Right now I’m trying to do as much things as I possibly can. Photography, writing, painting, just basically those main things but also sculpting, interviewing people, seeing as many movies and reading as much as I can. "In order to write about life you must live it." You have to live life to the fullest, by staying home and inactive the more you destroy your creativity and the more your art suffers.
Are you working on any projects right now?
Not really, trying to get through school, reading as much as possible. [I have a routine] I do at least 2 hours of art, then read at least 50 pgs of anything an article, books, anything. It disciplines me in a way to be very committed to my work instead of someone who procrastinates.
How did you get into art?
Growing up, I was kind of a very awkward kid. I was god awful at sports. I was growing up extremely shy and I secluded myself in my room. I was a recluse. Doing things like acting, I could be other people, or drawing I could create my own world and creatures that would except me. It’s like being a god, you create things, the creation of different worlds, similar to writing.
Are you pursuing art as a career in any way?
Yes. I talked to my mom about it, ever since I got into van Gogh, I want to get into painting. My mom told me I’m guaranteeing myself a life of poverty, but that’s okay with me: I want to be remembered artistically. I don’t want a big nice rich man job, I want to have the full artistic experience. I want to have wild stories to tell.
What are you studying now?
I’m getting an associate in fine art, and then going into film or after that somewhere like national geographic. I love the national geographic. I’m just going to go for it and live the life, travel, and do it all before I pass away.
Tell me about your theater background?
I really got into theater ever since I was a little kid, ever since 6 years old. I wanted to be other people. You can be anybody, a drunk, prostitute, super hero. It releases you into another world. The audience doesn’t have to know you, or your flaws, just this beautiful connection where they only have to know your character. I can appear to be anything I want them to think I am. It’s creative lying which I like. I can make them feel anything I want for an hour.
Do you consider yourself a story teller, because to many people it seems like you are always in a character? It’s a charming quality in your personality.
Yea I do. I think that when I was little I liked making up little stories. The problem is when teachers tell me to write an essay, I always turn it into a person’s story or a personal story. I want to live my life as a story, and have stories that other people can tell about me.
Who are icons for you? Who do you look up to?
I recently really got into Vincent VanGogh during the last couple months of high school. I appreciate his method, style, views on life. When I was younger I looked up to the movies of Tim Burton. Writers I really like T.S. Elliot, Agatha Christie, Hemingway, some contemporary authors, Tim Obrien, Ronald Dahl J.K. Rowling
Next place you want to travel to?
It would have to be back to turkey. I have a lot of family there. They took me to so many museums, cafes, it wasn’t stereotypical middle eastern country. It was kind of Chicago, but people speak another language. They have these 500 yr old buildings and there is so much history. It’s a very beautiful country, and when you know people it makes a bigger connection. It’s reassuring to know you have people you can relate to outside of the U.S. We went to beaches, and there were cats and dogs running around everywhere, it was nice to see.
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| Featured Photography by Akdemir |
