Ever wonder why an artist stops to look at a single solitary lost mitten or crouch down to examine a randomly found heart shaped rock?  Why is it crucial for some to draw a sketch of an old man wearing some neon orange suspenders at the back of the bus?  What motivates and drives an artist to create long after the work day has ended?   Do artists ponder that they might be considered crazy banshees for having the guts to do what they really love doing?  What about the choice to continue creating no matter what the monetary reward?  How can a flock of birds whistling away in the morning spark a vital project idea?  All these questions and more surface in my mind sea, bobbing there and intriguing me.  Hence forth, a series emerged focusing on the thoughts and ramblings of kooky artistic minded people.  Find out how these lovelies find extraordinary ways to create and multi-task their passions into the universe that is their life.  The talented and lovely Alyssa Moor spring boards into question land…

‘You know how some girls have lots of dolls?’ Alyssa Moor asks me.  Though Miss Moor resembles a doll herself the key difference between her childhood and that of other girls’ is that mounds of blocks and art supplies were her dolls.  All the goodies you can imagine under the art supply sun ran rampant in the Moor household.   She could be found making her own toys to play with, instead of playing with the toys given to her as gifts.  Those gifts sat gathering dust.  Her parents were the type of dream team that encouraged her to go to university for something she was passionate about.  Queen’s University was her proverbial cake mold where she attained her Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Sculpture.  Now working in Calgary at Studio Y Creations as Assistant Production Manager, she oversees the quality control of custom sculptures made of styrofoam for a stellar array of venues from theme parks to museums.  On a quasi-tangent Alyssa loves extremely hot showers and can be found playing classical violin in her living room…

Who are your influences when it comes to creative endeavours?

There are many people who have inspired me to create, but the strongest supporters and major funders of my work were my parents.  They never told me that I couldn’t do anything.  They just said ‘do what you like to do and stick with it and you will be fine’.  I was lucky enough to never have the pressure to grow up and ‘be’ anything.  As for other influences my fabulous artist friends continue to awe and amaze me with their talents and that helps keep me going.  I look to the old Italian and northern renaissance masters for inspiration, as well as some excellent practicing artists such as Mark Ryden, Jana Sterbak, Lois Andison and Aganetha Dyck.

Would you use the word artist to describe one of the many facets of yourself?

I have always identified with the word artist since I have always felt a need to create things ever since I was really young.  I started my creating with construction paper and ended up with steel, wood, stone and oil paint.

When an idea is born within your brain unit, how do you go about thinking it up? Are you an ever-elusive aha moment person? Or is that a load of bull stink?

Ideas are strange things, they usually appear when my brain is bored, in the middle of sanding something at work, or right before I go to sleep.

Any projects on the go at present? If so would you mind spilling the beans?

I have a three painting series on the go: I’m currently working on painting number two.  I plan on showing  the series at the end of this year, or the beginning of next year if I can find a good venue for them. I am also working on getting an octopus necklace cast in silver and a Mucha sculpture reproduction.

What time of day is your best creative time?

I’m definitely a mid day to night worker.  I have a really long attention span when I am working on something, so as long as I can start at 10 am or later I have no problem working until 11 pm.

Do you ever get scared when you’re about to embark on a new project?

It is difficult to make a decision to just do it.  Working full time at a hands-on job takes a lot out of me, and there are also outside distractions such as the gym, socializing, t.v., cleaning, etc.  I recently cancelled my cable to try to cut out one of those distractions so I can focus more when I get home.

Once “project something” has begun, how do you successfully finish what you have started?

I wish I knew the answer to that - I would have many more finished projects!  Deadlines are excellent motivators to produce.  I should set deadlines more often.

Are there any rituals that you’ve acquired while making and creating work?

I am not sure if it would be considered a ritual, but I do need a great deal of time to make anything.  I cannot make art for 20 minutes at a time: it needs to be hours.

I’ve been fortunate to be at several events where you have made cakes for special friends and birthday extravaganzas.  When did you start making such speciality items and what draws you into making them?

I have been a baker for a long time.  Both of my parents were interested in the culinary arts when I was young so I was never limited to hot dogs and Kraft dinner.  I was raised on stir fry, curry in a hurry, chilli and home-made baked goods.  After my BFAH at Queens I was going to go to the Culinary Institute in Vancouver, but I got a job in a restaurant as a cook the summer before and I hated it - so I never went.  After that I decided that cooking for friends and family was enough.  Specifically, cake baking has come on recently, as people seem to like them and they make good birthday presents.

Is cake and art-making similar in creative processes or are they viewed as two separate activities to you?

Baking is easy, art-making is hard.  If you want to bake a chocolate cake there are step by step instructions to make it perfectly, but if you want to make art it is all up to you.

Please use six words to describe the state of your cooking space after said cake-a-thon. Go.

Sugary, congested, piled, crummy, fragrant, warm.

Do you have any philosophies about food that you’d love to share?

Food is a great way to bring people together.  Everyone eats and has certain likes and dislikes so you can always start conversations about food, which ultimately leads into discussing other things.  Good food makes people happy.

special thanks to these lovelies (answers: alyssa moor, photo crew: denly wunderpants smyth mcmann and lyndsay stang hinds, editor and ever expanding vastly beautiful mind: christine neave and title aid: dustin wahlund)