#heartbroken but we move on. there are many many storytellers and artists to inspire us. U can find someone goodhearted again

[snapdougles]

I remember when I first got into Berserk, around 2017, my friend had convinced me to try Bloodborne despite being pretty put off by dark souls. I found it too frustrating at first, it was challenging for me mechanically and I kept hitting barriers and not knowing how to progress. I was doubtful that I’d enjoy Bloodborne, but he thought that I’d enjoy it more, mainly because of the world, design and tone of the game, and he was right, I loved it, and subsequently the mindset I learned on how to approach bloodborne made playing through dark souls much easier, and I was able to appreciate that a lot more. He then recommended that I check out Berserk, a cool series that has had a lot of influence, especially on soulsborne stuff, like the skeleton wheels, classic, and I thought sure, I’d heard a bit about it before and I enjoy reading manga a lot, though my friend wasn’t a manga reader, he had only seen the 1997 anime.

When I first read the Black Swordsman arc, I really thought “I’m curious about the world and story, but I’m not sure I could like Guts, he’s just too much of an asshole for me to like, I’m not sure how he can change that would make me like him” and now I want nothing more than to see Guts get the happiness he deserves, and see him smiling again.

I had no idea that Guts would become one of my favourite characters of all time, a unique and complex character with so much depth and who has struggled through a difficult and dangerous life that has left him scarred. But he still stands. Seeing almost all of Guts’ life, a hostile and threatening world from the very beginning to the joys of the golden age, his most pained and darkest time, and then his slow but gradual progress to once again find companionship and share his path with others, and grow beyond his past self.

And my love of Guts is only the tip of the iceberg, never have I read a story as powerful as Berserk, and I think many would agree when if I said it was a masterpiece. Kentaro Miura was such an incredibly talented artist, writer and storyteller, crafting an exceptional work that would be widely influential, inspirational and insightful for so many reasons, something so fantastic in vision with incredible spectacle and designs, but also with such personal themes that it resonates with so many us. I’m truly heartbroken at Miura’s death, such a tragedy when an artist dies before they can finish their life’s work. In a message from George Morikawa, he says that Miura had the ideas for Berserk from when he was 18. It is terrible that we will never get to see Miura’s rendition of the ending, however, of all the places for Guts’ journey to end, things could be far worse off. Things aren’t perfect, the future is uncertain and there will be struggles until the end of our days, but with our friends we can still make progress, and even if it can’t offer resolution, Elfheim can give refuge, and give our characters a well needed rest in their journey.

I know I’m not the only one who was moved by Berserk, it changed how I view myself and helped me realise just how powerful stories can be, and each of us find our own joy in reading it. Reading it changed my life, as it has for many of us, and in memory of Kentaro Miura the least we can do is keep struggling onwards. Rest easy, struggler, you deserve it.

[yamsraptor]

Georgi Popovich - beyond the evil witch

Georgi Popovich is my favorite Yuri!!! On Ice character. Among so many fascinating characters that the series has brought us, and faced with so many possible interpretations, Georgi has always stood out to me as one of the most different and original ones, even before we got to know about his theme for the season and watch his programs. Despite his little screen time, he gave me a very strong impression, so much so that I would even watch a whole series starring him.

Unfortunately, because he was a minor character and because of the pacing problems in the series - 12 episodes were clearly not enough to cover everything that Kubo planned - a lot of information about him got hidden between the lines, amongst some stuff that was confirmed in interviews and other backstage details.

This post is here not meant to be a "compilation" of official information, but rather for analysis. As much as Georgi seems to be a comic relief and is the meme of fandom, there is a lot about this character that can be observed, as well as discussed. This, in fact, can be applied to all of Yuri!!! On Ice characters - clearly built as human beings who can be protagonists of their own stories, and therefore memorable for those who watch the anime.

To begin the analysis, though, we need to know the basics first. Who is this young man named Georgi Popovich, anyway?

Georgi is officially introduced in episode 6, during the Cup of China arc. He is a Russian skater, as well as Yurio, Mila and Victor. In fact, he and Victor are basically the same age - something that already makes him one of the older skaters of the series, along with Christophe Giacometti.

His theme for the current skating season is "heartbreak", according to Mila, because he has ended his relationship with another Russian figure skater, Anya. His ex, even, is competing during the Cup of China and watches his two programs as well. On the ice, he is dramatic and intense, even crying in the middle of his short program, which he was able to complete cleanly and without any falls.

Out of the ice, though, he has a more mature and somewhat introverted air, since he doesn’t mix very much with other competitors - which doesn’t say that he doesn’t like them or is a loner without any friends, since he is seen with the other skaters and Victor in the selfie that Phichit took after the competition, where it can be seen that he is clearly happy and having fun with the others. In addition, during the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, he does not compete, but he watches the competition along with Mila and Sara, commenting on the programs and applauding the other athletes.

