Lydia Magazine (Issue 2, Winter 2014/2015) by Lydia Magazine

lydia

30+ WINTER FASHION

HOLIDAY! ALL THE BEST & BRIGHTEST IN

MUST-HAVES ON A BUDGET

ISSA RAE

*DECORATING *WRAPPING

& SETTING

VÉRITÉ

THINX CHANGING THE WORLD ONE PANTY AT A TIME

AUDREY KITCHING ISSUE 2 WINTER 2014/2015

INSIDE

PG 30

We talk to Audrey Kitching about her unique fashion career and what’s coming next.

PG 12

PG 22

PG 26

PG 38

SHOPPING

VÉRITÉ

ISSA RAE

HOLIDAY

WINTER STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR EVERY BUDGET 3

MEET 2015’s FIRST BIG MUSIC STAR

THE WEB SERIES QUEEN WRITES HER FIRST BOOK

TIPS & TRICKS TO GETTING FESTIVE PERFECTION

IN EVERY ISSUE

STYLE & BEAUTY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

COVER STORY

HOME & LIFESTYLE

THOUGHTS & ESSAYS

LETTER The Winter Holidays are by far my favorite time of the year. Everything is cozy, the twinkle lights are up and sparking, presents are being exchanged, friends and families come together and, of course, the food is rich and delicious.

We’ve put together a bunch of must-have winter fashions (Page 12) and put together pretty and easy-to-do tips for wrapping, decorating, setting the table and more (Page 38) to make this season your best and brightest ever. But this time of year also comes with a lot of contemplation, looking back over the previous twelve months and preparing for those to come. Thinking of ways to improve our lives, from the more serious to the fanciful. I think we’ve struck the right balance of festivity and focus. We’ve looked ahead and found two musicians that we think are going to take over the industry in 2015 (Page 22; Page 24) and caught up with web warrior and comedian Issa Rae before the release of her new memoir, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl (Page 26) which is sure to generate buzz when it hits shelves this February.

Our writer Kate Everson also introduced us to our new favorite philanthropic company: THINX (Page 20). Their three female founders are creating underwear that not only make your period easier to deal with, but provides hygienic pads to women in Africa who would otherwise go without, to the detriment of their health, and provides education to combat the severe menstrual taboo that keeps them out of school. Grab a couple of pairs for yourself or the women in your life, and help make a difference. I also had the pleasure of chatting with the lovely Audrey Kitching for our cover story (Page 30). Of course, she, photographer Liz Besanson, and the whole crew delivered some super festive photos, but Audrey also gave me a lot of food for thought. What does it mean to be an online superstar? And how do you stay true to your voice in an industry that is often more interested in who you know than who you are? Her answers revealed a woman who is choosing to make a mark on her own terms, critics be damned; the true definition of a Lydia girl. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2015.

PHOTO BY LIZ BESANSON

Holiday to-do’s

CONTRIBUTORS

Lauren is a Syracuse, NY native and a recent graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in music business. As much as she would love to be in LA eating burgers at In -N-Out and working at a record label, she is currently spending some time at home with her dog, Princess Sparkle. When she is not job hunting, she can be found binge -watching TV shows on Netflix, posting funny gifs on Tumblr, and singing Miley Cyrus songs in the car. Read her embarrassing tweets @laurenmahaffy

Liz Besanson is a born-and-raised New Yorker who started out as a professional makeup artist before she picked up her camera over 8 years ago. Her work has been published in countless fashion and beauty magazines, including several international publications. She has also shot various look books and advertising editorials for brands such as Alex London, BonLook and Chromat. She currently resides in Newark, Delaware with her husband and their daughter.

Kate is a Chicago journalist and University of Missouri alumna. By day she is an associate editor for four HR industry magazines. By night, she reviews films, outlines fiction novels with tough female leads and dreams of being the first person to win two Oscars in the same night for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay. When her fingers aren’t getting exercise bouncing across her keyboard, she’s waiting by the mailbox for her Hogwarts letter. Find her on Twitter @EversonKate

Nicole received a BA in Literature and Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College, where she was also Co-editor in Chief of the college’s primary literary magazine, the Sarah Lawrence Review. By day, she works at a nonprofit arts center, and by night she doodles prints for her etsy shop, Foxhole Print Shop. She currently resides in a tiny town in New York's Hudson Valley with her boyfriend and muppet.

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TOPSHOP.COM

ONEBIGPHOTO.COM

STYLE & BEAUTY I AFFORDABLE FASHION, BEAUTY SECRETS, THE LOOK YOU LOVE.

TREND

ACCESORIZE Tick Tock Clock Across Body Bag $44.00, Accessorize.com

CHOIES Clock Pattern Bag with Chain Strap $36.99, Choies.com

KATE SPADE NEW YORK All Aboard Clock Crossbody $298.00, KateSpade.com 11

IMAGE COURTESY OF SIMPLYBE

WINTER SHOPPING GUIDE

5 4

1. SIMPLYBE Checked Biker Jacket $130.00, SimplyBe.com 2. H&M Fringed Shoulder Bag $34.95, HM.com; 3. FOREVER 21 Wrapped Faux Suede Booties in Green $34.95, Forever21.com; 4. BOOHOO Elvie Marl Knit Faux Fur Trim Mittens in Black $14.00, BooHoo.com; 5. DOROTHY PERKINS Pink Faux Fur Jumper $45.00, DorothyPerkins.com

1. PRIMA DONNA Camille Cable Knit Scarf in Ivory $16.99, ShopPrimaDonna.com; 2. H&M Textured Woven Coat in Beige $59.95, HM.com; 3. ACCESORIZE Fur Backpack $59.00, Accessorize.com; 4. A.N.A Booties $69.99, JCPenney.com

5. LULU by Lulu Guiness tote $80.00, JCPenney.com; 6. H&M Padded Jacket $59.95, HM.com; 7. I HEART CHARLOTTE RONSON Fairisle Sweater $44.00, JCPenney.com; 8. SHEINSIDE Grey Flange Fur Ball Knit Hat $11.33, SheInside.com

1. SIMPLYBE Red Long Line Blazer $39.95, SimplyBe.com; 2. PRIMA DONNA Fancy Flora Gloves in Black $16.99, ShopPrimaDonna.com 3. NICOLE BY NICOLE MILLER Fur Vest $85.00, JCPenney.com; 4. BOOHOO Sadie Mesh Stone Beanie Hat $20.00, BooHoo.com; 5. PEOPLE TREE Beth Jumper in Black $142.83, PeopleTree.Co.UK; 6. BOOHOO Jessica Over Knee Elastic Black Suedette Boot $60.00, BooHoo.com 16

