Autumn’s Eyeliner Notes
I love finding out previously unknown, relatable details about friends, like when I learned that my friend, Autumn, was also a writer. Not only that, but she had a website, as well as regular contributors to the site. Even more intriguing, after reading through her posts, I realized the story-content she was creating was something completely unique and inspiring. She somehow writes in this perfectly abstract and poetic way that attracts you to each and every line of dialogue.
After reading through different posts on Autumn's site entitled "Eyeliner Notes", I felt compelled to share her talented writing with my own audience of readers. Needless to say, I sent some questions her way shortly after our discussion and now, here we are.
When did you first start writing and what sparked that interest?
“I was a happy introvert as a kid. My room was full of journals, costumes, dioramas and TONS of dolls. I was involved in all things creative writing and literature-related in grade school. At that time, I didn’t see writing as a passion of mine. It was just something I spent a lot of time doing.
I’m the oldest of my siblings so my family had no idea what to do with a teenage girl. By time I reached age fifteen I spent the majority of my teenage years grounded indefinitely.
At first this was excruciating so I tried creating as much as possible to pass the time. The first time I logged on to LiveJournal I knew that I had found my escape. I was obsessed with my outlet of choice and quickly lost interest in the outside world.
This was even down to school subjects; if a class didn’t involve open ended essays then I would try my best to avoid it.
My high school AP English teacher helped me feel understood and encouraged my passion. Having her as a mentor kept that spark going into my adult life.”
Are these stories fiction, non-fiction, or a mixture of both?
“Definitely a mixture of both. Some are more non-fiction than I’d like to admit. I do try to provide a good mix of the two. I’ll give myself challenges on certain entries from short stories to poems etc. I slip into the habit of just writing about what I know and I try to be conscious of that and keep it in check. Some entries I create more for the readers and then other entries I’ve just got to spill my guts.”
From the post "Meetin Mr. Locheart"
What sparked this project?
“A friend of mine enjoyed writing poems about busking. We spent all last Summer exchanging writing ideas. I was shy about what I wrote but decided to jot down an emotionally charged piece “Cloud Queen” and show it to him. As an adult I became secretive about my writing. My husband had never even read anything of mine up until this point. Our friend unfortunately passed this Winter so it made that piece more significant and it turned into the current “Cloud Queens” series on Eyeliner Notes.
With the overall website, I teamed up with two other women. The original vision was to have a shared space of free creative expression with the three of us and the occasional featured writer. Like a lot of creative endeavors, it was a fantastic idea at first but life took us in different directions and it didn’t pan out. I took the project over and now have my Cloud Queens series combined with occasional featured writers. So far I’ve been incredibly lucky to come across so many badass creative women. I can’t wait to see how they’ll help Eyeliner Notes evolve.”
From the post "Before Medication"
Where did the idea of using Barbies come from?
“Okay the simple answer to this is that I absolutely love creating miniature scenes. Because of this I never grew out of making things like clay sculptures, admiring all things that have to do with creepy dolls and playing The Sims. I even had a friend that I’d play Barbies with in secret up until we were eighteen years old! The plots were a lot different than when we were kids but I have to admit it was pretty weird. So, using Barbies as the visual portion to each piece came as second nature to me.
The slightly more complex part to this is that the “Cloud Queens” series is about recognizing and celebrating the feminine human experience. It’s an attempt at providing the world with additional insight on what femininity really is and how that can contrast with what a lot of people perceive it to be.
I was raised right around the time where people were starting to finally full on question the unrealistic standards that have been placed on women. As a result, Barbies weren’t seen as fun or appropriate anymore. They were suddenly little she-devils in pink boxes that moms from the 90’s would gripe about. That made them even more appealing to me. I thought they were amazing instruments to act out the fictional characters that I created. From a young age they empowered me.
I was taught that the only positive way to be a woman was to be outgoing. Because that would send the message that I’m strong and can stand up for myself. Introverts like me, oh no. That must be a flaw. That must mean that I’m passive and weak. Feminine strength is so commonly misunderstood and it’s pretty frightening.
This series strips away all of these assumptions about what people are when they identify as feminine. For example, I don’t want to look like a Barbie. Or to compare myself to a doll. I want to create and be inspired by them. I’m not loud and outgoing but I can write my way through a lot and with all the quiet self reflection I do, I could probably think up a strategic way to kick your ass.”
From the post "An Afternoon with Monogamy"
Do you have any future plans for your work, (such as a book) or will this continue online for the foreseeable future?
“Additional info on having the Cloud Queens series in print is in the works and in the meantime Eyeliner Notes will continue online with upcoming contributors.”
From the post "Enter the Cloud Queen"
Do you have any other projects you're working on or any upcoming shows?
“I’m working on getting prints of the visual art portion of the Cloud Queens series available for purchase on the Eyeliner Notes website by the end of the Summer. I do have additional writing projects but I’m too secretive and neurotic to talk about anything that half baked, haha.”
To me, it's an amazing thing to see an artist put themselves out there as much as Autumn has with her writings. I think that's what makes her website so wonderful though. You can feel the raw emotion of the subject matter when you consume each and every one of her posts. I, for one, can't wait to keep reading and following her work.
To follow her and her contributor's works, visit www.eyelinernotes.com
