It's with great pleasure that I share a magic-maker with you all today. When I started blogging hers was one of the first artistically-inspiring blogs i found, and I felt an instant connection to her art and vision. She often collaborates with other magic makers, including Karin Eriksson, Maria Vettese and Elizabeth Dunker, and has undertaken some fabulous commissions from the likes of The New York Times, Google and Converse. I still click on her blog religiously, as i like to take a peek into her day-to-day life at home in Sweden.

Ladies and gentleman, please welcome the inspiring Ms Camilla Engman…

Did you always know you were an artist, even as a child? Could you tell us about your path into this career?

I can't say I did. I remember I wanted to be a nurse when I was around four years old. I wanted to be a nurse and named Maria. Around 5 I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher and my name would be Eva. During this time I also wanted to be a princess named Rose-Marie. Then there was a period where I wanted to be Agneta, one of the singers in Abba. I dreamed about long straight blond hair. My mother always had my hair cut very short. If I could have three wishes, having long hair was one of them. To have a horse, to ride to school was the second one. We lived in an apartment on the second floor, but I figured the horse could stay in the bathroom. Its name would have been Silver or Baron. The third wish was for more wishes – very clever, I thought.

Around twelve I wanted to be a hairdresser. My mother worked as cleaner in a school and my father worked in a factory building cars. Hairdresser was as much as I could imagine, the most creative profession I could come up with. I got the opportunity to help a woman that had a salon so I worked on Saturdays washing hair and sweeping the floors. This ended my hairdressing dream and career.
When I finished school I knew I wanted to study art – the problem was I had to move to another city as there were no art schools in my town. So it took a while. In that time I worked as a cleaner for a year and then at the car factory for another year. I hated it! It was there I decided I wanted a job I wanted to go to, not one that made me feel like crying every morning before going to work.

I moved to another city and went to art school for two years; after that I applied to the School of Design and Craft, Gothenburg University, HDK. It took me three attempts to get in – in the meantime I was cleaning trains and aeroplanes at night. After five happy years at HDK I graduated in 1995 with a Master of Fine Arts degree. I've been self-employed ever since, except for two years when I worked as a Creative Director for computer game company. Most of these years I've been working as a graphic designer using my own illustrations. I started to call myself an illustrator at the same time I started my blog, in 2005.
Please describe a typical day – do you have many routines?

I wake up, brush my teeth in front of the computer, eat breakfast and leave home for a walk with Morran for about 40-60 minutes. We end up in the studio where we start the day with small dog treats thrown all over the studio for Morran to find. Then I do something for about an hour or so, like packing orders. Then it’s time for my daily and very important cup of coffee. I drink that while looking at what I am working on, trying to find my way into it again. If I'm not working on anything in particular I read a magazine to get some inspiration. Around 3 o'clock Morran thinks it's time for another walk, so that's what we'll do. After that we go back to the studio or home. I don't have a computer in the studio so there’s always a lot waiting for me when I return home.

You’ve teamed up with artist Elizabeth Dunker to create Studio Violet – can you tell us a little more about this partnership?

Elisabeth Dunker and I moved in to a studio together and Studio Violet was born. First it was to get money to pay the rent, but even before we started we knew it was more than that. We have so many ideas and creativity together that smoke comes out of our ears. The hardest part is concentrating on one thing at a time. I'm also very pleased to have found a forum for my more cute work. It feels like we have just started and we try to do what feels the most fun and create things that we would like to have ourselves. We not only want it to be nice to look at but also to touch. We want it to be perfect, but in our own personal way.

When starting a new project, how do you begin to gather your ideas?

When making an illustration for a given purpose I usually start with writing down words that I find important for this specific issue. Then I surf, glance through books and take walks – that part can take a while. I want to get acquainted with the subject. Then I start to sketch and hopefully I'm on the right way.

Illustration, painting and paper: which is your favourite to work with and why?

I like them all, in different ways. Illustration because it involves other people, has a given frame and provides a quick creativity fix (for the junky I am). Painting because I'm free to do whatever I want – I learn a lot about my self, which is always good but not necessarily fun – and it is fun to exhibit. Paper is like lightweight painting, slow and very intuitive, everything can happen.

What (or who) inspires you the most?

Music comes first on my inspiration list, then film. I would guess anything that make y
ou feel a lot. That opens the door to your mind, memories and feelings.

What books/music/artists etc do you love? Could you share some recommendations?