IMAGE COURTESY OF SIMPLYBE

3 2

1. FOREVER 21 Tassled Tartan Plaid Scarf $10.90, Forever21.com; 2. FOREVER 21 Bow Cutout Gloves $7.90, Forever21.com; 3. SHEINSIDE Yellow Faux Fur Hooded Drawstring Union Jack Coat $51.80, SheInside.com; 4. OLSENBOYE Sweatshirt $38.00, JCPenney.com; 5. STEVE MADDEN Caveat-F Booties $159.95, SteveMadden.com

10 9

6. DOROTHY PERKINS Dusty Pink and Grey Check Coat $100.00, DorothyPerkins.com; 7. BOOHOO Katie Faux Fur Pom Pom Chunky Knit Beanie $16.00, BooHoo.com; 8. PRIMA DONNA Nettie Solid Infinity Scarf $19.99, ShopPrimaDonna.com; 9. FOREVER 21 Faux Suede Heeled Booties in Grey $32.80, Forever21.com; 10. STEVE MADDEN BMetal Crossbody Bag in Blush $58.00, SteveMadden.com; 11. H&M Wool Blend Gloves $12.95, HM.com 12. BISOU BISOU Jewel Crop Sweater $44.00, JCPenney.com 19

NOT YOUR GRANNY’S PANTIES

It takes only one ruined pair of white pants to learn that pretty underwear and feminine hygiene products don’t mix. Thanks to a New York startup, however, that problem might not exist much longer.

Once the sisters were in the middle of a three-legged race and had to hop off, still tied together, because one had a leak in her bathing suit. Dunbar also had to be careful when doing Kundalini yoga, where participants have to wear all white. “It was one of those things where ‘Why doesn’t underwear exist?’” said Veronica Del THINX has meshed technology with common sense. Their prodRosario, director of marketing and Thinx’s chief panty pusher. uct—absorbent, anti-microbial, stain-resistant and reusable underwear—is made with menstruation in mind, sustainability in spirit But THINX’s founders weren’t just concerned for their own hygiene, especially after they traveled to South Africa and encounand beauty in build. tered a girl named Amahle who said she wasn’t in school because it After three years of developing the technology and fundraising was her “week of shame.” through Kickstarter, the organization began shipping its products in January 2014. Although the material took the longest to develop From there they saw an opportunity to use their business to supply before they could go to market, THINX’s business potential and women in Africa with coverage and start a conversation that could lead to the end of the menstrual taboos, both in the developing and mission is just beginning. developed world. THINX was founded by New York twins Miki and Rhada Agrawal and their friend Antonia Dunbar. The 20-something entrepreneurs The organization looks to benefit women around the world beyond were tired of leaking through pads and didn’t want to wear tam- simply providing panties. For every pair of underwear purchased— roughly 10,000 since January—the company sends materials to pons.

make seven reusable pads to AfriPads, an organization that teach- mothers to the headmistresses at their schools. Rose George, author of The Big Necessity: Adventures in the World of Human es women in Uganda to then make the pads themselves. Waste, said the lack of conversation leads to them not understandDel Rosario said this approach ensures sustainability, both ecoing what happens the first time they get their periods. Imagine nomically and environmentally. suddenly bleeding from where you urinate and not knowing why— “A big reason we partnered with AfriPads is they do not do a drop and then finding out that the uncontrollable flow has, in some model,” Del Rosario said. “It’s not a tampon or pad drop. As much countries, barred you from entering temples, eating with others or as TOMS has revolutionized [consumer-based philanthropy] going to school. through its shoe drops, its efforts take business away from local Even if they do understand what’s happening to them, the rest of shoemakers.” their world is uncomfortable with it. In countries that allow girls to Instead, Afripads trains local Ugandan women to make the pads, which can help them start a business, supports the economy and ultimately supplies girls with the right products to keep them in school so they can continue working toward becoming a valuable asset to their country’s economy.

be in public, many still aren’t able to go to school because they don’t have access to sanitary pads. That means they miss up to a week of school each month, delaying their development and contributing to a high dropout rate. According to the Nike Foundation’s Girl Effect initiative, 85 percent of Ugandan girls leave school early.

Liz Granger, a journalist who has traveled to Uganda to report on how pad drops from companies like Proctor and Gamble affect the But the problem still remains, whether they’re at home or in African environment, said women who have started these busi- school—girls need sanitary products, which can be unaffordable in rural Africa and India. In desperation, they use newspapers or dirty nesses are a pioneering group. rags that they dry out of sight in damp areas, which can lead to “A lot of times people will hide their money in the ground or under infection, George said. the bed,” she said. “[Groups like AfriPads] have taught the women This all comes back to the fact that menstruation is a taboo subject to open bank accounts, which helps Uganda’s economy.” that leaves young girls confused and ashamed of their own body’s For the women receiving the products, getting reusable pads also cycle. “It’s a whole other world where they’re decades away of helps them advance in their education. Granger said some women talking about it like we do, and we don’t talk about it at all,” Del have turned to prostitution to afford brand-name disposable pads. Rosario said. “There’s a social cool kids’ club element to these commercial pads,” The menstrual taboo may seem contained to the developing world, Granger said. “They’re advertised everywhere, so women will but even here in the U.S., women are encouraged to hide their peristretch themselves to acquire those products, wash them and re- ods. Ads for tampons and pads didn’t become prevalent until just a use them.” Not only is that unhealthy for their bodies but also for few decades ago, and even then there’s never a real description of the economy because the money goes to corporations like John- what a woman’s menstruation cycle is (although plenty of talk son & Johnson and P&G, which own the majority of the market about making it a “happy period”). share. Although commercials can openly talk about erectile dysfunction Beyond the business-scape, the environment also benefits from an and testosterone medication that increases sex drive in men, adintentionally reusable pad system. The government doesn’t pro- vertisers are restricted on what they can say about a woman’s pevide waste removal services more than every two to five weeks, riod and body when selling pads and tampons. Blue liquid is substiwhich makes disposal practices more akin to recycling. tuted for red as a way of denying what pads are designed to abFor example, if someone has used all the honey in a glass jar, they sorb. As recently as 2010, three broadcast networks refused to pass the jar along to someone else when they’re done, Granger run Kotex ads that included the word “vagina” as well as the eusaid. Egg vendors leave behind their elephant grass containers for phemistic term “down there.” the next person. “All modern advertising conveys the message that menstruation is “All of these things equate to a system of reuse, but when you have sanitary pads, it’s a lot of waste all at once,” Granger said. The country’s waste system can’t handle a large volume of synthetic material, resulting in clogged plumbing systems that force towns to dig more pit latrines. Other women try to burn them in their backyard, which releases harmful chemicals in the air and results in melted globs of plastic. To successfully burn pads requires industrial-grade heat, but the only incinerators are located in Uganda’s hospitals and cost so much to run that Granger said she saw not just waste but also human organs in the parking lot.

harmful and shameful, and that women are dirty because of it,” George said. “Menstruation is what makes humanity continue. It should be a sign of fertility and celebration and womanhood, not a dirty polluting secret.” Even Thinx ran into problems when trying to market its product. “These stores didn’t want to be talking about periods, so we weren’t going to be able to tell our story properly and we wouldn’t be able to talk about who we are,” Del Rosario said.