The last time he is seen is at the end of episode 10, where he is sitting on something that can be described as a restaurant, in a date with a long blonde haired girl. It is not known who this girl is, but it is implied that she must be his new girlfriend. However, regarding this, only a second season can tell us if the relationship is of that nature and also if it will last.

Basically, Georgi is a super dramatic Russian figure skater, but when he’s off the ice he does not act so intensely. He was sad about losing Anya, but time healed his heart and now he is happy with someone else, having moved on. That, and he is a fellow colleague of the favorite female character of fandom and the other two main Russian skaters.

But that's just the basics. What matters is what lies beyond what we can see during our first watch.

One of the most relevant things about Georgi is his theme - heartbreak - and his entire relationship with Anya. He is one of the characters that had his theme revealed to the audience, and who has a story behind it. However, contrary to what many people say, there is no way to tell whether the "culprit" about their breakup was Georgi, Anya or both. 

From the pictures of Anya's Instagram, it can be assumed that Georgi was a very sweet boyfriend, the kind that loves to shower his loved one with gifts, kisses and affection. This is not a bad thing - not at all - but Anya doesn’t seem as excited as he does, which doesn’t mean that he forced her to take pictures of them kissing and post them on her Instagram. As the photos that are shown right afterwards are from Anya with her current boyfriend, it can be assumed that the ones with Georgi must have been the last ones they took and that they were right before the end of the relationship, and it was clear that one side was no longer interested in the other.

We have a quick flashback of Georgi heartbroken when he sees Anya with her current boyfriend, but we don’t have enough information to know if he saw her with the other man before or after the end of his relationship with her. Anyway, it is clear that Anya was no longer interested in him, for whatever reason, and that it was she who ended up the relationship, leaving Georgi shaken because he still had feelings for her.

Putting together all these negative feelings and the pain in his heart, he decided to use this negative experience as a creative fuel in his skating; this is how heartbreak ends up becoming his theme and his two programs are linked by a narrative that he himself created.

What Georgi did here was nothing much different than what many writers, musicians, and artists do: turn their pain into art. It is something deep, intimate, and it requires above all a lot of courage. It's not everyone that has the courage to share their troubles and their pain for the world to see, and depending on the person, it hurts more than it actually helps. In Georgi's case, it was something that served as a mean of catharsis and inspiration, and there’s not a single moment off the ice when he is seen thinking of Anya or talking about her, contrary to what the fandom usually interprets.

Georgi Popovich knows how to separate fiction from reality. He is a figure skater with a great focus on the artistic side, and on the ice he creates characters and takes roles, just like an actor. It is said in his official profile on the YOI site that he relies a lot on his artistic sense, and it is said during his free skate that he hopes to amaze and move people with his art.

Just like Guang-Hong sees himself as an action movie hero in The Inferno, Yuri sees himself as a delicious katsudon in Eros and JJ creates a super-exaggerated and full of himself image in his programs, Georgi has a persona while he’s on the ice: he is an artist and a storyteller, and he skates to move people.

This works so well that Anya gets angry at him while watching him skating, that Mila comments that she can even hear her voice in the background, that Yurio says he always goes head-first into his performances. It's his differential, his mark as an athlete. Technically he is also very competent - his short program was perfectly well executed and his score was good, and his free skate only had one fall - but artistically, he is exceptional.

Even his costumes show the artistic side of Georgi. His costume for Carabosse is the incarnation of the homonym evil witch, a role in the Sleeping Beauty ballet, which can be interpreted by both a man and a woman. It's not officially said, but the resemblance to the clothing and makeup used in Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty is glaring. Just a quick Google Image search shows that it couldn’t have been a coincidence - if you swapped his skates for ballet shoes, Georgi could easily fit into the ballet with his costume, and his metaphorical scenes embodying the prince and the witch during episode 7 has an aesthetic that perfectly matches the one used in the spetacle.

Meanwhile, his costume for Tales Of A Sleeping Prince is confirmed to be the incarnation of the opposite gender roles - prince and princess. His costume contain elements that refer to both sides, and no matter how Georgi skates like a prince, there is still in his style a delicacy that would be considered feminine and smooth in his movements beyond the jumps. His free skate plays with these contrasts, he himself is a character who lives on them.

It is even interesting to note that in the original design of this outfit he would have white wings on his back, which only increases the contrast of gender roles in his costume, allied to the neckline. In the anime, the wings were replaced by an opening in the back, usually seen in women's clothing.

Along with the song lyrics, it can be noticed that Georgi is his own prince, and he doesn’t have to wake up Anya; the one that is asking for help is himself, and it is not a kiss, specifically, that he needs to wake up. He needs a personal fulfillment, and it is something that only he can achieve on his own.

Georgi is therefore both the prince charming and the sleeping princess of his own recreated fairy tale: and that's why the song’s titled Sleeping Prince, not because Georgi is a man and it would look "weird" with Princess; especially considering that he has already assumed a female role in his previous program and his clothing in the free skate has elements that refer to both genders. Also, Yuri!!! On Ice loves to play and break with these stereotypes, so it wouldn’t make sense narratively within the serie’s universe.

