The following is a little survey put together by my best friend, Elizabeth Abanathy, and my answers to it:

What kind of artist do you consider yourself to be?

A photographer

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Do you create all the time, sometimes, or whenever inspiration hits?

It used to be whenever I felt I had the time. This year I'm trying something new, creating every single day this year.

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Why do you create?

As a means to express myself by saying something with the images I make. To put more beauty in the world in order to balance the ugly. To find myself in my art

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Do your friends & family have respect for the artistic world? Do they support your creativity?

Yes, even though they may not understand the "artistic world." I am around creative people on a pretty daily basis; they support and challenge me.

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Did you draw/paint on things you weren't supposed to when you were a kid? Do you now?

The walls, because they were accessible. And now, no, I don't draw.

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Does your pet make art?

My pets consider their art to be messing up the tidiness of my house to their likings. I.E.: screwing up the blankets after I have made the bed.

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Describe the perfect creative environment:

Anywhere. As a photographer I don't need one specific place to find creativity and inspiration, I can find it anywhere if I just look.

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What is your favorite medium?

My camera

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What is your style?

I'm not sure yet...

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What music has to be playing to inspire your creativity?

Music is art, and when I'm creating my art I can't have other art in my view, so to speak, so none.

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Where is your most inspiring place to be?

Anywhere that I have a moment to step back and enjoy what there is to be photographed

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What time of day does your creative juice really kick in?

Morning, I think, not sure about that either.

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How do you feel when you're "in your zone"?

Like a kid in a candy store.

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Who is your creative hero?

My mom for always making any kind of art - photographs, paintings, jewelry, pastels - you name it... it's all stuff I can't do, or am too impatient to do.

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If you couldn't be an artist, what else would you be? If you aren't an artist, do you wish you could be one instead of what you do?

An architect (wait, I guess that's a kind of artist), um, a chef (no, artist, too) hmm, it seems all I want to do is be creative on some sort of level; although, architects and chefs tend to make more money than me.

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What drives you nuts about your creative personality?

I can get over critical of myself and then get frustrated and take long periods where I don't take any photographs. Thus, my "project" this year, wherein I will attempt not to let my frustration get the better of me.

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Do you prefer to create alone or with others?

The only two people I can "create" with are my mom and Chris, because they are patient with me and don't get mad when I say "just one more shot" and then it turns into 20. Otherwise I need to be alone.

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Your favorite color(s):

Deep red

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Your favorite style:

Modern-traditional

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Your favorite ad (commercial, radio, print etc.

):

I know there is one out there, and I can't remember it now... it'll come to me in the middle of the night

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The thing you can't stand about other creative people?

Their competitiveness

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Is there ever an instance when art isn't art?

There is a fine line between art and avant-garde: like the feces exhibit at the Met a few years ago; decidedly NOT art.

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Is art for everyone?

It should be. It isn't because people choose to let themselves be "confused" by it. It's a shame.

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Why do humans have the desire to be creative?

To put something out there in the world that wasn't there before. To add more beauty to this already beautiful world. To express themselves in a way words cannot encompass.

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Where do you think the future will take art?

I don't know. Nowhere if art isn't kept in the schools.

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Do you think your creations will accumulate value when you die?

I would like to think so, but probably not.

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Have you ever thought any of these questions to yourself before?

uh-uh