That led to a new approach for the company, which looks to make everyone more comfortable with a woman’s natural cycles. Originally sending their product out in nondescript boxes, Thinx redeThere might be human organs in the parking lot, but a living, signed its packaging over the summer to come with a tagline: “For breathing woman’s cycles are kept completely out of public view. women with Periods.” Ads from P&G that Granger referred to are rare in the more popu- “If we’re going to break the taboo, we’re going to have to break the lated areas, and the rural area doesn’t see many magazines and taboo ourselves,” Del Rosario said. “We can break it by educating roadside ads. and talking about it. We want to inform girls here and in the develWhat does exist, however, is the idea that menstruation isn’t just oping world what’s going on with their bodies from start to finish, unnatural but also shameful. Many girls in Africa don’t receive “the covering everything.” talk” and aren’t aware that all women get their periods, from their Including “down there.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT I MUSIC, BOOKS, FILM, TV AND ONES TO WATCH

PLAYING

If you’ve been paying attention to the music industry lately, chances are you’ve already fallen in love with VÉRITÉ. In only a few short months, she has gone from being a relatively unknown artist to one of the most promising new acts in music, heralded by the likes of MTV, SPIN and even designer Rebecca Minkoff and actress Sophia Bush. Despite having only released three singles leading up to her debut “Echo EP,” she has managed to captivate fans with her own unique sound that she describes as “straightforward, melancholic pop.” It may seem as though VÉRITÉ has arrived out of nowhere to shake up the music industry, but her arrival has been a long time coming. VÉRITÉ maintains that she grew up around music saying, "[I] definitely can't remember a time where I wasn't musical," but it wasn’t until fairly recently that she decided to start making her own. “This project came about in a pretty dead period of my life,” she says. “I was really uncertain about what direction I was headed in. Coming from that place, the project developed serendipitously. My producer (Elliot Jacobson) sent me a random message on Twitter, which started our collaboration,” she elaborates. “The name directly translated means ‘truth,’ but is derived from cinema vérité, which is a film style meant to represent candid reality. The sentiment fit perfectly with what I was trying to accomplish.”

What came next was her first single, “Strange Enough,” a haunting track that not only cut through to the soul of the listener, but also exploded on the internet. Of course, social media has become a vital part of any new artist's publicity campaign and VÉRITÉ decided right away that she would use it to her advantage. “To disregard social media is to cut so many people out of the conversation. I'd prefer to share this with as many people as possible,” she says. “So far, the response to the music has been overwhelmingly positive. “I feel great. It's always a terrifying moment to put your complete energy into something and wait for people's responses. I went into it knowing that, regardless of reaction, I was completely happy and proud of the project.” After the success of “Strange Enough,” VÉRITÉ dropped “Weekend,” a track that is reminiscent of the dark nostalgic sound often displayed in music by artists like Lorde, but in an entirely fresh way. “The song was about the fleeting nature of the initial moment of excitement that catches us while we slip into nostalgia. It's weird. I'll have flashbacks of these sort of tragic moments and immediately catch myself glorifying them, missing them, and wishing I was back there,” she says. With the track came a hazy, tragic dream of a music video that only further solidified her place in the industry. Since the release of “Weekend,” VÉRITÉ came out with an equally impressive third single (“Echo”), an EP, and has been working with producers/songwriters such as The Chainsmokers and The Knocks. In terms of what the future holds for VÉRITÉ, we can look forward to more incredible music to share, tour dates, and the inevitable debut album that will be sure to inspire so many the way that past artists have inspired her. “I discovered Death Cab for Cutie when I was sixteen, just as I was starting to write, so Ben Gibbard's lyrics and Chris Walla's playing and production are ingrained in me,” she relates. As we wait for what is destined to be one of the most exciting debuts in recent years, VÉRITÉ maintains that her sure-fire success has come from a simple plan of action. “Work really hard at everything. Work hard at writing, developing a sound, experimenting. Work hard on the side so that you can support your pursuit in music. Yeah, really just work hard.” We can’t wait to see where that hard work will take her. -LAUREN MAHAFFY

CAROLINE SMITH

In 2013, Minneapolis-based musician, Caroline Smith, released her album, Half About Being A Woman. To fans who had already been following her career, the album signified Smith’s shift from an indie folk artist to an R&B/neo-soul artist. “It was less of a transition and more of an evolution,” she explained. “When I hit 25 years old, I just found a comfort with who I am, physically and mentally.

When an artist tries out a new sound or alters their look, fans may potentially feel alienated by their sudden transformation. However, this new approach to music and life not only made Smith a more interesting artist, but it also helped showcase the unique person behind the music. “To put it simply, I feel like the folk music was me trying to be something I was not. It took a lot of courage to completely switch gears and I half expected to lose my career over it, but, thank God, people responded to it really well. And I like to think it's because the honesty of the songs translates way better than the folk music. I'm able to show my real personality much more,” Despite her fairly recent change to this genre of music, Smith has always been a fan of the sound. “When I was a kid I used to hand make tickets to a show I would be holding in the living room; I would sell them out to my family members in the house, and then my dad would help me hook up the microphone to his stereo set-up and I would perform TLC songs, choreography and all, to my poor Aunt Mo who had to watch her 7-year-old niece gyrating her hips,” she remembers. Years later that same love of performing TLC songs for her family would develop the body of work that defines her today. Since Half About Being A Woman, Smith has been busy touring and collaborating with artists and friends, including the rapper, Lizzo. The pair recently joined forces to create “Let ‘Em Say,” a track whose proceeds go to the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, which supports equality for women and girls in the state. The collaboration was a no-brainer for the two friends, and the result was an empowering anthem, although that was something Smith never intentionally set out to write. “Though I am extremely happy that my music is empowering, it just kind of comes along with the stuff I want to be writing about,” she says. “And honestly, I like writing about women like we're complex human beings and I think that's where it becomes empowering. Because we are complex and that isn't portrayed enough in the media. All we ever get is sexy or mother, bitch or ditz, and we are so much more than that. Our creative voices can lend themselves to so much more than just singing about love and the pursuit of it.” With a fresh and inspiring view on the complexities of women and herself, Smith has become the perfect example of how a transition (in life or music) can be the most necessary action. Her continuous evolution is commendable, and it places her among the many strong women that she admires, including Sia and Jennifer Lawrence. Like these women, Smith is still working towards becoming her best self, but she is leading by example for the rest of us. “[I tell] budding musicians trying to make it out here on their grind: please do not put social networking before your craft and your growth as a musician,” she says. “It is tempting, I deal with this struggle constantly, but I see a lot of very talented folks getting caught up in likes and followers so much that they forget to put out another record. Keep writing! Keep growing! Lord knows I am! And I believe that is way more important in this industry than numbers on a screen.”