In addition to all his artistic sense for his programs, he is a very empathetic person with great sensibility to other people’s art. In episode 9, during Michele Crispino's free skate, he is the first to fully understand the artistic side of the presentation, explaining it very subtly to Mila and Sara, who were somewhat perplexed. In this scene it can be seen that he has not stopped looking at Michele to explain it, and his expression is the same as those of someone who’s enjoying a good work of art - his eyes shine, he is smiling, there is even a slight blush on his cheeks.

The same empathy is present at other times during this episode, when we can see him watching the other skaters. He applauds Yurio as if he were a proud uncle, admires Yuri's effort at skating even though he is alone without Victor to accompany him as a coach. Even if he is not seen interacting much with the other athletes, this doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care about them, and this doesn’t stop him from admiring their programs as both a friend and an artist.

Another very important element about his character is that he has always been in the background. Before presenting his short program, Yakov says that he has always been in Victor’ shadow. This is not because Georgi is a bad athlete - on the contrary, he seems to be very competent - but because Victor is a living legend with a natural talent and affinity for the sport. Victor was on top of the world, so the fact that he and Georgi were close in age and competing together ended up making him always get more praise than Georgi - even though he was good at skating too. He’s in Victor's shadow so much that even his birthday is literally only one day after Victor's.

All of this, though, serves as fuel for him to try harder and Georgi is always evolving, improving his art and his presentations, which only proves that he is a very determined person.

It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to believe that Georgi and Victor know each other from a long time already, especially considering that both used to have Yakov as a coach. Maybe they have even competed together since the junior category.

It is not known what Victor feels or thinks about Georgi, but Georgi thinks of him during his free skate: he asks what Victor must feel while watching him off the ice now that he is not competing. This, followed by the statement that it is now his turn to shine, shows that Georgi had a sports rivalry with Victor, as well as a deep respect for him. The two are seen in selfie with Phichit and the other athletes after the Cup Of China, so they certainly are not in bad terms personally speaking - unlike Yakov, who clearly disapproves Victor’s choices and actions during the season. 

This is not the only point where they relate, however. Georgi and Victor are opposites, contrasts of each other. Their color scheme is different, Victor's skating style is softer and enchants in a different way: Georgi causes a strong and dramatic impression, which makes his viscerally human presence felt, while Victor skates with delicacy and lightness which makes him look like an angel, something beyond our reach. One is light and the other is shadow. Georgi tends towards the medieval gothic, Victor is more like neoclassicism. 

This contrast between the two Russian veterans is something so constant that the two skated different sessions of the same music for Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, although at different ages. This is possible thanks to the time limit of the programs in the sport and the fact that it is allowed to edit the songs so that they fit these rules.

Victor, when he was young, and with the same costume that today is what Yuri Katsuki uses for his short program, skated to the sound of Lilac Fairy. Georgi, now older, opted for Carabosse, and both characters also share opposite roles: Carabosse is the one who casts a curse on the princess, while the Lilac Fairy, the most powerful of the fairies, while unable to undo the curse completely, alters it to make the princess sleep for a 100 years instead of dying.

Even so, none of this makes one character better than the other; it only shows that, although they’re from the same country, they’re very different individuals and athletes, with unique ways of expressing themselves through the sport they practice. It is not a question here which way is the “correct one” or the most beautiful, because it varies solely from the artistic interpretation of each person, and nobody is obliged to like only one of the styles. The art of both can be appreciated equally, and this is not wrong. They were created to be like this.

Georgi is not just a contrast to Victor, however. He also has a series of parallels with Yuri Katsuki.

The most obvious of them all is the theme conflict between them. Yuri skates about love, Georgi about heartbreak. One is the other’s flip side. Yuri uses his positive experiences along with the support of Victor, Minako, his family and even his other colleagues like Phichit and Minami to strengthen himself. Georgi, on the other hand, is alone and desolate in his narrative, having to seek strength within himself, for there is no one within his story to comfort him or guide his heart.

Yuri skates about the love that transforms, that evolves, that elevates in its maximum potential. Georgi skates about the love that destroys, that causes pain and misfortune, that can deeply wound and takes a long time to heal. This is even more evident considering the fact that both Georgi and Yuri are skaters whose strong point is the artistic side. Victor says that Yuri creates music with his body when he skates, and Georgi is said to be one of the skaters who really feels the songs of his programs and becomes one with them.

The jumps of Georgi's programs are perfectly synchronized with the musics, his step sequence is said to be intense - along with Yuri Katsuki - and they both go deep into their programs, turning into completely different people when they are on the ice.

One last fact, this one not so obvious, is that his name is considered an alternative name for Yuri, and vice versa. Considering how nothing in Yuri!!! On Ice is there just for show, and that the character names have meanings that are consistent with who they are - curiously, most have "victory" or "conquest" in some way, Yuri Katsuki included - this is most likely not coincidental.

