Selection’ of the Cine Fest of Las Vegas), is there a
specific scene that moved you and why?
We know that you are also a public speaker. If you
were to give our reader an advice, what would it be?
This project started out so differently in terms of that
it was supposed to be a behind the scenes movie about
a designer just starting out and all that comes with it.
When we finished shooting over an entire year, my friend
Jonathan Medal, came to me and asked that we scrap the
entire project and reshoot just me telling my life story. He
felt that was a much better story. It took me 3 months to
decide but because it was Jonathan, I did it. He is one
of the nicest, warmest and caring people I have met in a
long time. I totally trusted him. When we sat down to do
the shooting, I took my glasses off and could not see my
notes, so I spoke for three hours straight about my life.
During that time, I found myself talking about a situation
that occurred when my parents were splitting up and me
watching the movers take my bedroom furniture out of the
house with my ear phones on. My father came and sat with
me and we both just cried at the end of our family. I never
spoke of that day because it was such a painful memory
and the song that played still triggers sadness in me to this
day. It is Chicago’s ‘If you leave me now’. It was a very sad
time for us all as my parents loved each other very much
but could not make it work. I think it shaped my whole
feeling on marriage and family. I have always chosen not
to do either. Doing the documentary changed my life in
terms of going back and reliving all of this and coming to
terms with it and realizing how it all affected me as an
adult. I can now look back with a big smile on my face
even with the bad memories. My parents even can look
at it and feel proud of me instead of sad about how it all
turned out. Now that is progress and growing up.
I have been asked over the year to speak in public
regarding all aspects of my professional life. People want
to know how you do all of this. I tell them it is lots and lots
of hard work. Sometimes 12 hour days and working every
single day until you finish. Because of all my hard work, it
has caught the attention of a worldwide promoter so we
shall see where he takes me. But, I would offer several
pieces of advice to the reader. Nothing is easy. There really
is not an easy formula for getting what you want out of life
except working very hard for it. If you are not a worker,
you can’t be self-employed. That is what all of these
projects are. They are me relying on me to get it all done
with the help of a team that I direct. You must be a leader
and a little bit of a loaner. You must always think and treat
this as a business and make decisions based upon what is
good for your business. This is not a big party for everyone
to have a fun time on your dime. When you get that that
is when it gets really hard. Last and most important is not
to be afraid to fail. I have a very different take on failing
as I have had to rise higher than I thought I could when
things did not go my way. How you handle the chips when
they are down will be a big indicator on the type of life you
will have. If you go for it and take whatever comes, you
may just be surprised. I like being surprised. My life did
not turn out in any way the way I thought it would when I
started down this road two years ago. So I have completely
thrown out my road map and now I just go for it. Best
`thing I have ever done. JUST PLAIN GO FOR IT!
Stacey Blanchet is a vivid designer within our industry
that so many people follow and admire. We’re honored
to have interviewed such an artist and are excited to keep
following her exciting journey. ?
JUST PLAIN GO FOR IT.
www.thegoodsmag.co
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