Were there any memoirs that you read before writing your own and thought "I want to do that, too!" or any that you read while you were writing your own book, for inspiration? Definitely Mindy Kaling's and Tina Fey's. Before I even considered writing my own book, I had such a great time reading their books that I wanted to do my own version. But then I read Sloane Crosley's first book during my own process, and it was absolutely brilliant and so funny, and I thought, "Holy shit, am I even capable of doing this?" Then I read Stephen King's On Writing and I got inspired again. He really made everything seem possible and his own personal anecdotes and stories made me secure that I wasn't going to be a terrible writer. I found it particularly interesting that you focused more heavily on your family and your formative years in middle school and high school in the book, rather than your time in and post-college and working on your web series. Why did you decide to go that route? Those years really shaped my perception of the world, honestly. Everything I write creatively and so much of the major social mistakes I made then still inform a lot of the decisions I make today. Plus, you can't name a book The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and not talk about the formative years that make everyone so universally awkward. Part of me still feels like middle school and high school are microcosms for the real world and every single industry (work, entertainment) I've taken part in. What was the writing process like for you? Did you have old diaries to draw upon? Were you writing primarily from memory? You write about your "awkwardness" with a confident grace and humor (the story about your disastrous date with Oladife made me literal LOL on a crowded F train) but did you ever feel sad or embarrassed reliving these stories in order to get them on paper? Man! I should have tapped into old diaries! I have tons of them. Damnit! (That will be the next book). I mostly wrote from memory and drew from the experiences that without a doubt shape me as an awkward person. Talking to my younger brother, who initially helped me with the first iteration of the book really helped, too. He's been there through a lot and offered an outside perspective that wasn't completely objective, but still super insightful. So glad you enjoyed the Oladife story. I definitely felt embarrassed reliving some of the stories. There was one essay about my aunt in particular that I just couldn't finish because it made me so sad. But for the most part, it was a cathartic experience. Was it difficult to decide what to put into the book and what to leave out? The chapter on your parents' divorce and your subsequent relationship with your father was particularly poignant ... did you have any qualms about going so in depth into your family's history? Did your parents or your siblings? Oh my God, yes. I'm generally a pretty closed/private person, so there's a lot that I'm nervous about being put out there. The stuff with my family especially. I had to have a conversation with my dad (who is extremely private) and get a sense of what he wanted me to include. He was definitely uncomfortable and told me that our dirty laundry is our dirty laundry, but also said that he didn't want to get in the way of my storytelling. My younger sister was the first person I let read it in its entirety just because I was feeling really insecure about what I was putting out into the world, so she helped me reel it in.

There were a couple of instances in the book where I thought "That will offend a few people...." As a comedian, I'm sure you have to straddle that line all the time. How do you consciously decide where to push the envelope and how not to go too far? Hahaha, I try not to think about it. There's definitely one essay that I know is going to offend a specific person, but I wanted to be as honest as possible. I definitely have to straddle a general line, but my thoughts and feelings are just those: mine. You mentioned body image a lot throughout the book, discussing everything from your face, to your weight, to your hair, to your clothes. These are, of course, issues that pretty much every woman deals with. But I found it interesting that you addressed all of those things more matter of factly, rather than viewing them solely through the prism of struggle or lumping them into one chapter on "overcoming insecurities." Can you tell me more about the way you chose to approach these topics? I think you said it best, that they are issues that pretty much every woman deals with, and I haven't completely overcome anything, so I think just putting them out there for the world to see, like "I'm aware of my flaws, and I'm insecure about them," is my way of dealing with them. It's kind of also a defense mechanism, tooâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; like, "I said it first, so there! You can't hurt me." But my while my insecurities definitely shape me and my perspective, they don't really define or paralyze me. Knowing that everyone has them really helps. You didn't write a chapter dedicated to "being a woman" (for lack of a better term) and your chapter on race was about how you just don't want to talk about race all the time. Arguably, though, the whole book is about being a woman and being black and how being those two things (among many other things including a daughter, a student, a friend, a traveler and a creative) have shaped your life. There was a subtlety to the way you wrote the book in general, even when you were explaining events or people in a direct and specific way; was that your intention or was talking explicitly about race and gender just never the end goal? I absolutely wanted to talk about race and gender, but I didn't want to be didactic or "woe is me" or in your face about it. I've already had enough of that. The chapter about not wanting to talk about race all the time is kind of tongue in cheek in that I have a book with "Black" in the title, so that's pretty impossible. I think I just want to talk about gender and race on my terms, which is selfishâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but I should have that right. What do you hope people will take away from the book? Who do you hope will read it? I hope people will be able to relate and to be entertained and I hope that people who are in the process of figuring out who they are and where they're going will get a little bit more clarity. What's coming up next for you? (YAY, HBO!) Yay! I'm still working on the HBO project, but hopefully I'll be able to say it's coming up soon. I'm working on a feature film project I'm excited about and just launched a new independent television venture called, ColorCreative.TV which works with women and minority writers to produce TV pilots. There's just so much more I want to do!

from her childhood to her…awkward…adolescence, into college and beyond. And while Rae covers everything from her trepidation at dancing at parties (“To this day, I’ve never been to a party where the room turns

into a circle and select attendees get in the middle to perform freestyle dance moves… And yet all of my dancing fantasies revolve around this essential party group formation.”) to dieting as an adult (“As of late, I can last six days maximum before I wild the fuck out. There’s always a social gathering, an event, a Red Lobster commercial to expose my thinly veiled self-promises for what they really are: pathetic lies.”) the book often has a much more serious tone than expected, in particular, throughout the many essays in which Rae writes about her family. In fact, the book is mostly told from Rae’s childhood and pre-teen years, through which she navigates an early obsession to internet chat rooms, inability to “freak dance” on par with her school friends and generally fit in with her black peers (the chapters on Rae’s struggle to listen to the right music, and wear the right clothes are things that everyone who’s ever been in middle school can probably understand), and frequent visits from her father’s family friends, among other hilarious exploits.