Finally, it can be said that Georgi is a character much deeper than he seems. He has his qualities and flaws, his dreams, his way of thinking and a unique artistic sense. He is human and palpable, which makes him a well-built character, though - at least in the first season of the series - he didn’t have much screentime. It is not very good to judge him superficially and by first glance only, and even if his first impression is more comical than anything - which doesn’t mean that he’s not a fun character, because he certainly is -, he also has a more serious side that many people and don’t try to pay close attention.

Considering how the anime is doing very well in terms of BDs and DVDs sales, not to mention all the unresolved issues and loose ends derived from the season finale, Yuri!!! On Ice chance’s winning a second season are sky high. With this comes the possibility of seeing the return of several characters - Georgi included - and we’ll be surprised with more development, more insight, and more relevant information not only about him but about the show’s world as well.

Until then, however, this is what it can be said about Georgi: he is an artist, he is introspective, he is diligent and determined, sensitive and empathetic. He’s made of contrasts, both over himself and the protagonists, and the fact that he constantly appears in the background in several scenes along with Mila may have been a way to get the audience more used to them before the second Season, which should start with training in St. Petersburg. Although secondary, he’s extremely interesting, and causes a strong impression, especially when skating.

Georgi Popovich is a fascinating character, and I hope he is even more explored in Season Two. He deserves to be seen as something beyond the evil witch, and he is certainly much more than that. 

[andreaeppolitoevents]

How to Tell If a Wedding Planner (or Pro) is Real

With so many instagram accounts and social media profiles “sharing” other people’s work, how can you tell if what you are looking at is truly the work of the wedding pro you are considering?

If you have read the book “Steal Like An Artist” by Austin Kleon, you know that there is very little in the world that is completely, wholly original. As artists and creatives, we are inspired by the world around us. To be inspired by the world is to take that which you see and make it better. I take colors, textures, and patterns and I mix them in a new way. I make note of the weddings, events, and interior designs that I love so that I can dissect and dismantle them. I break the world into tiny pieces, and then put it back together in a way that - hopefully - makes people feel things other than that which they felt before. This is not theft. It is inspiration and, in so many ways, art. I honor the work that has come before me by pushing it further.

Theft in the wedding and event space is about showing work that is not your own and failing to properly credit the appropriate individuals. It is taking an idea or an image and knocking it off in a way that degrades the value of the original work. When I talk to my clients about design, I find myself saying, “You wouldn’t carry a knock off Chanel or YSL bag. Why would you pay for a knock off wedding?” My advice for clients and creatives alike is always this: Be better. Be better than Pinterest. Be better than Instagram. You deserve more than a knock off; especially a bad one.

How do you as a couple know whether or not the work a wedding pro is showing is actually theirs?

Over the last month, many of us have been made aware of the fact that our work has been “stolen” and is being shared by other wedding pros as their own. As a professional and a business owner, it is incredibly frustrating to see work be abused in such a cavalier manner. Many of us have dedicated our lives to the pursuit of this work. We have spent decades honing our craft and invested thousands of dollars and countless hours in order to develop ourselves as creatives. Our ability to see the world in an utterly unique way, to imagine a world more beautiful than the one we live in, and to manifest that into reality is an artform. Having it pilfered and passed around as if it is nothing is not only wrong, but incredibly hurtful. It is hard to understand how one professional can do this to another.

As maddening as it is for us as creatives, the real damage to is to our clients. Newly engaged couples begin their search for inspiration online. Social media sites such as Instagram and search engines such as Pinterest are the go-to sources of inspiration for brides and grooms. Couples find an image they love, trace the clicks back to a website, and book a particular vendor based on what they have seen online. The relationship starts with a lie, and nothing good can come from that place. As the process moves forward, couples find themselves struggling with their vendor (be it a planner, designer, photographer, etc.) because the hired team cannot meet their expectations. There is a gap between the perceived talent of the vendor and their actual ability. The faulty pro has sold their clients a lie, and the unknowing couple is left confused about where they have gone wrong. This leads to heartbroken clients and a negative impression of our beloved wedding industry.

So how can you, as a couple and potential client, determine if the work you are seeing online is truly the work of the professional you are considering? Here are three ways that you can suss out the legitimacy of a wedding professionals’ presented work:

5 Tips for Validating a Wedding Pro’s Authenticity

COMPARE: Compare the image you love to the rest of the wedding pros portfolio. Does the image you love fit in with the rest of their presented work? Wedding planners will plan to the desires of their clients, but there should be a sense of style and a vibe that carries through their work. For example, I love production. My weddings will all feature a major design element and there will be a sense of transformation and storytelling. My images are captioned with ways that explain how and why I created a certain environment. Every element I add to a design is personally vetted, and there is a reason behind each decision I make. As , have a very specific style and vibe. Their composure, the lighting, and the way in which they frame their subjects will have a thread of consistency. If you look at a photographer’s site and there are inconsistencies in the filter and tone of the images, it is a good indicator that the work you are seeing may not be theirs.