I think it is different every day. It depends on what I need, which mood I'm in or which mood I want to be in. But Radiohead always works for me. Right now I'm reading the book The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle written by Haruki Murakami and I like it a lot.

What achievement are you most proud of?

Right now I'm very proud of my poster for the Gothenburg Film Festival (above). It’s a very prestigious assignment and I am very happy with the outcome, which doesn't happen very often. I'm very happy about being where I am, but more happy than proud.

Being self-employed can often mean you’re working 24/7 – how do you maintain a good work/life balance?

I can't say I do. I think I have a hard time taking time off, to get the brain to take a break. I think it is hard because I love what I'm doing so much and am having so much fun doing it. So if I don't know what to do I work. My work is also my hobby so to speak, and I think that's a problem. But luckily enough I have Morran and she craves long walks and attention (and so does my husband ;)

I’m always so happy to see Morran in your Flickr stream – is she your furry muse?

I love Morran! She's making my life and myself better, but she is also making my life more difficult and maybe even me a worse person. But I would love to keep her forever. We are together almost all the time and I can't imagine my life without her.

If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

That's a very hard question! Being creative somewhere else. I love
cookies so maybe I could make cookies, beautiful cookies and cupcakes.
Or maybe something with dogs? I recently found some papers as I was
going through some really old stuff – there was information about
training to be a dog psychologist in there :-)
You're having a dinner party and can invite six famous people from the past or present – who would you choose and why?

Strange, I have never even played with this question…I have no idols or people like that. Michael Parkinson to start with, so if I'm not a very good host he can take over and talk to the others and ask them clever questions. My dad, who’s been dead for a long time – I would like to meet him now that I'm a grown-up. Why not David Attenborough, I love the way he talks. Maira Kalman, because I love the way she talks and definitely the way she illustrates. Hmm… this doesn't sound like a very fun dinner party, does it. I would rather have a dinner party with my friends, if that's ok.

Camilla, thank you so much for sharing with us today! Her answers are as delightful as her art, don't you think? Of course, now i can't decide whether i want a horse called Silver, or a Danish/Swedish farm dog of my own – i was tempted to illustrate the entire interview with photos of Morran!

[photo of Camilla by Elizabeth Dunker – all other images by Camilla Engman]

I am absolutely thrilled to be sharing this next interview with you. In June I invited Maria Vettese to share a peek into her creative life with us, and now she's back with her collaborator, Stephanie Congdon Barnes, because (trumpets please!) today sees the launch of their beautiful new book, 3191: Evenings.  This is the hugely anticipated follow-up to their first book, A Year of Mornings, and as the publisher's website says, it's 'the second and final installment in a simple and intimate visual collaboration between two friends — one in Portland, Oregon and one in Portland, Maine.' For one whole year they shot a photograph of their evenings and paired them together on their blog, 3191; following their progress, I always found their appreciation of the littlest things provided a quiet space on the internet I could check in with every day – now I can do the same in the pages of their book.

Friends, meet Stephanie and MAV…

How does your new book differ from the first? What was your starting point and how did the book develop?

Stephanie: This book is a curated collection of our favorites from the year. The entire process of the making and distribution of the book was our own undertaking. I am really proud of it and am completely indebted to Maria as she did the majority of the work.

MAV: The biggest difference in our new book is that it's ours. You know how when a band puts out their first record with a big label and then their second independently? Well, that is just the case here. We are thrilled to have Other Books (which I am one-half of) publishing our Evenings book. It feels right to be able to make all of our choices as well as do all of the hard work. On this book we have done everything from choosing the paper to choosing which images will be shown in the largest size. We can't wait to share it with the 3191 fans and hopefully with those who may just find it on their own.

I love that you two appear to be kindred spirits in how you observe daily life – what was it that drew you to each other?

Stephanie: Well, I think our day-to-day lives are really quite different, but what we share a simple aesthetic and a reverence for daily life and the natural world.

MAV: It's so hard to know. I think we both respect a certain style of living. We don't, by any means, live the same kind of life though so it's more that we "see" things the same. We both find a rumpled towel calling to us in the kitchen or a night-light's shadow making us pause. I really do think we're kindred spirits, as you said.

Which was more of a challenge to capture – your mornings or evenings – and why?

Stephanie: Evenings for sure. My energy is just lower at the end of the day, and evening photos require more technical expertise. But I'm most proud of what I accomplished for evenings. There's a lot of emotion tied up in those photos.