THE MISADVENTURES OF AWKWARD BLACK GIRL

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you already know at least one thing about Issa Rae—she’s the internet’s most famous Awkward Black Girl. Known by some as the Queen of Web Series, Rae was one of the pioneering voices of web television with her celebrated series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, which she created, produces and stars in. Now, she is bringing her unique brand of humor to her first book, a memoir by the same name. But, how did Rae evolve from said awkward black girl to a woman who writes, “For the majority of my life I cared too much about how my blackness was perceived, but now? I couldn’t care less. Call it maturation or denial or selfhatred—I give no f%^&s”? You’re about to find out. The book takes readers behind the scenes and into the life of Jo-Issa Diop, now more commonly known as Issa Rae,

But where the book, and Rae’s writing, comes through most powerfully is in the chapter in which she details her parents’ painful divorce and her still-evolving relationship with her father. The emotion jumps off the page as Rae relives the moment her parents told her and her siblings that they were separating, her discovery that her father was the cause of the split, and how it felt to help her mother through the ordeal, as well as watch her father move on much more quickly than she could have imagined—and hiding it from her. Her decision to focus mostly on family becomes clear through this chapter—this is where the heart of her story truly lies. Of course, It’s no secret that Rae is a good writer, but it is of course a pleasure to see that she can take the smarts from her scripts to book pages and it will be interesting to see where else Rae can take the form (a comedic novel perhaps?) The timeline employed here, jumping back and forth from Maryland to Los Angeles to New York as Rae grows up and moves around, can become disorienting despite the author disclaimer at the opening of the book, and while whispers of the development of the web series for which she is most well-known do appear here, some readers may be disappointed to see how little time Rae spends on discussing her college life, early adulthood and the work she has done on her web series And though she does begin a passionate discussion of diversity in online and new media (“With ever-evolving, new accessible technolo-

gies, there are many opportunities to reclaim our images, There’s no excuse not to, and I’ve never felt more purposeful in my quest to change the landscape of television.”) Rae leaves the impression that she has much more to say on her work, creativity, and media representation. It’s not hard to imagine Rae releasing her own #GIRLBOSS-esque book in the very near future.

Overall, though, Rae’s first effort is a great addition to the growing trend of hilarious women telling their stories, and will be an entertaining read for old fans, as well as a fun and illuminating introduction for new ones. –KERRI JAREMA

winterREADS

An unforgettable novel about family ties and values, friendship and feminism, told through the eyes of a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early 20th century, The Boston Girl opens in 1985, when Addie Baum’s 22-year-old granddaughter asks her to talk about what made her the woman she became. Eighty-five-year-old Addie’s story begins in 1915, when she first started to think about what she wanted from life. Her ambitions—to finish high school and go to college, to find true love, to escape the confines of her immigrant family—are far more modern than her parents could fathom. In The Boston Girl, Addie talks about growing up in a one-room tenement apartment in Boston’s North End with her parents and two sisters, the library group at a neighborhood settlement house where she first found her voice and her experiences in the workplace— from a shirt factory to an important local evening newspaper where she begins as a secretary and ultimately writes her own column. She also reveals the ins and outs of her love life—at least as much as a grandmother can tell a granddaughter. Pass this one on to your own mother or grandmother to start your own invaluable conversation about family history.

Almost Famous Women explores life on the fringes of fame through the lives of real women who readers may not have heard of but won’t soon forget. The stories in Almost Famous Women don’t seek to romanticize the women they depict, but rather resurrect them and explore the difficult choices that defined their lives. Cross-dressing Standard Oil heiress Joe Carstairs bought an island and ruled it, while racing boats and womanizing. The conjoined Hilton twins were briefly a show business sensation. Beryl Markham wasn’t just an aviatrix and author—she was also Africa’s first female horse trainer and for awhile lived alone in a tent on a racetrack in Nairobi. The International Sweethearts of Rhythm were the nation’s first integrated, all-girl swing band, and despite their overall excellence they ran into terrifying scenarios touring down south because of Jim Crow laws. Lord Byron’s illegitimate daughter, Oscar Wilde’s wild niece, and Edna St. Vincent Millay’s sister also star in stories in the collection. Written with extraordinary grace and with seemingly intimate knowledge, the stories in Almost Famous Women will take readers around the world, into the past, and deep into the lives of women whose choices led them far outside society’s typical lines.

Attention, PLL fans—the end is near. Well, for the book series, anyway. First published way back in 2006, Sara Shephard is ready to bid Rosewood adieu and finally wrap up the sordid tale of Aria, Spencer, Hanna, Emily and their diabolical frenemy Alison. Reporters are lined up outside the historic courthouse, typing furiously at their iPhones with freshly manicured nails. Because the trial of the century is happening right here in Rosewood: the four pretty little liars have been accused of killing Alison DiLaurentis. Only Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily know that they’ve been framed. Ali is still out there, laughing as she watches the girls go down for her murder. But when your nickname includes the word “liar,” no one believes you’re telling the truth. Each of the girls reacts to the stress in different ways: Aria and Spencer try to disappear, Hanna wants to get married and Emily does something drastic enough to change her friends’ lives forever. Will the girls figure out how to beat Ali at her own game? The dramatic series finale will reveal all. Luckily, the beloved ABC Family series (which follows slightly different plot and timelines) will return Jan. 6.

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THERE’S

SOMETHING ABOUT

AUDREY 31

“My story is really very strange,” Kitching remembers. “I was getting my hair colored at an Aveda salon and was asked to model and stop by an agency for photo training to understand how to work in front of the camera.” That was when Kitching was just 14 years old, and she started posing for newspaper adverts. It wasn’t until years later, when many of her friends were attending art school, that she began taking center stage in their work.

not the sort of celebrity to be hounded by the paparazzi, the prying eyes of the internet can sometimes be even harsher to deal with. After all, when you post dozens of pictures a week detailing everything from your bubble baths to what you ate for lunch and what events you’re attending, people can mistakenly assume they know as much about you as they do their own friends—and they never forget.

“The projects were very avant-garde, like, [I was] painting myself green and standing in the moon light,” she says. “This was kind of around the time the internet was just blossoming and I used to blog and document my life online. Companies really liked what I was doing and took notice of my following and started to hire me for different modeling jobs. It was a strange art project hobby that snowballed into a career for being in the right place at the right time!”

