It was sooo hard to keep this secret for so long but the time to unveil is finally here… and I am sure by the painting you can figure it out!
I AM ENGAGED.
If you have been following my blog for any time I am sure you have heard and even seen Adam a time of two. We started dating 9 years ago when we were both employed as life guards by the same amusement park. From there it just blossomed. We both went to high school and college and stayed committed to each other. Never took a break although there were plenty of chances, but we were bound to make it work. We fought against the odds we crushed the doubters and held onto our supporters. And finally on December 14th 2008 Adam asked me to be with him forever (not that there was any doubt.) The moment was beautiful the timing a little off since a few days later I was in the hospital, but the magic was there. This has been 9 years in the making, through thick and thin we persevered and made it to the end. And believe me some real thin times haha… especially the last few weeks of me being sick. My butt isn't my best side. I am sooo happy to share this moment with all of you and I can't wait for this part of my life to begin!
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Well folks I knew it is bound to happen. My first interview!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes I am soooooo excited. The very talented and wonderfully frank Amariah of Amariah Rauscher asked some questions and I was ecstatic to give some answers! Please enjoy!
1. If you could have one super power what would it be, what would you do with it, and why?
Well I could be greedy and pick a fun super power, but like most great things they can be abused. Would I love to be able to read people's minds… yes, but I also don't like temptation. So I will be modest and go with the super power of being positive. Having an optimistic outlook is so difficult for me at times. I think if I was more positive I would have more confidence in my artwork and be able to take more chances and be more apt to turn my work into a fulltime endeavor.
2. Please describe a typical day in the life of Stephanie Mannuci.
Hey who put typical and my name in the same sentence! Haha just joking.
I would like to say that on a normal day I sit and smell the roses and consume over life's little treasures, but alas, not so much. Instead like many of my fellow artists I have a fulltime job that allows very little time for my true passions.
(Isn't that everyone's story, although I have a nice job.)
I get up around 7am, shower, dress, hair & make-up. By 8:30 I am at work
I work all morning and take my lunch at Noon. I go home for an hour and eat lunch with Adam. I am back to work by 1 and work until 5:30 and then walk home (I walk to and from work).
At 6pm the fun begins. My world turns into a fun fantasy full of wonders and whimsical touches. I feel alive by 7pm and engrossed in some form of art or another. In between this time I normally find some scraps to eat and turn on my nightly dose of House to keep me company in a mad mad mad mad mad mad world. I normally craft until 12 when I go to bed and start a whole new day that isn't much different from the last.
3. If you could give a piece of advice to a random person, what would it be?
Live. I play things wayyyy to safe ALLL the time. I rarely take a plunge into things I might not be able to control. Live and enjoy spontaneity. Recently being as sick as I was I realized that in my short 23 years of time I rarely 'live'. I don't take chances, I don't live for the moment, and I certainly don't carpe diem. I would like to think it my New Years resolution to change this mundane pattern but this is years of conditioning that will take years to break. But I am going to be redeveloping things in the New Year (and by things I mean art things!)
Subjecting oneself to change is an invitation to self growth. When we close this door we are holding our self back from so many wonderful possibilities. I am not saying that you should do something ridiculous, but instead take a sensible leap. Since this is an art blog we will use art as an example. Think about a plain white virgin canvas. Stark and even intimidating. You walk by this canvas a thousand times and never touch brush to linen. You are afraid to ruin the canvas or even worse ruin this ideal picture you have already painted in your mind. You finally make the resolve to paint a bunch of roses instead of this new fun and exciting picture you had in your thoughts. So you are left with a pretty painting of a bunch of roses, but what you could have had if you only took the leap was a masterpiece of modern marvel. But looking back you can't count the coulda, shoulda, wouldas. Take the chance now!
4. What are you are most passionate about?
My art. As with many of you I am sure that it has become a part of you, an all too real extension of self. While I was unable to create I didn't feel like myself there was no joy or happiness. I then knew that a part of me was dying and then I realized that art was in direct correlation with my life and my overall well being. Take what you will from me but don't get my ability to do art and thus lose purpose. This all makes perfect sense. Think of Matisse. He towards the end of his life painted with his paint brush in his mouth… not because he wanted to, but rather because he had to. I don't paint or create because I want to, I do it because I have.
I am also very passionate about happiness. If you couldn't already tell since I have mentioned it in every questions.
I come from the parents of baby-boomers who as a result of their parents had an all to sobering up brining. Every way you want to walk is uphill both ways. The point I am getting at is. We are in a time of a generational shift. I being part of the X generation have view points that tend to differ greatly from my parents. In the time you were born, you got married, had kids, settled, had the same job for 30 years and you get the jest. Well I am not like that. I am on a journey to not reach the end and die, but on a journey to find happiness and live. I haven't found it yet but when I do I will let you all know.
5. Please describe the one thing that you are most afraid of.
Ah… this is to the heart of it. Great sequence of questioning. What am I most afraid of. On a personal level I am afraid of never making a mark. That if I were to leave this world tomorrow life would resume as if I was never hear to begin with. Growing up as young as I could remember I thought in some capacity that I was destined for something. Please don't think I have an entitlement to anything but I just always thought that there is something within me that will make me be remembered. I want to leave a mark whether it be on one person or a million.
Of course a second runner up would be the death of a direct family member (mother, father, brother). I am not afraid of death, I am afraid of loss.
And on the most superficial level I am petrified of spiders. I can't look at one on TV I can't see them dead I can't function if there is a spider around. I know there are many that share in this so I will end it there.
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I hope you all enjoyed! I know I loved doing the interview. I hope everyone is doing well and I hope to have some big changes in in my art life coming real soon. Nothing huge but a big step for me. I will be around to visit all of you very very very soon!
Smooches to all,
Steph
To see the rest swing on over to my Etsy page and check them out!
