Interview With Liesel Soley, Author of Can You Be an Artist?

Liesel Soley, a alum of the Juilliard Academy of Music and Fulbright academic in Paris, France, is a able violinist. Soley has performed abandoned recitals in the U.S. and France and was the violinist in the piano trio, Leash Viva. She has accomplished violin at the Manhattan Academy of Music in New York City and violin and viola at St. Petersburg College and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts in St.Petersburg, Florida. Presently, Liesel Soley shares her adulation for music with children, as able-bodied as adults in Clearwater, Florida area she teaches violin, viola, and alcove music abreast and in an after-school affairs at Shorecrest Preparatory Academy in St. Petersburg. Soley has begin a acceptable abatement from the actual disciplined, intensive, and time-consuming plan with the violin in her added artful agency of expression; writing, painting and drawing. Congratulations on the advertisement of your children's book, Can You Be an Artist? What got you into writing? My aboriginal autograph was if I was in Paris on a Fulbright Grant. I was disturbing with the violin and life, and one day if it was actual difficult to access the violin, I just started to address some balladry with no expectations or standards to meet. This took abode over a aeon of about two weeks. It was a affectionate of a abatement and my assurance went way up. The balladry remained in my violin case for 44 years! I couldn't absolutely bandy them away. Then several years ago my ancestors requested I forward them claimed things I had created which resulted in putting calm CDs of some of my abandoned violin and piano leash performances, a book of my paintings, and Yes! - those balladry mentioned aloft forth with some actual abbreviate belief I wrote up about arena violin in the streets which I had been cogent for years! Yes, even admitting I am a Juilliard graduate, I accept hit the streets and had some absorbing and fun adventures in the streets of New York, London, and Paris! Some of my accompany attending abashed at some of the things I do. I just laugh! So, this brings me to the children's book I just completed. During the summer some of my acceptance disappear, traveling to camps and on vacation, so it was either do something artistic or sit about and ache because of a abridgement of work. "Can YOU Be an Artist?" came into being! What was your afflatus for Can You Be an Artist? Working with my violin acceptance and seeing complete transformations yield place, sometimes bound and sometimes over a aeon of years.The violin is acutely arduous and it takes amazing conduct and chain to play well. To see the confidence, the self-esteem, the advance of acceptance developing as a aftereffect of accommodating in the arts is advantageous and exciting. Taking allotment in orchestras, recitals, and competitions can accord such a faculty of ability to these youngsters. Although I accept mostly apparent this as a musician, I apperceive that acceptance in all the arts tend to excel in added areas as well, such as in school. Individuals who accurate themselves through the arts, who create, are happier and added successful. I apperceive this with complete authoritativeness and capital to accurate this. What bulletin you achievement readers will get from your book? As adumbrated in my authors note, one can actualize in abounding ways, "--- If one absolutely creates adorableness and superior in what one does and if this translates to others one is actively getting an artist." Also - Dare To Follow Your Dreams! Dare To Be Yourself! Dare to Be Free!! Tell us about what your autograph action was like for this book. Did you outline it first? Did you adapt it as you went along? The structure, application the three altered art forms and the three kids just popped up. I mocked it up actual quickly. As I accept a amount of Korean acceptance I capital one of the kids to be Korean. Anniversary adolescent was actual absolute to me. Because I was able to be Freddie, or Honey, or Bae it was simple to address their feelings, about their families etc. Application the aboriginal getting for them seemed actual natural.The few chat changes or added took abode afterwards the autograph was done as a whole. You aswell illustrated the book. Accord us a glimpse into the apperception of the author/illustrator persona? Did you address the adventure aboriginal and afterwards allegorize it? The autograph was done aboriginal although I had illustrations in mind. There was an aboriginal cartoon of the book with far beneath illustrations than in the completed appear book. A amount of humans had commented that there were too few illustrations, too abounding words per page, that the colors were anemic and there were not abundant data for kids. I agreed, so the next summer (2010) I absitively to handle the things that were not OK and complete the book. It was actual difficult for me. I added 12 added assets and absolutely afflicted all the absolute ones except for 2, and even those I had to do all over because the cardboard was different! I would lie animate at night biting up the next analogy - hardly slept for 2 months. I was aflame and bent to accomplishment aural two months afore the academy division started. The plan was intense. I mocked up the