MAV: Evenings for sure. Although now that I write that they both did have their challenges. I guess I say Evenings off the bat because it was harder to get a feel for. I felt a bit lost as we started because I am not my sharpest at night. I seem to fade around 3p and with Evenings I really had to sort of change that. It was a good thing for me though as I learned a lot in that year. With Mornings the biggest challenge was almost in making sure it was not too mundane. I can see beauty in some pretty strange things. When I would upload my one or two photographs I always leaned toward the simpler one but sometimes that was just too darn dull. In the end I guess I made the right decision because I picked mine and then Stephanie sent me hers and there was often, if not always, some fun magic happening.

Tell us about your evening rituals…

Stephanie: I cook dinner for my family nearly every night (there's a lot of food prep photos in the book!), and we sit together to eat. After dinner my husband and I help our kids with homework, play a game, build with lego, or we all just retire to our respective corners to read. I read out loud to my kids every night before bed, and then once they're tucked in, I pour myself a glass of wine or beer and catch up on work for the evening. I always read for an hour or so before I go to sleep—no matter how late I go to bed.

MAV: Mine truly vary. Some nights I am done with work at 6pm, head home to feed my cats and then head straight out to meet a friend or grab a bite. Sometimes I work till 7pm, pack my laptop up and make myself dinner while working. Thank goodness those are not as frequent as they used to be. All in all I tend to be sleepy by 10 or 11. I love the nights where I can get in bed early and have some time there before I really go to sleep. I can usually only make it through a few pages of a book before I head in that direction but it's lovely to have the time.

What do the 3191 projects mean to each of you? What impact have they had on your lives?

Stephanie: The most significant impact is the incredibly unique and meaningful relationship that I have developed with Maria. I also appreciate having these two incredible chronicles of years in my life. I miss the rhythm of daily photos a great deal now that those projects are over.

MAV: Well I wrote about some of this in the Evenings introduction so you can consult with that if you like :) but 3191 has been an awesome happy accident. We both feel even still sort of shocked when we find out how many people know about the project or when we get an email saying, "I just found the book in a bookshop in London!" … amazing. We are very humble about our little project and it feels so good that it is so personal. And of course it's of the utmost importance that we were in it together. That is number one.

I’m really enjoying your weekly journaling on the 3191 blog – where do you see your collaborations going next?

Stephanie: I have no idea, but I'm excited to see what happens!

MAV: Well this is as far as we have gotten. In another universe we live in the same Portland and collaborate on art direction and styling projects but as it is I'll settle for knowing that Fridays is our time together and keeping the future open to whatever comes next.

What are you currently reading?

MAV: My Life In France by Julia Child

Stephanie: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout—it takes place in Maine!

What are your top three must-visit websites or blogs?

Stephanie:
For design: Remodelista
For inspiration: Fine Little Day
For reflection: Habit

MAV:
For beauty: Grijs
For inspirations: Lena Corwin
For local food news: Portland Food Map

If you could photograph anything or anyone, anywhere in the world, what would that image be?

Stephanie: I'd love to photograph myself as a child or at least my childhood room, but that would involve a time machine.

MAV: Food. I truly love to take snapshots of the outdoors, people and moments but the preparation, eating and even cleaning up all surrounding food makes me the happiest. In my dreams I show up at dinners and just get to take photographs the whole time (maybe I get fed when I'm done). Or I get to sit in the kitchen of a chef, or even a Mom or Dad, preparing dinner for guests or kids and I get to not only chat to them while they are doing it but also take some snapshots of the whole thing.

* * * * *

The book is available for pre-order now, and I simply can't wait to get a copy – thank you for putting your vision out there, ladies!

My next Creative Life interviewee is a certified life coach, artist, writer and yogini. You may have read about her work as the founder of Artizen Coaching, watched her wreck her journal on her blog, Life Unfolds, or perhaps read her inspiring monthly columns in the Wish Studio. When she's not coaching her clients to reach for their dreams she's putting tools like her Right-Brain Business Plan e-book out into the world to help the rest of us do the same.

Friends, pull up a chair and take a peek into the virtual world of the inspiring Ms Jennifer Lee…

SC:  Could you tell us about your path into life coaching?

