Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle

Name: Vanessa Sanchez de Tagle
Website: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What do you do?       

I’m a photographer. I mainly like to shoot candid photos, but I also do events and themed photo shoots.

Where can we find your work?
You can find my work on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaSanchezDeTagleFotography/

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
Life is what inspires me. Everything from meeting new people to scattered rose pedals on the ground. I believe there is beauty in everything if you look close enough. I like to surround myself with positive people and travel as much as possible whether I’m going to the beach or visiting nearby cities. I need to constantly be active otherwise I’d get bored and lose motivation to do anything.  

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I believe both are very important, but I also believe that investing some time with the piece shows how much effort that was put into it and is more effective to its audience.  

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
My family, close friends and anyone who is passionate about what they do.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
I would be Ofelia from Pan’s Labyrinth because I like to get lost and explore unusual places. Except my Spanish is terrible haha!

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come to me when I am up late at night and when I’m running.  

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I mainly use my Canon 60D, but occasionally I like to use my Holga or Polaroid camera when I’m feeling adventurous.

Are you self-taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?

I started photography at a young age. I got a camera and began taking photos of everything in sight. I carried a camera with me everywhere I went and over the years taught myself that certain angles and colors can make an image unique. It wasn’t until college when I took a film photography class and learned the importance of lighting among other things.

What would your creative work taste like?
Sweet like key lime pie with glass of moscato on the side.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
I love to dance hip hop, hiking, running, thrifting, going to shows, and spending time with loved ones.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
As I mentioned earlier, I would always carry a camera everywhere I went and try to capture special moments or things that caught my attention. It was my way to make a memory last. I didn’t realize that I had talent until people complimented me on my photos. My grandma was the one who encouraged me to take my photography seriously. Over the years I would always post my work online, but it wasn’t until last year that I had my first solo show at Silicon Valley De-Bug in San Jose where they were kind enough to let me display my photos for the world to see.  

Here’s the link to see my window gallery:

http://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/articles/2012/09/13/de-bug-gallery-presents-mi-vida-sj-photographer-vanessa-sanchez-de-tagle

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Do what makes you happy and don't let anyone or anything hold you back from what you want. Never settle for anything less than what you deserve. Most importantly, always remind yourself why you love what you do.

Vida Killz

Name:  Vida Killz

Website: www.vidakillz.com
               www.organizedthreat.com

What do you do?
I am a poet/emcee, an audio engineer, producer, and a photographer.

Where can we find your work?
Last year I wrote/recorded and released an EP every month, the site for those albums is: www.vidakillzepproject.bandcamp.com

I also post music/beats/remixes monthly on my soundcloud:
www.soundcloud.com/vidakillz

random older music:
www.vidakillz.bandcamp.com

Youtube here:

www.youtube.com/vidakillz

My photography blog (still working on it)
www.creatingmicultura.tumblr.com

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
My main artistic expression, poetry, is typically created through tough times. I tend to write through tough times therefore writing acts as a sort of motivation. In high school I learned of stream of consciousness writing which is what the majority of my poems are and I have found that I birth the best pieces when from emotionally charged situations.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
I think they all play a significant piece in creation. I base the importance of each per project, whether it be a song, photo, beat, etc. Some songs I chose to record with my SM57, to give the song a more raw feel and typically to match a raw subject matter. Other songs I record with my condenser microphone for a more polished sound and feel.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
One of my number one influences is my best friend and partner. She’s inspired numerous of my poems and songs. Aside from that, my main inspirations can range from the wind to a conversation with a stranger. I like to think that inspiration has no restrictions.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
The Owl, Hedwig.

When do you get your best ideas?
My best ideas come after intense thought meditation sessions.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
I use a lot of different materials and tools, the main are: pen, microphone, computer and camera.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
I am self taught on most of my avenues of creation. I am working on my music technology degree, which definitely benefits my output with mixing and mastering. I think both of which have influenced my work, for the better. I’ve been able to create without any pressure of a structure to follow, which at times allows my art to be very odd, yet raw. I enjoy it though.

What would your creative work taste like?
Funfetti Cake with vanilla frosting.