“It's totally a double ended sword,” Kitching says. “[The internet is] what allows me to live my dream today, but I’m forever haunted by my 16-year-old mistakes and photos. Most people get the luxury of being able to bury them in a photo album in their childhood basement. When I first started all [of] this, the internet was so new, people didn't really grasp it yet. Today everything is so thought out and polished and you really have to put energy into what you post. It's like building your reputation.”

Kitching didn’t automatically translate her art school stand-ins into a fashion career, though. First, she was mostly known for blogging, both on Myspace and Live Journal, ostensibly the Facebook and Twitter of the early 2000’s. At that time she was what many called a “scene girl,” known mostly for the people she hung out with, the music she listened to and the way she wore her hair.

It’s clear that Kitching is not going to repeat the media mistakes of her past. During the photo shoot for this piece she not only carefully crafted an Instagram shot of the makeup table, she was sure to take multiple videos and photos of the shoot in progress, all with an intense attention to detail. This is not a woman who is going to be okay with seeing an unflattering shot on Google images. And that is a big part of what makes her such a social media queen. Her feeds

“This was all really just an outlet for teenage angst if I’m being completely honest,” she recalls. “The internet was a place where I could be myself and escape from all the crap that comes with growing up and dealing with high school. My goal was never really to become ‘known’ online it was more of a place to be weird and accepted.”

are authentic, but they are also curated. While so many people have a grasp on one or the other (beautiful photos that don’t feel real, or real photos that are someone’s own worst press), Kitching has found a way to show people her true self while avoiding missteps. So, what’s her secret?

Of course, now Kitching is nearing 30 and her teenage angst years are far behind her, but the photos, articles and feud speculations on “I actually have been trying to figure this out for myself,” she admessage boards still remain. She has, for all intents and purposes, mits. “I’m kind of crazy and have no limits, and will post or share been living under a microscope for most of her life. And while she is anything. Over the past year [I’ve been] trying to reel that back in a

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bit and keep [my feeds] more professional, and my personal life merging into a higher end luxury apparel wear,” she explains. “The more private in a way. I think it's about showing who you are but next collection is all 100% cotton, hand beaded and dyed pieces. I’m keeping a bit of mystery at the same time.” really proud of it. The first collection was a little introduction to who we are and what we’re about.” Perhaps the ease with which she seems to communicate with her followers comes in part from the lifestyle she chooses to lead. She is It is, of course, unclear whether her hordes of followers actually well known for being a devotee of crystals, astrology, numerology, practiced crystal toting and tarot reading or misting themselves homeopathy and veganism, and even considers herself to be clair- with Good Vibes Spray (a blend of purifying essential oils and sevoyant. lected quartz and crystals that are meant to give you “the highest vibrations possible”) before Kitching came along and made a busi“I’m extremely sensitive and clairvoyant and have been my whole ness from her beliefs, but it is clear that her followers trust her life. A lot of people with those gifts would never choose to be in the opinions and covet her lifestyle—and there are far worse things to situations I am in on a daily basis for my job,” she says. “Being able encourage than mindfulness, healthy living and shutting out negato sense and see everyone's motives all the time can be overwhelmtivity. ing and pretty draining. I use all these tools for balance and grounding so I’m able to weave in and out of energies throughout my day That, in fact, has been a huge part of Kitching’s rise to notoriety. while still being able to function properly.” With a high profile come internet trolls, those anonymous commenters and discussion board fixtures that will make your life a Beyond the computer screen, though, Kitching has immersed herliving hell if you happen to inspire their hate—which pretty much self into the fashion industry in a way that can only be described as everyone with a certain amount of success is bound to do. unique. While her devotion to the alternatively spiritual might be considered trendy by some, the often stuffy, exclusive, fur and “When I was younger I used to really be bothered by it,” she rememleather wearing fashion masses might consider it kitschy and low bers. “[But] the less I focused on it, the less it seemed to be promibrow. Kitching has made clear through many posts on Twitter that nent. I block people when I need to, but for the most part I try to she is not always on the same wavelength with some of the people ignore it. The more you feed the beast the bigger he grows!” she comes across during her work at New York Fashion Week and It sounds easier than it probably is, but Kitching also just doesn’t elsewhere in more traditional industry settings. have time to dwell on her detractors. Not only does she continue to “Totally, it's a struggle at times. I just try to always make sure what- shoot multiple editorials every month along with her work on Crysever I’m doing is with integrity and I’m being true to myself,” she tal Cactus and LUNA, plus blogging for BuzzNet (which she did for insists. “If I start to feel like I’m being turned into a character or nearly 10 years before recently announcing her plans to move on in something outside of myself I kind of try to bring it back on track. I order to focus on new projects), she has also been busy designing think it's about sending out positive vibes and having faith that multiple capsule collections. A new vegan and cruelty free shoe line you’re going to attract as much of that back into your career as pos- for Kerol D., a faux fur collection with Rome-based brand Blessed sible.” Black, and partnering in a new line called Valley City, in which she will design five clothing items monthly, each of which will be limited So far, it seems, she has been able to do just that, and she is certainedition. On top of all that, she is also set to release a limited printing ly reaping the creative rewards. Her jewelry line, Crystal Cactus, of a book, Inside Audrey’s Mind. has grown exponentially since she first started selling small batches of handmade necklaces. She now employs people to help her make “[Everything I do is] important in their own ways. If I take on too and ship orders of necklaces, rings, bracelets and even items includ- many modeling jobs in a row I get really burned out, so running ing chakra balancing wands and floral sage bundles. In December, Crystal Cactus and doing design capsule collections gives me some she will also release about twenty new home products that include time to balance it out,” Kitching says. “If I’m not on set or traveling, candles, books, and cards, as well as higher end jewelry. I’m normally running around with my employees in the studio trying to make magic happen. We do everything [including] conference “I live such a conscious life, but I also work in fashion. I think people calls, emails, styling for shoots, production, creating new products, feel like they have to either be material or spiritual and it's just not honest or true,” she says. “I want to show people you can have self- mood boards, approving samples, shipping, interviews and press love, style, hobbies and appreciate the beautiful things in life and releases, Whatever needs to be done we get it done... sometimes in still be awake and aware in a different sense. My goal is to blend sweatpants and slippers depending how late the day runs!” spirituality and style and inspire today's generation to think a bit It’s that non-stop go-getter attitude that took Kitching from her outside that cookie cutter box we have been told is all that exists.” early days as a teenage It Girl to a woman that is now running two businesses, designing, writing, and doing it all while maintaining her Kitching has also designed a clothing line, LUNA, which stands on composure and keeping her eye on her definition of success. much the same principles as Crystal Cactus. The line is full of tshirts and sweatshirts that prominently feature astrology, positive “Work hard and be original. Don't do anything for money only. The thinking and ancient ideologies. moment people only care about income in a creative field is the moment your career stops advancing. Do what you love because “LUNA is a line made in the USA, all fair trade, which we’re slowly you’re passionate about it and the money will follow.”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;My goal is to blend spirituality and

style

and

Inspire

today's

generation to think a bit outside that cookie cutter box we have been told is all that exists.â&#x20AC;?