FOLLOW THE FEED: Scroll through the feed of the company you are considering in search of other images from the same wedding or event. Legitimate pros will have multiple photos of the same wedding, and those photos will also appear on their website. Beware of new accounts that are featuring over the top work that appears to be their own. New businesses need time to develop their own original portfolios. If you see something that you adore but the pro seems too new to have perhaps produced it, reach out and ask about the origin. Some new businesses have approval to share work they contributed to while they were employed with another company. In that case, the pro will likely direct you to the original source and explain how they worked on the project. Always double check, and ask the actual wedding planner or photographer what they can tell you about the posting pro’s involvement.

IMAGE SEARCH: Did you know that you can search for an image via google? Simple drag the image you love into the search bar and do a little digging. You would be able to trace back the original origin of the photo, and also see where else the image has appeared. Pay particular attention to weddings that have been published by third party blogs and magazines, as the editors will list the legitimate vendors that were involved in the project.

TAGS AND COMMENTS: From time to time, vendors will share the work of other pros to showcase inspiration or to highlight a relationship. Legitimate vendors will note clearly that the work they are sharing is not their own. They will list detailed credits in the captain and note that the images and videos shared are not from events that they have produced. However, less scrupulous people will share work without specifically saying who it belongs to. They will craft comments and captions that make it seems as if they did the work, and they will “hide” the real vendors as tags in the image. This is tricky, as the poster will say things such as “I never claimed it was mine” or “well, I tagged you in the image” to deflect responsibility. I know that it sounds crazy, but you should always do your due diligence and ensure that there are no hidden tags or credits that you may be missing.

ASK FOR FULL SET OF IMAGES: It is very easy for someone to repost one piece of work and claim it as their own. It is much more difficult to hijack an entire gallery. While qualifying your vendors, ask to see the full set of images from the weddings you love. Not just the public gallery that they are showing; ask for the full set of images. Wedding pros who have actually worked an event will have their own behind the scenes photos they can share.

It may sound like a lot of work, but vetting your wedding professionals - especially your wedding planner - is one of the most important things you will do while building your team. Hire the right person with the right credentials - one that also sees the world as you wish it were - and you are all but guaranteed to love not just the final product, but the process. However, if you fall victim to someone who claims work that is not their own or that overly embellishes their experience, and you are likely doomed to find yourself steeped in regret. (For a real-couple’s account of their experience having hired the wrong wedding planner, watch my VIDEO or listen to my PODCAST.)

How can we as wedding professionals protect ourselves from unsavory “pros” who pass our work off as their own?

Perhaps you are wedding professional that has had your work “borrowed” by your competition; what then? Every established wedding professional that I know has experienced this. Some attempt to prevent theft and unauthorized usage by putting large logos and watermarks on their images. This is an awful look and prevents the real pros from properly showcasing their art. Additionally, anyone who wants to take any image can and will easily get around a logo. I do not believe in compromising the work to prevent the bad behavior of others. I do believe in addressing the behavior, however, and doing your best to stop others from being actively injurious.

I am not a lawyer, but I have taken the following steps with great success over the years:

If you find that your work is being used without your consent, the first thing to do is to send a message directly to the offending party. Let them know that you have become aware of their unauthorized use of your work. State clearly that you do not give this person permission to use your image/video/design/words and request that they take it down. Next, you should reach out to all of the pros that worked on the wedding or event in question and let them know that another business is sharing their work inappropriately and without credit. In my experience, other vendors will be just as disgruntled by this action as you are, and they will also reach out to the offending party. Peer pressure is a powerful influence, and often encourages the poster to remove the images they have posted. If, after all this, you still find that your work has not been removed, make your plea public. Post a comment on the image that clearly states that the work being is yours, and that it does not belong to the posting business. Request that they remove the image and make a note to follow up and ensure that they take it down. Screengrab the image, and keep a detailed record of your requests and the business’ response to them. If a week passes with no resolution, you can escalate your request by sending a cease and desist letter. In layman’s terms, “cease” means to stops doing something and “desist” advises them not to resume the behavior. This type of notification will typically be the last step you need to take in order to resolve the issue. After this, you need to either bring in an actual attorney or you need to let it go.

Personally, I struggle in letting things like this go. But I also believe that every moment I spent policing the behaviors of others takes away from the time and energy I can put into creating something new. That doesn’t mean that I stand by and allow others to wantonly steal my work. It just means that I won’t allow them to steal my time or my joy along with it.

Instead, we fight the good fight. We do the best we can. We share the work of others to celebrate them and to share inspiration, and we protect that which we created in honor of not only our work, but for the clients that we created it for. Anything else disrespects the process, the journey, and the story. If we fail to honor those things, then we have nothing. And pretty without purpose will always fall flat.

And so my engaged friends, continue to seek inspiration online. Pin the photos you love, save the Instagrams that inspire you, and use the many resources available online to educate yourself about who you are working with and what you are buying. Buy from and work with the best, and remember that integrity and art are a winning combination.

