Inspirations

Between his passion for music and his dedication to acting, Johnny Depp truly is an inspiring man. I first realized who he was when my sister and I rented Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and honestly, I didn't have a clue who Johnny Depp was and why people were making a fuss. I just knew that Capt. Jack was the funniest man I had ever seen on film, thus beginning my first celebrity crush. I began watching more of his films and appreciated his diversity and career risks. While I never dream of becoming an actress, I do dream of being a writer. Depp never loses his integrity, making creative movie choices rather than blockbuster, acting in films he believed in or had a personal impact on him. That's what I long to do in my writing career-to be unafraid, to be totally honest with the stories I'm meant to tell, and to never give up on my dream.

She's witty, clever, and gosh darn it, a class-A flirt! Jane Austen NEVER SETTLED FOR LESS, giving herself to a life spent as an unmarried maid in a time when marriage was the thing to do. She did it because she was independent, fierce, romantic, and a female writer. The novels Austen published, they weren't "literary" completely; they were romantic novels that offered intellectual commentary on the world she lived in: flirtation, dresses, dances, marriage, men, family life, and personal growth for her female leads. One day, I hope to be as fearless as she, to never give in to the world's standards. However, like for Austen herself, a Mr. Darcy in my life is always be welcomed. :)

Emily Bronte-the woman whose first and only novel inspired me to write Hallucinated Angels. Bronte went to the dark side of romance and passion and never apologized for her entirely flawed cast of characters. What completely amazes me, however, is her incorporation of life events and limitless ideas of what love can become if untamed and otherworldly. There's a reason why Wuthering Heights is one of literature's greatest achievements that still overwhelms critics with its subject matter. Emily Bronte did not reign her creative thoughts within society's usual standards. Her lifestyle gave her the opportunity to write freely and having to face no judgement or criticism, she indeed did so. She truly is inspiring.
This psychedelic, logic-less, strange but powerful tale is perhaps one of the most impacting story I have had the chance to read. Lost in a world she doesn't understand, Alice asks the questions the audience asks, "Why??"; but Wonderland creatures and Lewis Carroll simply laugh and say, "Why not?!" From a picnic past time meant to entertain a little girl to a bestselling novel, Alice in Wonderland has spoken to millions about the painful realization that we all cannot be both child and adult, that the world cannot be made sense of, and that imagination is a weird and powerful thing.

They say when J. M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan, he was writing about himself. This was a man who could play with children but had difficulty in his adult relationships. The story of Peter Pan is not all merely fun and games of a magical place where you never grow up; it's about the heartbreaking transition from child to adult and the understanding that we all must go through it one day. The reason why being a child seems more appealing is because of the lack of responsibility and immediate gratifications. But Wendy realizes there are things worth living for: family...and love. Capt James Hook, while a frightening and dangerous villain, was also a gentleman and treated her like a lady. In the recent Peter Pan film with Jason Isaacs, Hook and Wendy seemed to have a mutual attraction: they both desired love and to be loved in return. There are so many subtle symbols and motifs within Barrie's story and play, enriching the reader every time. Personally, I long to never grow up and hold onto my slipping imagination; but like Wendy, I want to fall in love and become a real mother; I want to do more with my life than be a girl and always have fun.
1/6/10-Saw the play for the first time today...amazing. It wasn't what I expected, definitely written to keep children entertained. Clever and creative, esp. with the lack of props and cast members. I actually liked Peter Pan more than Capt. Hook this time. My friend and I were the only people our own age; everyone else was on a elementary school trip or chaperone. We had front and center seats-incredible. Exciting parts: flying (into the light), thimble vs. kiss, Tinkerbell drinks poison, cave fight, final fight, death of Jas. Hook.
To some, she destroyed Great Britain; to others, she changed the world. Anne Boleyn was a fierce woman who knew exactly what she wanted and went to any lengths to achieve it. Meant to be a tool for her father and uncle to gain power, Boleyn was placed as one of the queen's ladies in court. She was suppose to attract the king's attention, perhaps even sleep with him as her sister Mary had done before. But Anne did not want to simply be known as the king's mistress; she wanted to become queen. Using only her wit and charm, for many believed her to be of untraditional beauty, Anne seduced King Henry until he was hanging onto her every last word. Her influence caused him to divorce his wife whom he loved dearly, reduce his daughter of noble birth to a simple Lady Mary, break ties with Rome and the Pope, create the Church of England with Henry as the head, dissolve Catholicism and introducing Protestant beliefs, rise her family's status and become the mother of England's greatest monarch-Elizabeth I. Anne Boleyn was a poet, politician, fashion icon, religious activist, and queen all rolled into one. She knew what she was capable of and did not give up. She rose to the top on her own, without her father or uncle's assistance, even when they told her, "Enough." In my opinion, Henry and Anne truly fell passionately in love with each other, though Anne may have grown into that role. She was Henry's equal-he valued her opinions, allowed her to speak her mind, even if she lost her temper. England was a truly Catholic nation, like many other countries in Europe. To introduce the king to new Christian beliefs found in the Protestant ideas was suicide, yet she managed to win his approval. Of course, the bitterness and anger at the Pope for not giving him the divorce from Katherine he desire may have made him bias as well.

The ever adorable Mindy Kaling is a writer, producer, director, and actress for the NBC comedy The Office. Now, I've always loved the show for its four central characters, especially the Jim/Pam romance. But now that their story is taken care of, my attention is now on one of the ensemble characters, particularly Kaling's Kelly Kapoor. Not only is she India with short black hair, but she's perky, a romantic, vain, and a little insane. Don't you love her already? Kaling said the other writers on the show created the character of Kelly as an exaggerated form of herself: talkative, into pop culture, and maybe a little ditzy. Nevertheless, Mindy is an inspiration because she's an Indian writer AND comedian AND actress, which means there is no limit to what she can do. Her parents were supportive, so that means a lot because that makes me hopefully my parents will be too.