Photographer Producer Hair

Makeup Producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assistant

UNIF sweater; ROMWE dress; Vintage neclace; ETSY earrings; Vintage necklace; Vintage ring; ADINA MILLS ring; CRYSTAL CACTUS ring; FENDI shoes 37

HOME & LIFESTYLE I HOME, FOOD, HEALTH. GET THE GOOD LIFE.

IMAGE COURTESY OF DOROTHY PERKINS

HOLIDAY

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARKS & SPENCER

& 38

FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS

DECKING THE HALLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEXT

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAPERCHASE

WRAPPING THE

PRESENTS

SETTING THE TABLE PHOTO COURTESY OF MARKS & SPENCER

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARKS & SPENCER

THOUGHTS & ESSAYS I YOUR LIFE, YOUR WORDS. GET INSPIRED

IMAGE COURTESY OF DOROTHY PERKINS

ESSAY

If this was a fourth-grade writing assignment about what the holidays mean to me, I would probably just write a one word answer: “food.” Let’s face it, I am probably just actually accessing some repressed memory where this did in fact happen.

that, in addition to shellfish, I am very allergic to one vague type of nut I’ve never had before, and possibly allergic to a few others. It was freeing to see how many foods were safe, but adding a nut allergy was a new hurdle.

Now, here we are, a few months later. I’m eating better, but am still limited, and there are countless “safe foods” that I’m still afraid to eat. But now, a twist—the holidays are imminent! And thus comes the problem of celebrating the holidays completely (for the record, my love of the Christmas season knows no bounds or limitations in Holidays make me think of space and time) while on this very strange food journey I’ve found food, and have for my entire myself on. life. Baking cookies with my family, giving homemade caramels as gifts, sitting down for one I know that at some point, I’ll be in a place where I truly enjoy bakgiant meal where you have to wear strategic clothes that hide your ing again, where I eat freely and with a full trust in myself (and, you impending Santa belly. Food has always been a gigantic part of my know, doctors) that I’m eating what’s safe for me. I’m not there yet, life, and it especially rears its adorable, delicious head around the though. holidays. So, I started to think about On a cool Sunday afternoon several months ago, I had a panic at- everything else I love about tack while drinking a pumpkin spice latte—but let’s not start at the the holidays. middle (even though I already have). One month earlier, I had my first allergic reaction to food (and, coincidentally, my first cup of A short list: singing Christclam chowder). mas songs until people are upset with me, breaking the A lot of ladies in my family are allergic to shellfish—and being the turkey wish bone with my anxious person that I am, I always avoided it, too. That is, of course, sister, going to the mall with until I went to Cape Cod and had to “yolo” my way to an allergic my mom because she is a reaction. It was scary – my throat closed up a bit—but it was okay. boss at finding deals while And I was okay—for a while. Eve- fending off literal mobs of shoppers, ornaments, decorating with ry time I ate, I had some hesita- tinsel and wreaths and little pilgrim hats, the smell of both real and tion about whether or not my fake Christmas trees, denying the actual statistics about the likelibody was going to attack the hood of actually having a white Christmas, looking at all of the food I was so lovingly giving it. Christmas cards in each store I go to and deciding which I love This built up, and built up, and most. also built up until—huzzah!—The Great Latte Panic Attack of This will be a year of new traditions—of making Christmas cards 2014. instead of cookies, of making centerpieces instead of side dishes to As funny as it sounds, and as fun- bring to the table, of obnoxiously singing Christmas songs instead ny as I’m making it out to be, the of stuffing treats into my face. last few months have actually been some of the hardest of my life. I Because that’s how it is right now—and it’s not a bad thing. I keep went from an adventurous eater to someone who was afraid to eat struggling with myself, wishing I was further along in this, eating literally anything on my own. like I used to eat. But this is a process. It’s new. And the last thing I I am anxious by nature, and the panic attack let loose the flood want to do is wake up on December 26th realizing I pouted all the gates of all of the food paranoia I’d been desperately holding in. way through the holiday season, just because this one is a little Long story short—I got a full back panel allergy test and found out (well, maybe more than a little) different than the last.

realize that I wanted to be making good stuff for the web for the rest of eternity. So I read Bossypants as you do, and thought about moving to Chicago to pursue comedy at the IO and Second City, but after a random encounter with Jessica Williams (yes, that one) on Tumblr, she convinced me to move to NYC and get my ass in gear. New York is a lot different from Kentucky. While I'm not a complete backwater hick, I do feel like my sensibilities didn't initially mesh with the big city. People are really focused on careers here. They don't actually put much stake in getting married young, or saying hi to strangers, so my first few months were a bit lonely. I started taking improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade, though, and it made the transition easier. I still have kind

of a lame sense of style, but I've acclimated to New York in all other respects. I remember being on LiveJournal and wishing I could make my blog cooler—like back in 2007. Some people had already started posting really beautiful DSLR pictures and upping the ante, so I wanted my mundane thoughts to be more interactive and impressive. NJIKKI PETTY PHOTOGRAPHY

GIRL LIKE US Akilah Hughes, 25 Brooklyn, New York

My friend Nessa (NessaKPhotography.com) posted her first "vlog" in place of a standard blog post and I was hooked. I wanted to be her. It was probably pretty creepy. Anyway, I got a really low budget camera and started shooting stuff here and there. It wasn't until 2011 that I started consistently making videos and putting myself out there and trying to promote my stuff. Last year in December my video, “Meet Your First Black Girlfriend” took off and changed my entire life. That and a few other videos got picked up by traditional media and just made it easier to make more consistent vloggy content—which was always the goal. Things are a lot different on the internet in 2014 than they were in 2007, though...