JL: I worked with my first coach nine years ago and learned loads in the process.  I hired her because, at the time, I was at a company I didn't like and I wanted a change.  I had no idea that we would cover so much more than that and the coaching powerfully opened the doors to a deeper understanding of myself.  I thought some day I'd like to become a coach myself so I could help others live more fulfilled, authentic lives, too.  It was a few more years before I took the introductory coaching course at the Coaches Training Institute (with the nudge of my second coach).  I fell in love the moment I walked into the room – I found my peeps and my calling.  I jumped right into the courses, certification and their leadership program and built my practice up on the side while I stayed at my corporate job for another three years.  During that time I co-led a leadership retreat with my friend Brighid and realized that I wanted to be doing this work full time.  So in 2006, with the support of yet another coach, I finally took the leap into entrepreneurship and haven't looked back since. 

How do you weave your art and yoga in with the coaching?

Art weaves into my coaching when we need another way to access or express feelings beyond words.  For example, I had one client who was dealing with loss, so instead of talking it through I asked her to get some markers and just draw.  Through her choice of red and her bold movements, she discovered that she actually had a lot of anger around the situation.  Allowing herself to intuitively scribble helped bring awareness to her emotions so she could move through them.  Also activities like vision boards, drawing your body, sculpting with clay or dancing around the room can provide new perspectives to a situation.  As for yoga, I haven't had a client sport a downward dog on the phone just yet (haha!).  Rather, it shows up in the subtle ways of helping my clients connect with their breath, body and the spiritual philosophy of yoga.  We might start a call by taking some deep breaths to get grounded and checking-in with what they notice in their body right now.  It's a quick, easy way to help us both become present.

After hearing you mention her in your interview with Jamie Ridler, I’m fascinated by Sparkling Sage, the name you gave your inner muse. Could you talk us through how this name came about and how naming your inner muse helps you?

The name Sparkling Sage emerged from some coaching I received while assisting at a course for CTI.  We did a visualization about who we are becoming.  The woman coaching me helped me to articulate being both wise beyond my years and playful at the same time (we had just skipped together around the room, after all!).  The word sage came easily and my coach offered the word sparkling which I was uncomfortable with at first but committed to trying it on.  I now love it!  Knowing the name of my inner muse plus having visual reminders of her through my wo-manifesto and my inner muse portrait help connect me with her creative essence.  I call on her when I need grounding, inspiration or guidance.

Life coaches always strike me as very positive and ‘up’ people – how do you personally deal with creative blocks and down days?

I'm actually not a naturally positive person (just ask my husband!), so it's important for me to have ways to deal with the roller coaster of life.  When I have blocks or down days, I allow myself to be with the blues.  I might even wallow in bed wearing my pajamas for a whole day.  I journal about how I'm feeling or I do some expressive art.  One of the keys for me is realizing that my tendency (especially being an Enneagram Type 4 Artist/Romantic) is to focus on the negative or what's missing.  That awareness helps me make more conscious choices about honoring where I am or moving forward.  Some ways that help me move through the blocks include writing down everything I'm grateful for (Carla White's Gratitude Journal app is fantastic for that, as is my blessing box), revisiting my notes in my blessings box, identifying what is working for me, writing affirmations, spending time with my husband and friends, connecting with my creative cohorts, cuddling with my dog, listening to uplifting music, trying something new or just going out in nature.

You’ve put two great tools out into the world: The Right-Brain Business Plan e-book and the Unfolding Your Life Vision Kit. How did these come about and how can we best use them?

The Right-Brain Business Plan e-book came about after I intuitively created my own business plan in a visual way.  The idea got such great response that I wanted a way for others who also found the traditional planning process daunting to have a fun, creative alternative.  It's perfect for creative entrepreneurs who are just starting out or who want to take their business to the next level but want a more accessible, visual approach.  The e-book gives you permission to create your plan in any way that inspires you.  One woman did hers as a mobile and another as a bracelet – it's very out-of-the-box! 

The concept for the Unfolding Your Life Vision Kit was born during my coach training.  We had an assignment to create our life vision in a creative way and I had just taken a book binding class where we learned this cool folding technique.  I brought my portable vision board to class the next day and everyone loved it!  It's a fun way to envision what you want in all aspects of your life and it can fit in your pocket to take with you on-the-go.  The kit comes with a guided meditation, a booklet that walks you through the process and some inspirational resources.

On your website it says: ‘A cornerstone of coaching is the belief that we are all naturally creative, resourceful and whole.’ Could you expand on this a little more?