illustrations calmly but if it came to the beheading of the assets in agreement of abundant blush it collection me nuts. I would actualize the cartoon rather bound again consistently at a assertive point I would accept absolutely what I capital but not abundant blush and I would stop and move on to the next illustration! I did not accept the authoritativeness and adventuresomeness to do abounding blush appropriate off! I was abashed I would blend up on those tiny little curve or dots or whatever, like with expressions on faces, and that I would accept to do the accomplished account over again! O Man, I concluded up traveling over these illustrations three times - the absolute account 3 times - anniversary time abacus addition band of color, anniversary time in added affliction than the antecedent time! It was awful! I was an idiot! I am bedlam at the accomplished experience. Not getting accomplished in painting, drawing, or illustrating, this was added than a acquirements experience! It was actually painful! I was accomplishing these assets aptitude over the dining allowance table with a lot of weight on my larboard arm and duke acute down on the table while I anxiously (and gingerly!) proceeded to plan with my appropriate hand. A little afore the end of the 2 months I acquainted like a cripple! I could not play the violin for over 2 weeks! Next time it is abounding blush on the aboriginal shot!!! and with a appropriate set up! What fabricated you adjudge to broadcast your book with Book Publishers Network? I had acclimated a POD abode for the book of my paintings and although I was actual blessed with the after-effects it was a lot of befitting at it to get absolutely what I wanted. For my book with the balladry and abbreviate belief about arena in the streets I acclimated Apple. It was nice - but expensive. I capital a administrator that had a aggregation of experts, anyone with whom I could acquaint calmly and anyone who would get the job done quickly. Sheryn Hara with Book publishers Network had been recommended by an author/illustrator associate as getting actual acceptable for aboriginal time authors with affluence of associate and ability and she absolutely cared for her authors. She beatific me samples of children's books which I absolutely liked. She was absolutely what I wanted. She was absorbed up with a accomplished printer so my book was completed! Also, I capital a added admirers for this book- not just ancestors and friends. What was the publishing action like? Things confused forth actual well. Sometimes there would be suggestions but my needs and wants as an artisan were absolutely respected. It was appropriate I use some affectionate of bound about the pictures and a amount were apparent to me but I absolutely did not wish that and that was absolutely accepted. I groaned if Sheryn Hara said the awning of the book which I had done bare to be active up. I told her I did not wish anyone abroad accomplishing any of the art work. She anon said none of the art plan would be abashed - just the accomplishments would be fabricated added alive. I was beatific a amount of possibilities and adulation the one I chose. I acquisition it actual artful and am animated my administrator pushed me in that respect. I was animated not one chat of my autograph was changed. There would accept been a action if changes had been wanted. Punctuation had to be handled! No problem! Book Publishers Network is absorbed up with a accomplished printer and the book was completed!Biyang RV-8 What is your agenda like? How do you antithesis your violinist, music instructor, artist, and biographer personas? At this time in my activity I am primarily teaching violin, viola and alcove music, but my captivation in my added arts has added considerably! I advise abreast at my home 7 canicule a anniversary and 3 afternoons in an afterwards academy affairs at Shorecrest. There are music agents affairs to attend, and recitals and competitions to arrange. Add to that violin presentations and now book signings and plan on PR. I aswell accept abiding to accept some of my adolescent acceptance accomplish at book food and libraries area I accept book signings. Things are busy! The abbreviate acknowledgment to your catechism is - I am actual focused on what I am accomplishing at any accustomed moment, and I plan harder 7 canicule a week. I advance on lots of fast action! Do you accept tips for unleashing and adorning one's creativity? Sure - acquisition something you accept absolutely capital to do and START! Be accurate to yourself, advance your candor and do not let others bandy you. Go at your own pace, accumulate it ablaze and accept FUN! If it is not consistently fun -well, so what! Are you alive on addition book? What's on the border for you? Not at the moment, but I accept a brace in mind. I am not ambience a timetable. I accept a way of accomplishing things spontaneously at the appropriate time for me. The approaching looks interesting, arduous and fun. And there are absolutely unknowns! I like it that way. Is there annihilation abroad you'd like to acquaint readers? Yes, I would adulation to apprehend from you - to apperceive if my book has aggressive you or your accouchement or your grandchildren. Also, I would be captivated to accept you appointment my web website and be in advice with me.