Always….

PS - My friends at Anee Atelier recently published their own account of having not only their work but their entire site plagiarized. (You can read their incredible article here).

[onestowatch]

Q&A: Laura Jean Anderson Reimagines the Great American Folk Tradition on Debut Studio EP, ‘Lonesome No More’

Photo: Ellyn Jameson

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Laura Jean Anderson has an abiding love for the classics. Old vinyl, old recording equipment and most of all, the great, old American folk tradition. A native of Olympia, Washington, Anderson developed her interpretation of the tradition while growing up in a Mormon household situated in the birthplace of grunge. She began singing as a member of church choir and continued to develop her musicianship studying classical voice at CalArts. The result is a soulful, selectively nostalgic reimagining of American folk studded with ‘80s power-synth and spits of radio crackle. With impeccable storytelling ability and the flute-like vocal turns popularized by folk legends Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, Laura takes the definitive elements of American folk and redelivers them to us, enlivened by contemporary sounds and themes.

Anderson spoke with OTW about her debut EP,  Lonesome No More, out Oct. 12 via B3SCI Records. While the seven-track EP exhibits an ample collection of production styles, themes and pacing, the collection is unified by Anderson’s spectacularly flexible and lovely voice. In speaking with Anderson, we found a skilled musician with the talent and sheer love of music for music’s sake that surely will bring her to the forefront of the rich contemporary folk community she’s found in Los Angeles.

OTW: First off, huge congrats to you. This is your first studio EP release and will likely be the introduction of your music to many new fans. What would like them to have in mind when listening to the project?

LJA: I’m just so excited to release this body of work! It's been a long road and process and hope that people just enjoy it!

OTW: Tell us about your relationship with the great American songwriting tradition that shows up in your music — how did you come into the genre?

LJA: I've always been a lover of old music and old records but it was definitely when I lived in Santa Cruz for a while that my love deepened. My community there was a bunch of artists and musicians who loved American traditional music and we would teach each other our favorite songs all day by night and busk with them in the day. I love finding new ways to honor old traditions. The whole record's approach is how to live in the gray area between old and new, analog and digital and also on a deeper spiritual level.

Photo Credit: Kaia D’alora

OTW: Do you consider the evolution of this classic tradition part of your project? If so, what does that evolution look/sound like to you?

LJA: Most definitely. Having a love for this tradition, I hope to pay homage to my personal heroes in my music and honor the tradition of storytelling while also staying true to our times, my story and the climate of culture and music.

OTW: Who are some contemporary musicians you look to as peers in advancing the tradition?

LJA: I am such a lover of old music but love when a contemporary artist strikes my heart. I love what Alabama Shakes, Kendrick Lamar, Nick Hakim and the new Leon Bridges record are doing to the American tradition of music. I’m also so inspired to have people in my community like Madison Cunningham, Superet and Matt Rose to feel inspired by!

OTW: You're originally from Olympia, Washington — how have you adapted and your sound adapted to the desert climate/expansive urbanity of Los Angeles? Did you ever live and play in Seattle and if so, what musical community/influence did you find there?

LJA: I don't think I'll ever fully shake the Olympia gal in me when it comes to my music. There will always be an element of grunge and rawness that is inescapable. But being in California has definitely introduced me to so much more music and a wider range of music. Plus, being in the birthplace of all that 60s revival music gets me feelin’ real inspired.

OTW: On a similar but separate note, how have you liked/not liked joining a larger community of musicians in Los Angeles?

LJA: The music community in Los Angeles is amazing, and I am constantly inspired by the people and the strength we give each other. I will say, I do miss the way people watch shows in the Pacific Northwest and in other parts of the country. I miss a good mosh or true let-loose dancing at shows. Letting music live as an expression rather than a career move is so important, not only for musicians, but for all people.

OTW: Speaking of letting loose, the total power ballad, “Silence Won’t Help Me Now” is the only song on the album shellacked in '80s-style pop-retro production. Did hear these influences when you first penned the track or did you discover that this instrumentation suited the song once you got into the studio? Do you hope to continue experimenting with this sound?

LJA: The 80s-style production is actually what started the track to begin with. It's definitely a different direction than my other tunes but I’ve been loving exploring and experimenting with these sounds and this style of production.  

OTW: Tell me about the producers you collaborated with on the EP — how did you come to work with them and what you found out about yourself as a musician and songwriter in the course of the production process?

LJA: I had the amazing privilege to work with producer Tyler Chester on this EP. We had met at a gig a while back and got reintroduced and starting working on these tunes one by one. It was an amazing, very collaborative experience working with Tyler. I so often feel that as a female artist (even though I'm so sick of that term "female" artist- why can't we just be an artist?!),  I am constantly fighting for my truth to be heard and my presence as a songwriter and producer to be heard, and wanting to be seen eye-to-eye. Working with Tyler, I finally was able to let my guard down and just be the songwriter and creative that I am in my heart. So inspiring to work in an environment where ego is set aside and it's just about the music and the message.