Writer, comedian, actress, host, and hot mess working at MTV (Other) by day and doing YouTube When I first started making videos, no one was getting paid to do it. You had to do it for fun because there was no career to be made. videos, stand up, and sketch comedy by night. You know you’ve chosen the right woman for a Girl Like Us column when she gives her age as “25 sittin’ on 25 mill” and adds “hot mess” to her bio after writer/comedian/actress/host. But then again, who would expect anything less from celebrated YouTuber Akilah Hughes? Her combination of smarts, gumption and humor has been attracting people to her work for years, thanks in part to her unique combination of millennial wit and enviable smarts. She’s well known for making people laugh on her YouTube channel, at MTV and on the stage with the famed Upright Citizens Brigade, but she has also become a voice that young women relate to, trust and even turn to for advice on everything from careers to living in a big city and balancing creative pursuits with paying the bills. I've always been into comedy—which is a kind of trite thing to say. Who doesn't like laughing? But I loved performing and all throughout high school I was doing improv and speech and drama. In college I stuck strictly to performing in musicals and doing dumb ass vlogs with my friends. The internet kind of exploded between 2007 and 2009, and SNL Digital shorts made me

People posted low-production value crap and "viral" was just more than 500 people seeing a single video. Now it is a big part of my career. Making sketches does pay the bills, and my competition isn't just other individuals, it's conglomerates like College Humor and Buzzfeed. The landscape is much more competitive, and while I do think there's room for everybody, it is harder to stand out in online comedy because it's so saturated. When people watch my videos, I want them to feel like they know me. I want to remind them of the conversations they have with their friends, or the thoughts they have, but are maybe a little too bashful to say out loud. I want my videos to make people want to be in videos with me. Is that narcissistic? I don't necessarily want people to like, fall head-over-heels in love with me, but I do want them to want to be my best friend. My favorite kinds of videos to make are the ones where I'm talking directly to the camera about how I feel about things. Sometimes it's an “Ask Akilah” video with user-submitted questions. Other times it's a video about social issues where I'm just being very honest about how crappy a situation is. I think those videos perform better on my channel because they aren't trying to be funny, they aren't

trying to be anything. I think it's validating that people even care then what on earth do you people want?! about my opinion on things, so I just really relish the opportunity to give advice or a voice to issues. When I come in every morning I am greeted by an amazing fully compiled list of current events and news in email format. I read I am super honored that anyone through and try to come up with ways we can play on those whethwould want be to be their role model, but it was never my intention. er that be through vines or tweets or even in longer-form sketch I mean, I make mistakes all the time! I feel like Oprah probably has videos. My official title is "Producer," but I think "Creative" is more better advice than me—she's just less available for consultation. At accurate. I am asked to just come up with fun stuff and then make first when people started writing to ask me about what they should it. do with their lives it felt strange; here I was, an early 20-something trying to figure out what the hell I am doing at all—blowing through I moved to New York when I was 22 and since then I've had at least relationships with reckless abandon, job-hopping while trying to get 6 jobs (not including freelance gigs/hosting/acting stuff). The tradimy channel off the ground, eating too many carbs. But the funny tion of like "40 years and a gold watch" is over. We simply don't live thing about your 20s is that you suddenly realize that adulthood is a in an economy that supports staying at the same company forever, myth and that no one actually knows what the fuck they're doing. If and I think that makes us freer than previous generations. Sure, people think I'm worth listening to, then I should oblige them. And some paint us as disloyal, but I think our morals have never been plus I love my audience. I have the nicest, smartest, most open- more in tact. We want to be happy more than we want to be super minded, clever audience on the internet. I will obviously do my best rich, and we're not going to settle for a job that gives us less than that. There's nothing unnatural about craving stability, but milleninot to lead them astray. als' greatest strengths are resilience and adaptation. We're realistic I'm very strategic in the way I voice my about the world we've inherited and we don't apologize for our opinions on controversial topics because I think that there's a right means of survival. Success is finding contentment and refusing to and wrong way to do it. I think the end goal of those difficult con- settle for less. versations should be to change minds, and it's hard to do that if you're angry and not willing to work with opposing viewpoints. And I get it, it sucks talking to wrong people. That said, I do what I can to make videos that are funny, but make a point and really get it across. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report have been hella influential in my video style. Their segments are so punchy and smart, and I think that's how you change minds. My entry into UCB was super exciting. I had just seen Asssscat 3000 immediately upon arrival to NYC and started going to open houses and diversity meetups to just immerse myself in the community. I applied for a scholarship for improv and waited a torturous 4 months to hear back. This was back in 2012, so my first class was in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The training center was in that part of midtown that was without power, so I had to traipse through the dark like something from I Am Legend to get there, but I swear the rest is history. I'm excited to be finishing the improv track soon, and can't wait to audition for sketch teams. Getting ready for a performance is not something I am good at. I have the worst stage fright ever. I remember I once recorded a video in front of my then-boyfriend, and could not do it. I forced him to wear headphones and close his eyes because I didn't want him to see it if I messed up. I'm not quite that bad anymore, but I still get the shakes and butterflies that I was told would have subsided by now. I typically try to watch something funny before I go perform just so that I'm inspired to do something good, but yeah, performing is horrifying until it's over. UCB is such a great community. I wish I could be more involved, but I feel like they really rally behind anyone there who wants to collaborate and create. It's amazing that they let people submit show ideas and pick the ones that are the best rather than going with featured players always. I think it's really helped me get into the comedy community at large in NYC and is definitely a calling card for so many opportunities with which I've been presented. MTV is a dream. I know that sounds like a canned response, but I am asked to come to work and do what I've done for free on my own YouTube channel for money and if that's not what everyone wants—to get paid to do what they like doing,

I always knew when it was time to leave a position. Either there wasn't enough money to justify being that stressed out, or my personal stuff was becoming more lucrative, or I knew that there was no future and I bounced. A few missteps taught me the importance of saving, so I always had a good month before I went into "I need a job now now NOW!" panic mode after quitting. The balancing act for working at a huge company that affords loads of opportunity and my own artistic endeavors is tough. I am tired a lot. I tell everyone I work 2 jobs because that's what it shakes down to after you take into consideration all of the after-work meetings and writing and scheduling and planning and shooting etc. It's a lot. I try to stay organized by keeping notes on my phone. There's a Google doc for almost every fleeting thought, and I try to focus on only one thing at a time. "Try" being the operative word here. My advice for young ladies that want to pursue their passions outside of the 9 to 5 is to decide what is important and chase it until you collapse. I've found that most of my creative friends really found their calling when they allocated time to not being the most fun person in the room, but rather, to an actual goal. Does this mean that some Fridays are going to be spent in your room, on your bed, pants-less, writing out strategies and concepts, and planning? Yes it absolutely does—but someone once told me that it's important to live like no one does now so you can live like no one does later. Be relentless and get what you want. No one is going to do it for you. So, so many fun new things are on the horizon. I have an ad campaign coming out in early 2015, I'm doing some work on TV here and there, and I am doing my best to finish writing a web series. It's like nothing I've seen yet, and I really think it's different than my typical voice and tone (but not so different that you'll hate it).

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