Up first, I have 25 year old Maeve Peterson-Miller also known as "Mani Maeve" who found herself working as a nail tech at MaiSunami Nails (located in Bloomington, Indiana) after her boss acknowledged Maeve's nail art skill and suggested she become a tech. Maeve had been a receptionist at the nail salon since her sophomore year in college. ManiMaeve stated " I knew I was dropping out of college and needed to make money - I enrolled at Indiana Cosmetology Academy! Nail school is lame, but Susan taught me everything I needed to know and inspired me with her professional and art skill level. The first design she taught me was a five-petal flower using a toothpick! I've developed my nail art over the past 4 years working full-time at MaiSunami". Mani Maeve's nail art work is inspired by her client's mood and needs as well as an idea hook she uses as a reference. When asked what her dream is, Maeve stated "I used to have grandiose dreams of being a renowned artist or philosopher, traveling the world, living happily ever after... these days, my goals include maintaining a healthy body and mind, making enough money to sustain myself and save up for a modest future with my boo, and acquiring practical life skills. I am planning to get my nursing degree with in the next 5 years, but am still exploring my options. I generally strive towards greater awareness, knowledge, discipline, compassion, kindness, wisdom, and love (of self and others)".
When I asked Mani Maeve about her desired location when working on pursuing her career dreams, she replied, "I'm about to go nomad for a year. I'm moving back up to South Bend in August to reconnect with my home-folks and save money...then Charleston, SC in November to live with my brother a few months. I'll do nails as an independent mobile artist, and whatever odd jobs I gotta hustle to stack cash. I have an amazing girlfriend who will be posted up in Indianapolis, so I'll likely end up there after Charleston. I'm a dandelion seed in the wind right now, letting the flow of life carry me to fertile ground." Outside of her work life, Mani Maeve enjoys contact sports including martial arts! Mani also played rugby for five years, and she spends ample time with her nephew, dancing, training, organizing hip-hop shows, and growing veggies, herbs, and flowers. I then asked Mani Maeve some of her inspirations, and she replied, "All of these questions are bigger than they appear at first! Got me thinking existentially here, woman! In general: I'm inspired by silience: the unnoticed excellence that goes on around you everyday - the hidden talents of friends, coworkers. acquaintances - which could be renowned masterpieces if they could make it to whatever machine determines and promotes 'popular taste'. While there are a ton of acknowledged artists, authors, 'activists', philosophers, and musicians that I dig, I am most effectively motivated by friends and family who are 'ordinary people' a.k.a not famous, but stubbornly and consistently create art, beauty, and love out of a desire, a need to make the world a better place, despite lacks of money, time, power, prestige, acknowledgement, gratitude. As an artist, I draw inspiration from global fashion and body decoration, space, plants, creatures, power lines, pigment, non-fiction books, street art, 'subculture', nomads, kids, Do-it-yourself attitude, up-cycling, 'outsider' artists, the un-closable space between people, boundaries, hip hop, punk, and folk music and musicians."
Fact about Mani Maeve: "I have the phrase 'this too shall pass' tattooed on my forearm in my father's handwriting. It helps me remember to take each moment as it comes because change is inevitable...When times are good, appreciate them because they won't last, and when times are bad, maintain hope for the better times to come."
Want Mani Maeve to grace your hands?? Here is her contact info:
Facebook: @Mani Maeve (www.facebook.com/manimaeve)
E-mail: maevebeetown@gmail.com
Next up is none other than one of Indiana's talented musicians, and my friend, Adrian Taylor OR "Gizmo" from Pure Star Movement!
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Gizmo, a native of Indiana who now resides in Tennessee with his fancy singing wife states, "My entire life has been about finding my identity, and how becoming a musician has helped me discover who I am...and more importantly, WHO's I am. I have been musically involved since I was 6 when I started playing the violin. It wasn't until high school until I wanted to start playing the bass guitar (9 years later). As for my dream, I would definitely say I am living my dream....well I am living it every day (laughs). Traveling the country, performing with various artists...even travelling the country and performing with my wife is a dream come true!! The story of how we met is pretty much because of music!" I then asked Gizmo about his future plans, and he replied, " My plans for the future...hmmmm...I would love to continue my legacy and show my future heirs what it means to be a musician. I don't really want too much other than to be a light to people..." Check out Gizmo and Pure Star Movement below...and be on the lookout for his wife, LaSheena Taylor.
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ONE MORE! ONE MORE! PARENT OF THE WEEK GOES TO...
Dominique Bonilla
Dominique is a Women's and Gender Studies major and a Spanish and Political Science minor at Indiana University at South Bend (with a certificate in Social and Cultural Diversity). She is an activist, singer, and a Mommy of a three-year old girl who she sets an amazing example for. Dominique plans to stay in Indiana and work within the community ( "or a more impoverished location") to assist those in need if assistance while working to break barriers within the Hispanic culture. She also wants to build self sufficiency courses for young women.
Want to nominate a "Parent of The Week"?? Let me know. In the meantime, keep dreaming, keep working, and remember the importance of your gift. And share my blog page with everyone if you enjoy reading! I'm always open to comments and discussions.
With Realness,
B. Elae
6/25/2014
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