhanced all forms of creativity for me.
are two moments that stand out. The first was in my Intro to Non-fiction class
when my teacher praised me for my snark and told me she liked my style. It was
the first time I realized that my opinions mattered and that it was fun to put
them out there. I think it was also the first time that I considered the fact
that I might be funny. The second moment was my senior year in my Intro to
Writing for Performance class. I absolutely hated writing fiction and I thought
it was because I just wasn’t good at making stuff up (which still might be
true). But writing for performance taught me to think visually and that has
greatly enhanced all forms of creativity for me.
Which of your creative works do you feel most connected to
and fulfilled by? Why?
and fulfilled by? Why?
That’s tough to say because I’m starting to tap into and
explore some new ones—directing and performing. But so far, in writing, I find
that I like writing stories from my life in either first or third person and
letting them speak for themselves without a lot of exposition. I call them my
anecdotes and I think it helps me pay attention to what’s going on and it’s
teaching me to stop talking so much and just live. On the other hand, I have
stepped into performing a few times this year and I have never felt more alive
than when I was on a stage performing a piece (a story from my own life,
actually) that I wrote. I loved laughing along with the audience and even being
the center of attention. Ha! Once I got past the fear and anxiety, all of it
was really fun!
explore some new ones—directing and performing. But so far, in writing, I find
that I like writing stories from my life in either first or third person and
letting them speak for themselves without a lot of exposition. I call them my
anecdotes and I think it helps me pay attention to what’s going on and it’s
teaching me to stop talking so much and just live. On the other hand, I have
stepped into performing a few times this year and I have never felt more alive
than when I was on a stage performing a piece (a story from my own life,
actually) that I wrote. I loved laughing along with the audience and even being
the center of attention. Ha! Once I got past the fear and anxiety, all of it
was really fun!
What would you say has been the biggest challenge for you as
a writer and blogger? Have you overcome the challenge and what would you say to
someone else facing the same struggles?
a writer and blogger? Have you overcome the challenge and what would you say to
someone else facing the same struggles?
I think it is not worrying about what other people are going
to think of my writing—is this what my readers want? will they think this is
funny? what if they don’t like that? The people who follow my blog follow it
because they liked what they read in the first place. It’s the same reason why
I read other people’s blogs. So I think just staying true to what I want to
write about can be a challenge. Another challenge is letting go of control and
letting things flow. My blog is currently “under construction” so to speak. I’m
redesigning and creating a new logo and eventually hope to launch a full-fledged
website. But I have to be patient. I have to listen to myself instead of just
trying to hurry it along for the sake of getting things done. So to others
struggling with the same thing I would just say: be patient and be you. Follow
those scary creative desires.
to think of my writing—is this what my readers want? will they think this is
funny? what if they don’t like that? The people who follow my blog follow it
because they liked what they read in the first place. It’s the same reason why
I read other people’s blogs. So I think just staying true to what I want to
write about can be a challenge. Another challenge is letting go of control and
letting things flow. My blog is currently “under construction” so to speak. I’m
redesigning and creating a new logo and eventually hope to launch a full-fledged
website. But I have to be patient. I have to listen to myself instead of just
trying to hurry it along for the sake of getting things done. So to others
struggling with the same thing I would just say: be patient and be you. Follow
those scary creative desires.
What do you hope to achieve through your writing and
creative pursuits?
creative pursuits?
Well, I’d like to publish a non-fiction book. Not so much a
memoir as a comedic collection of essays and drawings. I’m also working with a
couple guys, writing and producing some comedic shorts and I hope to help them
take off as a two-man show. I decided during my improv class the other day that
I wanted to work hard and be able to make some money doing commercials (which
can be difficult to do). Wow, I guess there are a lot of things and I’m not
going to list them all right here, but at the root of it, I want to be true to
myself. I want to be real and create experiences for other people to be real. I
hope my work is authentic and communicates an authentic voice, giving others
the freedom to reflect and do the same thing.
memoir as a comedic collection of essays and drawings. I’m also working with a
couple guys, writing and producing some comedic shorts and I hope to help them
take off as a two-man show. I decided during my improv class the other day that
I wanted to work hard and be able to make some money doing commercials (which
can be difficult to do). Wow, I guess there are a lot of things and I’m not
going to list them all right here, but at the root of it, I want to be true to
myself. I want to be real and create experiences for other people to be real. I
hope my work is authentic and communicates an authentic voice, giving others
the freedom to reflect and do the same thing.
Thank you so much for swinging by Rachel. I love the three books you picked to describe yourself. And this advice “So to others struggling with the same thing I would just say: be patient and be you. Follow those scary creative desires” is excellent. I need to pin that to my mirror 🙂
Don’t forget to visit Rachel today everyone! Enjoy the rest of the week.
Want to be featured? Sign up on the linky list or email me at emilyann(at)thelabyrinthwall(dot)com I’ll be in contact.
