Happy New Issue! And New Year!

Hello, 2013!  It's a brand new year and to kick it off, we're going to start a brand new issue of Brainy Girls!  Did you vote for the new theme?  The theme for January and February is going to be art and literature...but don't worry, you don't have to be a bookworm or theater geek to have fun with the new theme (although it's perfectly cool if you are).  Brainy girls have diverse interests, and I'll bet that many of you have an artistic side that complements your analytical side.  I'll be introducing you to some of my favorite artists and will write about some of them as my own heroes and role models.  In fact, to start off, I might as well tell you that LYNDA BARRY is AWESOME and I've been reading her for going on thirty years now.  And talk about art and literature...she started off cartooning (that's when I was first exposed to her), but has diverged into painting, mixed media, writing novels, and teaching writing classes.  I'm kind of a super-fan.  What I like so much about Lynda Barry's work is that she's not afraid to paint (or write) the real picture.  She tells it like it is - the good, bad and ugly.  She writes the voice of adolescent girls particularly well, and characters like Marlys, Maybonne, Arna and Arnold (erm, not a girl but still an excellent character) are my comic superheroes.  You should check out her blog!  (And you can click here to see a list of her books - please buy them from your local book store!)

I was fortunate enough to meet her at ComiCon in San Diego in 2008 - I wandered around in a shirt that said "help me find Lynda Barry" until I actually found Lynda Barry.  She was so nice to everyone she talked to (from what I saw, at least) and I was thrilled that I got to say even just a few words to her.  She'll never know the full influence she's had on my creative development, but that's my own personal journey.  Who is YOUR creative role model?

Me with my hero, Lynda Barry. Dude - that guy in the background totally photobombed my picture!!!

I'm looking forward to exploring art and literature with you over the next couple of months.  The content will slowly change from the last issue, so if there's a particular topic you'd like me to address, let me know!  Contact me through the Contact Me page!