Coaching is about empowering the fabulous you that you already are to become even more fabulous.  You are not broken and nothing needs to be fixed.  You have all of the capabilities, creativity and capacity to unlock your own answers and to take the steps needed to move forward.  It helps to have someone like a coach honoring who you are and holding you BIG in case you happen to forget or overlook just how capable and powerful you are.

What’s a musepreneur?

A musepreneur is a creative entrepreneur who uses her right-brain intuition and inspiration to launch and grow a business or any endeavor.  She has fun following her passions and making a living doing what she loves.  I've met so many fantastic musepreneurs like you, Susannah, online and in my local women's networking groups.  One of the other great things is that musepreneurs tend to get inspired by each other, so we are great at connecting and supporting one another. 

What books/music/artists/blogs inspire you? Could you share some recommendations?

Oh, too many to list here! 

Books:
A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
anything by Keri Smith
The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Sonora Beam
Juicy Pens and Thirsty Paper by SARK
The Creative Connection: Expressive Arts as Healing by Natalie Rogers
My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki

Music: India Arie and Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield always inspire me and when I'm feeling moody I love listening to Portishead and Bat For Lashes

Artists: Leah Piken Kolidas, Jessie Marianiello, Connie Hozvicka, Christine Mason Miller, Frida Kahlo and Marc Chagall

Blogs:  The artists/creative bloggers listed above, plus Kimberly Wilson, Goddess Leonie, In the Wish Studio, Jamie Ridler and Kiss the Paper

Being self-employed can often mean you’re working 24/7 – how do you maintain a good work/life balance? What does a typical day look like for you?

Very true!  I probably work more now than I did in my demanding corporate roles.  However, because I'm creating my own schedule and doing what I love, I enjoy my lifestyle.  Yoga, journaling and creative time help me maintain balance.  Oh, and also naps!  My days vary, but one might look like waking up without an alarm clock, journaling, doing yoga or going to the gym, coaching clients, writing, working on my own creative projects, walking my dog, hanging out with my hubby when he gets home, working a little more before bed time.  Once a week I go to an intuitive painting class.  Having structured time for that helps me stay accountable to my own creative process.  On Fridays I honor my self-care and I clear my calendar of any meetings (except with my hairstylist, massage therapist, the local nail shop, my inner muse and/or friends).

What does happiness look like?

Happiness looks like this…

What three things could a person do towards making their creative projects – eg a business idea or book – a reality?

Have
a clear vision for what you're wanting to create and be open to how
that vision unfolds.  I will often create vision boards or prototypes
to help make my dreams and ideas seem more tangible.
Ask
for help.  If you're trying something new, it's unrealistic to think
that you'll know everything you need to.  I bet there are many people
with experience that you can learn from, so reach out.
Take
small steps each day.  You'll gradually build momentum until one day
you're surprised by just how far you've come!  Plus, it feels great to
celebrate little victories along the way.

You're having a dinner party and can invite six famous people from the past or present – who would you choose and why?

Being the big introvert that I am, I don't do a whole lot of dinner parties. However, it would be pretty cool to have all of these folks around a table:
Martha Stewart – I admire Martha's impeccable taste and brilliant entrepreneurial mind (also her culinary team can cater the party because I know the food will be delicious, besides cooking for groups stresses me out!)
Oprah Winfrey – I am inspired by the positive impact she has made on so many people's lives
Frida Kahlo – Her creativity, sensitivity and perseverance touch me
Pippi Longstocking (okay, I know she's not a real person, but she is famous!) – I adore her playful, independent spirit and unusual strength
Madonna – Her talent for continually reinventing herself amazes me
Buddha – I'd love to be in the presence of such profound wisdom, peace and knowing

* * * * *

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us today, Jenn! I'm feeling very inspired to commit to a day of self-care every week…. who else is going to try that?

I feel like i'm always banging on about how important books are to me when i come to this space, but it's because it is true – i read a lot and i buy a lot, and i have a special shelf filled with the ones that mean the most to me. Documentary photographer KayLynn Deveney's book, The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings, is one of them, so it's a great honour for me to bring you all this next interview in my Creative Life series. I wanted to know more about the story of her work with Albert, and to dig deeper into her creative life behind the camera. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present Ms KayLynn Deveney…

SC: Could you tell us a bit about your path into photography – what drew you to documentary photography in particular?

