"We may each of us live in our own private hells, but the Devil gets a bulk deal on wallpaper. "
Ursula Vernon on shared weird feelings: It's not just you.
I love her work, but in true creepy stalker fashion, it's her blog and podcast I follow most ardently. There's something about the way Ursula Vernon speaks and writes that twangs something in my brain. I guess it's that there's a lot about her I admire: she's strong, funny, snarky and surreal, constructing immense edifices of whimsy always grounded in an earthy practicality (eg. considering the poor elf who deals with all the non-pretty injuries). She's gone through a lot of crap but picked herself up again, and has shared some of her experiences and their aftermath which may help others in true your-mileage-may-vary fashion. Most of all, she seems so forthright, honest and genuine in everything she does. Most of all, I admire people who get fired up when they speak, who occasionally stumble over their words because they're too excited and want to say it all at once. Also weird adventures. I crave weird adventures. Anyone got any adventures? Count me in.
Her publicly revealed meanderings echo with something of who I want to be. Being formed from a weird mix of science and art, craft and industry, and being hugely influenced by my parents, I look to a diverse range of sources for examples, but while there are many people I admire, there are few I want to, or could emulate. When it comes to role models, I think I could do a lot worse than this "artist and writer and creator of random oddities".
