Welcome to the first interview of my Voices of Reason Project. I’d like to thank my talented friend Margot Sampson for agreeing to be one of two “guinea pigs” to get the project started. Margot is an accomplished singer, songwriter, actress, painter, and videographer. Oh, yeah, and she raps, too. Can you say “force of nature”? I knew you could. You can find out more about Margot at her website. Read on for Margot’s answers to my almost-probing questions.

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–First off, how would you describe yourself?

I would describe myself as a pretty happy person, someone who enjoys the adventures of life and who is genuinely interested in knowing what brings other people joy. I much prefer diving into an authentic conversation with someone and getting to the “real” stuff without too many of the usual pleasantries getting in the way. I laugh at myself easily and frequently—a good belly laugh goes a long way, and I’m a firm believer that laughter truly is the best medicine.

I am very sensitive to the emotions and energies of others, and yes, I sometimes get verklempt at a mere TV commercial, but let’s blame that on the hormones, shall we? I am fair to a fault sometimes (it’s the Libra scales!) and a good listener, though I do my fair share of talking too… some of it, admittedly, to myself. I’m starting to feel like I’m answering a questionnaire for a dating service, so I’m going to move on to the next question…

–How has creativity come to play such an important role in your life?

I spent a good portion of my childhood in my imagination, so that’s probably where it all started in the caverns of my wacky mind. Then I found out I had a singing voice and became involved in school concerts and musicals, but that’s a whole other story. Suffice to say if I am not doing something creative, I am stifled, I am stuck, I am stagnant.… all of the “s” words. Of course, I don’t always clue into that until I start to get stuck, stifled, or stagnant, but it usually doesn’t take too long for me to figure it out and do something to get back on track.

There are so many ways to be creative, and for me, because I am easily overwhelmed by the amount and range of inspiration I receive, it can become a balancing act (there are those Libra scales again). But when I finally get out of my way and choose something to actually do instead of being a deer in the headlights, it’s reallllly rewarding and leads to much better flow in all areas of my life. Easy to say, not so easy to consistently follow through with, but that’s all part of the game, yes?

–You have a number of areas in which you create: Singing, acting, painting, making videos. And I may be missing some. How do all these facets work together in your creative life?

I think of it like a wheel of fortune in my mind (minus the big money prizes from TV) with a different creative project on each of the spokes, and on any given day, I have no idea where the wheel will land in my mind, but I kind of like to go with what I actually “feel” like doing as opposed to what I think I “should” do. My brain works visually—I see ideas for stage plays, commercials, I see color and light and design and paint and fabric, and all things that are aesthetically pleasing catch my eye. I am also greatly affected by music and have a strong connection to the cosmic consciousness—or whatever you’d like to call it—through singing. It is an indescribable feeling for me when I can express myself vocally, and I don’t necessarily mean in front of an audience, though that can be pretty powerful and amazing too. I am most joyful when I’m at home, by myself and singing at the top of my lungs to whatever song I’m drawn to that particular day. I hear music that I attempt to capture by various means; I hear words that turn into poems and songs; sometimes I’m compelled to pick up a paintbrush and do something with color, and many times these things can happen simultaneously… did I mention I’m sometimes overwhelmed?

–Part of my reason for starting this project stems from my belief that creativity is inextricably tied in with respect, freedom, and peace. Artists seem have an understanding of these things that can be somewhat lacking elsewhere. Can I get some thoughts from you on that?

I think the reason artists have an understanding of these things is because of their connection to that creative power—they are more at peace with themselves and have no need for the drama that goes on around them. For me, I think there needs to be more respect for the expression itself and not so much focus and judgement on whether something is deemed “good” or “bad”. Freedom of expression, yes, but I think it’s more important to acknowledge the act of creating—going from thought to action. It’s easy to get stuck in limbo there, even more so if you think you’re going to be judged negatively before you’ve even put the paint to the canvas or the pen to the paper. That’s why painting like a kid is so great—you can give yourself permission to not be perfect, and that can be a wonderful thing. I have no idea if that even remotely answered your question, but there you have it…

–It seems that governments are paying less and less attention to the arts these days. What’s your take on this issue?

My take on this would be a double take. Seriously. It’s sad but true; the very things that move us, bond us, and inspire us are being slowly stripped away because of budget cuts and ignorance. Sometimes I feel like we’re all part of an iceberg that is slowly melting away, and we’ll be swimming with the polar bears looking for a place to perform if we can’t wake people up to the reality of our dissolving culture. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of cold water so would rather find another way… will have to get back to you on what exactly that is, but I’m working on it in my own way.

–I’ve heard it said that that the best way to read a culture is to look at its art. What do you suppose future archeologists might surmise about our society?

Yikes—that’s a tough one. I don’t know how qualified I am to answer that, considering I’m a bit of a hermit and may not be “up” on all that’s going on around me artistically, but I’d like to think that regardless of the era, there are still connections being made to people from the art that is being created—that’s what it’s all about, yes? If it’s not affecting anyone, including the artist who is doing it to begin with, we’re in serious trouble. I don’t think that’s the case, though—I believe people are expressing themselves in so many ways that future archeologists can’t help but see we are a society that is thirsty for expression. I think the fact that it is becoming more financially difficult for many to do that only increases the desire and passion to put something out there that will be our own “mark” within our communities and perhaps (hopefully) the world.

–In your experience, is technology really helping us as much as the pundits tell us it is? Or is everything just moving too fast nowadays?

I think technology can be very helpful in that it opens other creative doors in the world of computer graphics and recording, but it can also be detrimental in that we may sometimes be relying too much on the ideas and options within certain programs as opposed to using our own imagination or tapping into that creative place to see what inspirations await us. We can definitely get more done, and at a faster pace, but there is something to be said for the slow, steady flow of ideas that is born naturally and not prompted by the tools of the trade that do the thinking for us sometimes.

–Finally, to end on as big a question as I started with, what’s your guiding philosophy?

I’m no Buddha, but I’m convinced if there are too many obstacles, it’s time to look for an alternate route. Oh, if only I’d realized that much sooner in life, I would have saved myself a great deal of angst, but where’s the fun in that? We get an idea in our heads and charge forward without thinking of whether or not it’s going to further us on our journey—then when we get frustrated with the obstacles we encounter, we sometimes forget to ask ourselves why we were doing it to begin with. Oy vey.

Yes, at times we’re being tested to see if we’re truly doing what we’re meant to be doing, but other times, it’s a giant wake-up call to ask ourselves what the heck it is that we want to be doing. Just because you’ve received an inspiration for something doesn’t necessarily mean you always have to act on it—I have scribblers full of ideas I’ve received (which will one day go into a book) but if I dropped everything and tried to make them all happen I’d lose my mind I’m sure. So, if I’m feeling reallllly passionate about a project and it keeps repeating like a rinse cycle in my head, I take that as my cue to do something about it and trust that if it’s meant to be and I stay in the joy of it, I’ll eventually get there.

It’s been said a gazillion times before but “go with the flow” really sums up my guiding philosophy—I always try to trust my emotions to guide me through whatever roller coaster ride I’m on, and they’re almost always right… right?

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Margot’s latest CD, a collaboration with guitarist Georges Hebert, is entitled Testing the Waters. You can purchase a copy online at her website.

And here’s a video Margot did as an entry in the Cheetah Power Surge TV Commercial Challenge. Did I mention she’s talented and creative?