KD: In college I studied journalism and photojournalism and I was initially most interested in photography that addressed social trends, issues and problems. Photography seemed a potentially powerful tool for attracting attention to issues of real gravity. I didn’t expect that my photographs would change the world – or even one person’s life – but I did feel that disseminating information to readers and initiating conversation was quite important if we strove to evoke positive change. I still feel this way, but my ideas about the types of conversations I want to evoke have expanded, deepened and mellowed over time. I see value in all types of stories, and I also appreciate the fact that objectivity in documentary photography is an illusory goal. The type of documentary photography I produce now might more accurately be explained as a type of subjective documentary, one that includes and factors in the bias, incompleteness and emotional telling that are characteristics of every story told.

You came to the UK to study for your master’s degree and PhD – why the UK and not America? Did you and your husband enjoy your time here?

In 1997 I took a year leave of absence from the newspaper where I had been working to live and photograph in Belfast, Northern Ireland. During my year in Belfast I learned about the master’s in documentary photography offered at the University of Wales, Newport. The program had a strong reputation in Europe. This, coupled with its design – a practice-based curriculum that combined equal parts theoretical and practical study – led me to visit the university and meet with the course leaders.

In the United States graduate programs typically follow the path of either an MFA studio degree – built around the artist’s practice – or a completely academically driven Ph.D. based in the history or theory of photographic practice. I preferred the practice-based PhD offered in Britain because it enabled me to critically research and write about ideas that grounded both my own work and the genre in which my work exists. Because my experience on the master’s program in Newport was very good, and because I felt I would need a PhD to teach in the United States, I chose to also undertake a PhD in Newport. My final thesis submission for the PhD included The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings, in both book and exhibition format, and a theoretical dissertation that examined the ways photographic diaries, both historical and contemporary, reflect on our experiences at home.

I loved the time I spent in the UK, both in Northern Ireland and Wales. Altogether I suppose I spent about three and a half years there. Some of the most important relationships of the last few years of my life were forged in Wales. There is Bert, of course, and also Edith and Len Crawshaw whom I photographed for my master’s work. But most importantly, it was after the experience of living together in one room in Wales for months that my husband and I decided to get married. We believed that if we could love each other with that little elbowroom we were good to go.

I feel very privileged to have known and spent so much time with Bert. He was a complex person with a rare and fantastic personality, and I miss him. He always made me feel very welcome in his home, and I think the comfort that I felt with Bert is recognizable in the photographs. There are probably few people who could have dealt with a photographer infringing on so much of their time and personal space as gracefully as Bert did. The welcome that he extended to me was a real gift, and I am very thankful.

In terms of our different nationalities – I think photographing someone who has been raised in another country, with different ideas and customs, is always interesting. Comparing experiences and points where your expectations differ can be very funny, and it’s great to learn a different way to see something that you otherwise might see only in the way you are accustomed to. The ways that Bert and I saw things differently were intriguing to me from the beginning of the project. To begin with, as a fine-art photographer I clearly saw my images in ways far different from Bert’s perspective. In addition, the difference in our ages varied our perspective and then the disparity between a Yankee perspective and a British one added another level of difference. Talking with Bert about the images was always a fun and interesting process for me. And, as a bonus, I learned words like “char” and “elevensies*.”

In the introduction to the book you say ‘I believe photographs of our possessions and domestic patterns can be portraits, just like photographs of our faces.’ How do your possessions and living space portray you?

One of the most defining aspects of the house I share with my husband is the color of the walls. The living room is red. The office is orange. The bedroom is olive. The floors, ceiling and furniture are wood. There is little overhead light and, instead, lots of lamps. There is a card catalog in our living room that contains tchotchkes I have picked up in various places along the way. Each one is a little memory of a time and place. Like Bert, things are pretty tidy at home while also being functional. In my office, the space that is completely my own, books dominate the room. Second to books are cameras, computer, scanner and printing equipment. Things are packed pretty tight and a lot of things always seem to be happening at once. Here and there odd toys pop up. I think that
is somewhat reflective of my mind.

 

What’s your process when developing new ideas for projects?

First I think about the bigger themes I am interested in and I consider how those themes might be reflected in society’s trends or individuals’ experiences. I read news and I try hard to look around myself and listen to people and their stories. After an idea begins to gel a little, I read more specifically about the topic I have chosen. Then I usually need to spend some time investigating the particulars of an idea, and maybe making photographs, to know whether it might be the right topic or person for me to try to understand more deeply. Eventually I dive in, and when I begin to actually meet people it usually gains momentum quickly.