 When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Enrich my mind, by doing homework, reading, watching movies, conversing.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
Honestly, writing was an escape from a lot of negative thinking I was having in which I felt that I didn’t have anyone to talk to about. So after feeling overwhelmed for a bit, I decided to pick up a pen and I haven’t turned back. Being comfortable with performing came with time. Sharing via online or in person was just something that came with the territory. I feel that my music is how I communicate with people and how I feel most connected, therefore, if I do not share I end up feeling detached from reality.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
Persevere and never apologize for what you create. 

Yao-pi Hsu

Name: Yao-pi Hsu

Website: www.yaopiphoto.com

What do you do?

After 34 years in bioscience research, I retired and now pursue photography.

Where can we find your work?

- A member of Los Gatos Museum Gallery: 24 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los

Gatos CA.

- Main Gallery of Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA.

- Annual Silicon ValleyOpen Studios in May.

- Annual group shows of Santa Clara Art Association, Fine At League of Cupertino, Allied Artists West,
  Pacific Art League.

- Summer Fair at Triton Museum, Santa Clara.

- Many community exhibition sites.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things

get tough?

The joy and reward of being in the right place, at the right time to freeze the moment and to capture the beauty of our surroundings are invigorating. I delight in capturing the extraordinary beauty of an ordinary subject and in creating something new that is already there. After more than ten years of photography, I have no problem lacking motivation or inspiration, the only frustration I have is the lake of time.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or

technique/process?

I think the content/finished product is more important than the technique/process. I view photography more as a form of art. By all means technique is important in the beginning to build skills for higher quality work.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?

Ansel Adams, Art Wolfe and many world famous photographers just to name a few, their work inspires me. The instructor who influenced me the most is the late Tom Sparaocino, a tenured professor of San Jose City College. He also taught art classes at adult education for Santa Clara Unified School District for 25 years. I studied with Tom for fifteen years until his death last year. I learned basic painting techniques of various mediums and he shared his knowledge of photography with me. I valued his guidance, encouragement and feedback .

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?

I don’t know.

When do you get your best ideas?

The best ideas come at different times and occasions: observing nature, talking to artists, and viewing many different artists’ work, driving in the car...etc.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?

Cameras, computer and Photoshop.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has

influenced or affected your work?

I got my MS degree from UC Davis and worked 34 years in the bioscience research field. When I was young I liked drawing and art, but career and family took my time. After my two daughters left home and I retired I began exploring visual media. My two award winning photos from a trip back to China inspired me to pursue photography. Although not formally educated in photography, I’m self-taught and have attended a six month correspondence class from New York Institute of Photography. Art and science each take a turn in how I understand the world around me. As a fine art photographer, I apply the same principles I used in scientific research: search and research, examine and reexamine, and explore concepts from different perspectives. I explore the world around me, as I look for a reflection, angle or perspective that represents how diverse and abundant the world expresses form and beauty.

What would your creative work taste like?

Lots of my fans told mythat my photos look like painting. I want my photos to evoke viewers the feeling and emotion that I experienced.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?

Knitting, crochet, crafts, visiting daughters, grandkids and travel.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence

to put it out there for everyone to experience?

First and most important is to have passion in what you are doing. In the first few years of photography, I concentrated on learning and sharpening my skill. Once I got comfortable with my skill, creative ideas emerged. In my first creative work, “Profound Memory,” I combined seven layers of photos. This piece got the Award of Excellence in photography from AVArt Fest at the Triton Museum.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?

Follow your instinct and intuition, if you like the process and you like the product, go for it.

Michael Foley

Name: Michael Foley
Website: http://www.onibatsu.com

What do you do?
I am a painter, Illustrator, photographer and general smart ass

Where can we find your work?
My work can be found online through my website (http://www.onibatsu.com) which links to the many social sites where I post often. I regularly show at the Kaleid Gallery in San Jose. Also I frequently show in different galleries in San Francisco and Los Angeles currently.

What inspires you to create and how do you keep motivated when things get tough?
I find myself inspired often by very random things. wondering around I watch people and pay close attention to the mundane, this is where you will notice a lot of people’s quirks. Sometimes it might be something going on in this world, something happening in the community or something completely internal that needs to come out. Things get tough? It seems it has been quite tough for longer than I can remember, to be honest it has become a very helpful inspiration. If life was comfortable and perfect it would be hard to create anything honest. There are many times when I am not motivated, when I feel a block, so I move to another medium which requires me to think and work differently, it actually has helped me to come back and tackle the piece I was stuck on refreshed and able to finish.