OTW: Gettin’ into the nitty gritty — where did you record the EP? How long was the production process?

LJA: It was a bit of a collage. We recorded most of it at Tyler's home studio in Eagle Rock but also some started with my home Logic productions, we recorded some of the rhythm sections at a studio in the Valley. My favorite part of the process was going to this unbelievable analog studio called Heritage Recording Co. and tracking to tape and using their real plate reverb. The whole thing took over a year to make.

OTW: You open and close the EP with two scantly ornamented songs — "Who Am I To You?" and "Lonesome No More" — can you tell us about how you arrived at the emotional arc of the album, and how the tonal arc parallels it?

LJA: I knew the moment I wrote, "Who Am I To You?" that I wanted it to end the record. It falls in line with the old American tradition of ending on a more tender moment like a waltz or gospel tune and it also means the most to me and holds together what the record means in my heart. Each song on this record dives into a particular emotion but "Who Am I To You?" is almost a reflection of them all — a deep moment of self-reflection. "Lonesome No More" felt like a good way to start the record as this statement of "I'm not lonesome, (but actually feel lonesome), bring it on world!

OTW: You explore this same theme of experiencing loneliness in the face of love in the music video, "Love You Most.” The camera follows you weaving through a collection of couples frozen in loving and not-so-loving embraces — could you tell us about the concept development of the video?

LJA: I really wanted to show the true emotion of this song in the video, which is that feeling of longing, desire and jealousy within unrequited love. I am wandering these couples, seeing them in all their scenarios and full of heartache, wishing it was me and crazing to love them more than the person they are with. When we are heartbroken, we replay scenarios in our minds of all the possible things that person is doing and this video represents that manic dream state we get ourselves in.

OTW: On a totally unrelated note, I read that you spent some time busking on the streets of Peru — how did you find yourself there? How does the experience of busking feel different than playing alongside someone like Langhorne Slim at The Troubadour?

LJA: I busked for a good four plus years and made my rent doing so. Whether it be in or out of the country, it led me to my true love of playing. It's so important in the world of making records and music career stuff and such, for us musicians not to forget to actually PLAY for the love of music. My heroes have always been the ones who play day in and day out for hours, and it feels so good to just play. Now, I don't find myself busking but I do play jazz hours on end at gigs or my music or jam old tunes with friends as many nights as I can. It brings me back to the true meaning of it all.

Photo Credit: Kaia D’alora

[hollywoodjuliorivas]