Where do you stand on analogue vs. digital? And what cameras do you predominantly shoot with?

I stand with the other poor fine art photographers. Unfortunately, a lot of these decisions are made for us by our budgets. When I was teaching at a community college in Cleveland, Ohio I was able to buy a Hasselblad at a greatly discounted price through Hasselblad’s Hero program. I have a 501cm with one standard lens and I shoot everything with it. I also have a lightweight Gitzo tripod and an old Minolta light meter and those three things get the job done for me. I shoot Fuji film and I scan my negatives on an Epson V700 and print on an Epson R2880. For budgetary reasons, and maybe some reasons that have to do with making images at high ISO ratings, I think film is preferable for me, but I expect that to change at some point in the not too distant future.

Are there any photographers who have had a major impact on your work?

Eugene Richards, Gilles Peress, William Eggleston, Martin Parr, Larry Sultan, Nan Goldin, Anna Fox, Ana Casas Broda, Richard Billingham and more.

What books/music/artists etc do you love – could you share some recommendations?

This list is pretty random. I’m leaving out the Frida Kahlos and James Joyces because we all know about them.
Books:
Mary Robinson – Gilead
Jamie O’Neill – At Swim, Two Boys
Peter Sheridan – 44
Jonathan Safran Foer – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Jeanette Winterson – Oranges Aren’t the Only Fruit, Sexing the Cherry
Witold Rybczinski – Home: A Short History of an Idea

Artists:
Sophie Calle – French conceptual artist
Teun Hocks – Dutch photographic artist
Joan Fontcuberta – Spanish photographic artist

Musicians:
Wilco – all their CDs
Kelly Hogan and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts – Beneath the Country Underdog
Eddie Vedder – Into the Wild soundtrack
Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
The Arcade Fire – Funeral
Horse Opera – Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades

What projects are you working on at the moment?

I am photographing “Cinderella” houses that were built in my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico – and also in other American cities – in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Cinderella houses are defined by an architecture and ornamentation that recall – in a sort of caricatured style – the qualities of Swiss chalets. Despite the fact that these chalet style houses are particularly incongruous in the desert cities of the southwestern United States, they were very popular at the time they were built, and they persevere. Apart from being really interesting visually, I think these storybook style Cinderella houses provoke some of the same questions that have been germane to my previous work. What images of home appeal to us and why? What dreams, fantasies or realities do Cinderella houses reinforce or break down?

Where do you see yourself in five years time (personally and professionally)?

Personally – Married to my excellent husband. Helping my mom and dad if they need me. Spending a good chunk of time with my brother and sister-in-law and my other good friends. Continuing to make work. Traveling. Reading.

Professionally – I would like to have two more books under my belt five years from now and I would hope that those books would have good visibility. Beyond that I would hope to be working on photographically based projects that are manifested in limited edition artist’s books and trade editions. I would like to be doing some teaching, and I would love to curate an exhibition in the next five years of other artists’ work that centers around photography and the diary.

If you weren't a photographer, what would you be?

Tough question. I have a very hard time thinking about myself as anything other than a photographer. Maybe an ethnographer? Maybe a fiction writer? Maybe a filmmaker?

You're having a dinner party and can invite six famous people from the past or present – who would you choose and why?

This answer is going to betray my incredible geekdom. I can see it coming.
1. Jesus – He’s the go-to guy for these kinds of dinner parties.
2. My grandma. I miss her too much not to take advantage of the chance to see her again.
After the big guy and grandma it becomes much more about stories for me – the telling of stories, the choosing of stories, what they mean to us, etc.
3. Freud – Discussion of “the uncanny” and stories of home.
4. Roland Barthes – Discussion of the notion of “punctum” and this element of a viewer’s experience.
5. J.D. Salinger and or Raymond Carver – Discussion about how we tell very intimate stories and the ways stories based in the real compare with fiction.
6. James Joyce – Lots of questions about symbolism and the efficacy of complex, almost opaque, storytelling.
7. Dessert with Billy Connolly?

* * * * *

Thank you so much, KayLynn! Oh, and char means tea and elevensies is traditionally a cup of tea and a slice of cake enjoyed around 11am :)

[all photographs: KayLynn Deveney]