My journey to becoming a writer started early. I was in 5th grade; I remember it not-so-vividly. We had to write a reaction to a book (or something, I can’t really remember) and instead of a plain essay I decided to write my reaction in the form of a poem.
This didn’t seem like a particularly mind-blowing idea but my teacher (Mrs. Bradford–that I remember–and she was brilliant, even if all the other kids thought she was mean) liked it so much she had me copy it out onto the bulletin board, where it stood for some period of time that I again cannot recall.
I’ve never looked back, although I may have scooted a bit sideways…
Dancing: I started dancing at the age of 5, studying ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, etc. “Pull Up Your Pants” is my signature hip hop move and it is stellar, especially when combined with “Stir the Clouds.”
Music: I started playing an instrument at the age of 10. I began with alto saxophone and have since added guitar, piano, drums, and ukulele to my skill set. And then there’s my obsession with live music. I single-handedly keep all the venues in Austin in business, with an average of 30 concerts a year.
Acting: I moved on to acting in addition to the dancing around the age of 11, when I discovered Shakespeare. My poor English teachers didn’t know what hit them, although they wanted to hit me when I played Ophelia as a tie-dye wearing hippie. I caught the acting bug. And then I went to the University of Florida and got a degree in it.
Costume Design: A natural progression from the acting, I took many costume design classes in college and have since worked freelance, emphasis (sadly) on the free. I’m also an avid Halloween Costume Upstager, bent on upstaging everyone with my handmade Halloween costumes.
Cooking: And then there’s the food thing. My dad’s a chef and I have the waistline to prove it. I’ve been cooking since I was able to hold a spoon. No Easy-Bake Oven for Jacki. No way. I wanted to bake something? I had to use the real oven instead. I regularly torture my coworkers at lunchtime with delicious smells and am an avid proponent of meal planning.
Travel: I moved around a lot growing up. With a chef father, vacations were few and far between, but that changed in college. Studying in London started it and since then I have traveled all around Europe. One of my goals in life is to visit every continent.
What the heck does this have to do with writing?
Everything. Because as I scooted sideways through various artistic hobbies, one thing remained constant: My love of writing. My need to document all of it in words, from suggestive poems about olive oil to handy how-tos about traveling. I write about everything, I write every day, and I love to share what I’ve written with anyone who can sit still long enough.
In short, I’ve had a lot of experiences in my life so far and want to share my knowledge with the world, one chuckle at a time.