A strong force The public voice of George Lucas’ museum has diversity and accessibility on her mind A RENDERING of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which will be built in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. ( Lucas Museum of Narrative Art ) BY DEBORAH VANKIN >>> When “Star Wars” creator George Lucas broke the news last week that he had chosen Los Angeles over San Francisco’s Treasure Island as the home for his $1-billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, jokes abounded that the Force was with L.A.’s Exposition Park, where the museum aims to break ground this year. But with those clichés came a slew of questions about what, exactly, Lucas’ museum will be and what art it will house. Lucas’ wife, Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson, who will serve on the museum board, stopped by The Times to discuss the project. Accessibility and diversity are top of mind in terms of visitors and the art it will show, Hobson said, including fine-art paintings and photography as well as comic book illustration and “Star Wars” costumes. Through collaboration with nearby schools and USC, the Lucas Museum aims to become an interactive learning center with film screenings, lectures by well-known directors, visual artist residencies, a research library and more, Hobson said. “We’re going to do something very different. It doesn’t quite exist yet,” Hobson said of the museum, which will join the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California African American Museum in the park. Following is the rest of the conversation, edited for length: The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will bring culture, tourism and tens of thousands of jobs to L.A. It’s clear why the city would want it — but why did the museum want L.A.? We thought that it was in a community where we could make a difference. It was a community that wanted us, and where our neighbors were world-class museums. A lot of times young people will say to George, “How did you get these ideas?” And he thought it would be great to point to, for example, the Science Center and say, “Go across to the science museum and look at real science, go to the Natural History Museum and look at dinosaurs,” to show where ideas come from. We also wanted to be here because we’d have so many schools around us, and we saw that we’d have a captive audience, not to mention the tourists that we think will come. You have all of these students who could use this building in the way we envisioned it. I call it a school for schools — this thriving place, like a really cool, innovative community centered on this idea of narrative art and storytelling across all of these genres. It could be a place where people come after work, after school, on Saturdays and Sundays. We said: “This just could be a hotbed of learning and creativity and inspiration.” Have you talked with the other museums about collaborative programming? We’re not that far along as far as collaborative programming, but we’ve been in conversations with the museums in Exposition Park. And we’ve been on something of a museum tour. We went to Paris and visited everything from the [Fondation] Louis Vuitton to the Paris Cinematheque. George visited the Louvre, Crystal Bridges [Museum of American Art in Arkansas], the New York museums. There’s been a real effort to look at what is happening at museums in the world, put that in context, but also to … do something very different. Which is what? What’s going to separate the Lucas Museum from other museums you visited? What’s your special narrative? Our special narrative is accessibility. We want to make sure that a black kid from South Central is as comfortable in our museum as an art history student who went to Yale or Princeton. Like the Lincoln Park Zoo [in Chicago]: There’s every walk of life there. Our faces are smashed against that gorilla window alongside the family from the Near North, the South Side, the Muslim family — and that was my vision of what this museum is going to look like. We heard about the visitors at [Los Angeles County Museum of Art] and the Broad and how diverse they are, and that’s something that spoke to us. What also separates us is: Our art is not in most museums, or if it’s there, it’s not exhibited. Norman Rockwell — even though we think of him as a great American artist, in a lot of museums he has not garnered that kind of attention. And it’s this kind of accessibility that we’re trying to bring — not looking down on any art. There’s comic art, there’s pinup art, there’s photography — there’s a series of Gordon Parks photography that’s breathtaking — and, obviously, “Star Wars” archives and costumes. What other elements will the museum have? There will be two screening rooms. Our sense is there will be a cinematheque, so films will be shown every day. There will be artists in residence, a library for research — obviously a great resource for college students, PhD students, high school students. And there will be educational facilities and classrooms that will be used in the furtherance of what-ever we might be teaching at that time. Maybe we do a series on digital art, maybe a series on comic art. Is there a curator yet? What about other staffing? The curator hasn’t been hired yet. It’s the seed collection from the Lucas family, and we’ve been acquiring for the last few years, Don [Bacigalupi, museum founding president] has been part of those acquisitions, filling out the collection in areas where he thinks it’s not yet ready for prime time. We couldn’t hire anyone until we knew what city we’d be in! So now there will be hires over the next nine to 12 months. In terms of permanent jobs, the staff of the museum will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 350 full-time jobs. But the staff itself will be bigger than that in terms of visiting fellows, all sorts of people that come and go in the institution. That probably takes that number up substantially. How do you define your own role at the museum? I’m a board member, so I’m a fiduciary. I’m an interested party in, obviously, the name and reputation of Lucas — because I’m a Lucas, even though I don’t go by Lucas. And I’m the person who I’d say is intensely focused on inclusion. Do we have diverse vendors, diversity in lawyers, any service we’re buying. Building a museum, we’re going to spend a lot of money, and I want to make sure lots of communities can benefit from that spend. George has been collecting art for four decades. Have you helped to shape his collection at all? Yes, for sure. I’m thinking of things we’ve bought for our house. We have Kara Walker; we bought a really beautiful series. We bought a really great Chuck Close. We bought Frida Kahlo, which is hard to find, a beautiful Garden of Eden picture. And it’s not that George didn’t like this art, but I don’t think he’d have been as driven to collect it. He had Georgia O’Keeffe, he had Lempicka; when I started dating him, he bought his first Botero. Did the art scene in L.A., or the greater creative community, play a role in the decision to move here? L.A. is in a great renaissance right now, it’s very clear. From two football teams to maybe the Olympics to a soccer stadium, what you’ve done with public transportation — it feels like the city is seeing around corners. When we think about the art community in film, clearly the history is here in terms of Hollywood. And when we think about the art community as it’s expanded very, very successfully in Los Angeles, we think about being in good company. The museums are just thriving right now. It’s great to be a part of that. Do you feel that you’re out of the woods here as far as community pushback? I want to knock on wood and say: I think we’re out of the woods, I do. We stress-tested this. What could go wrong — we spent a lot of time thinking about that. And we got a lot of assurances, from all areas. It wasn’t just political assurances. It came from the university, from school principals who called me. So I pray that there isn’t something we didn’t foresee. I know this is for the good of society, so I hope there isn’t someone who hijacks it and takes it away from all of us. The search for a home has been almost a decade long. Do you and George feel a sense of relief? This has been a long journey, and there’s a great sense of relief. In this last iteration with San Francisco and L.A., we knew one of those cities was going to work. It wasn’t a question of if, it was which. We’re happy to be in a community that wants us. That came through loud and clear. Some people have suggested that you’re the real force behind the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Is that true? No, this museum predates me and my relationship with George. When he built the Letterman Digital Arts Center [in the Presidio], they asked him to put $3 million into escrow for a museum that would be built one day. Then, when I came along and San Francisco was not going well, I did push for Chicago — hard. That was something George really had to get his brain around. So maybe that’s where I became a bigger part of that story. After Chicago was over, I said to George one day, “Should we just be done?” I was really heartbroken over Chicago and said, “Maybe we should stop.” And he was emphatic: ‘This is something I want to do, I’m going to do it, this museum is going to be built, this is a dream, it is going to happen.” And I was like, “OK, we’re building a museum!” My role is to make sure that we do the very best job that we can, but it is George’s vision.