What do you think is more important content/finished product or technique/process?
You know I used to be more about the finished product. Perhaps because I have met so many people who claim to be “Artists” and always talk about being an artist and rarely ever make anything. Really they are merely playing a character, because when they do make something with full drama and flayer it tends to be some trite cliche. Seeing this utter crap inspires me to work harder and not to be just like that. However over the years I have become more 50/50 towards the finished product vs technique. There are some loose and sketchy work by artists that I love immensely. Look at Egon Schiele, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Raymond Saunders, Yoshitaka Amano’s loose works where it’s raw, you get to see how they work and I just love that. It inspires me to create and try new things, to look at thing differently. Sometimes it’s the experiment and trying something outside of your usual forte that can be truly exciting. I know there are pieces I have made which were loose and technically not my best but I learned from them a lot, and some of those are my favorites because of that growth.

Who are some people who influence and/or inspire you?
Irene Hentschke, Maile & Malia Sing, Kendra Jacobs, Lacey Bryant, Hans Zimmer, Christopher Nolan, Danny Devito, Lloyd Kaufman, Hideo Kojima, Akira Yamaoka, Mike Patton, Cevin Key, Yoshitako Amano, Egon Schiele, Klimpt, Raymond Saunders, Jim Lee, John Kricfalusi, Jackson Publick, Amy Tan, Neil gaimen, David Fincher, Jeff Soto, Gumpei Yokoi, Oprah, Trent Reznor, Lovecraft, John Waters, Margaret Cho, Poe, Hayao Miyazaki, Shigero Miyamoto, all for so many different reasons.

If you could be any fictional character who would you be?
I think I would be Bender from Futurama. Simply enjoying life to it’s fullest.

When do you get your best ideas?
It usually comes when I am not near any art supplies, often at night. I am totally a night person, so I tend to function better late at night.

What materials/tools do you use most to create your work?
Right now I am diving into oils. Before that it was primarily acrylic, sumi ink, graphite.

Are you self taught or formally educated? How do you think that has influenced or affected your work?
Well I am completely self taught. Everyday I am learning something new and growing. Missing out on the formal art education I do feel like my work is not as refined as I would like, though it’s getting better everyday. I Know quite a few people who graduated from the formal training who are no longer artists and now have huge debt. Their experiences of going to school to be brow beaten into not wanting to create art anymore while incurring future debt seems like I made the right choice. I have not paid a person to mold me into someone else’s style, I am proud to know my lack of funds and stubbornness has been a great blessing in disguise.

If your creative work was edible what would it taste like?
like the perfect Cannoli or cheesecake accompanied with the most amazing espresso in the world. A rich complex taste that fills you and gets you excited.

When you are not creating what do you like to do?
Spending time with people I care about, enjoying life and laughing my ass off. Going to different clubs to see the bands I like play. Seeing a good film. Getting lost somewhere I have never been and exploring what’s around. Reading the piles of books I keep meaning to get to. Traveling (how I miss that one) and playing video games, yes I love videogames.

How did you learn to access your creative talents and gain the confidence to put it out there for everyone to experience?
I used to draw comics all the time as a kid and wanted to be this animator and comic book artist. I used to keep to myself and just draw all the time. As for coming out to showing my work, I’m pretty insecure and truly an introverted person, have been my entire life. I used to let my insecurities keep my work hidden. Eventually I overcame this, I told myself (or insecurity) to fuck off and just start showing my work. Expecting things to be a massive failure. After a few years It has become a lot easier and I am not as introverted as I once was.

What advice would you give others just beginning their creative adventures?
If you are creating just for the fun of it as a hobby, just dive in and make it a treat to yourself. Meet other creative types and get involved in your local art communities. Like learning a foreign language, immersion is the best teacher. If you are planning on making this driving passion your career, have some practical common sense. Ideally have a regular job to stay afloat. I say this because this is a field in which you are easily exploited. I have run into many, MANY promoters, bands and start up companies that ask that you work hard to make something for nothing. Often you are treated as if this will be a great opportunity just for you, the proverbial carrot over the horses head, for the artist the carrot is often called “exposure”. Don’t fall for it. Also don’t let rejection get you down, it’s really hard to deal with at first, but you have to develop a tough skin. Also, keep making work on a regular basis.