I love questionnaires...

One of the first things one does when preparing to participate in one of M G-R's Cures as set out in the book Apartment Therapy, is to answer questions in an Interview that begins to get at one's personal style by looking at one's favorites in a variety of areas, and then to complete a quiz about the state of one's home at the outset of the Cure.


Alana has done a fascinating deconstruction of the interview, showing why it doesn't work for her. That's fair enough. We're not "one experience fits all" here. I, on the other hand, find the interview helpful. I also find it interesting to see how my answers have changed since the last time I did a Cure, in another apartment -- it almost seems as though it was in another life -- a few years ago.


I'm going to share my answers to the interview questions, and, probably just for my own benefit (and with prior apologies for boring my readers) I'm going to do a bit of analysis about why I have given those answers, and in a few instances, how they compare with my previous answers. Bear with me!

The Apartment Therapy Interview, April 4, 2011

FAVORITES

Actress: Julie Andrews (especially in dramatic roles), Katherine Hepburn. You will note I specified Julie in her dramatic roles. In films such as Duet for One, she shows much more depth than is possible or called for in her musical roles. She delves into some scary places in her character, and speaks to the scary places within me. Katharine Hepburn is one for the ages. She was feisty, she wasn't willing to simply fit into a mold. I like that.

Actor: I had three stock answers here. I'm removing them and replacing them with one. Christopher Plummer. No, NOT as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. This man, now in his 80s, is an incredible dramatic actor, who still can carry a starring role, or a supporting role, with ease. How I would love to see him onstage. He recently did a limited engagement of a one-man show called Barrymore. I admire the fact that as he has aged, he has allowed himself to change, but he has remained forthright and "himself". He is another mold-breaker, in my opinion.

Artist: Robin King, Zsazsa (photographer), Blake Edwards (his sculpture) -- in my last Cure interview, I had no idea what artist's name to enter in this slot, and finally decided on Vermeer, although I really know very little about his work. All my other interviews emphasized a preference for representational art. My answers now are different. Robin expresses herself in a variety of ways, but for the most part it is her abstracts that I have displayed on my walls. Zsazsa is a photographer, who captures unique moments in time, and whose photography touches some deep chord inside me. Blake's sculpture took me outside the barriers I'd set up for myself in terms of my thoughts about art. I still am totally in love with his sculpture "Flight" -- it causes my soul to soar with it. I also appreciate so much that when he wrote a screenplay about a sculptor and therefore needed sculptures as part of the movie set, he decided to get into sculpture and create his own art for the film. I love that.

Writer: Gerard Manley Hopkins (poet), Antoine de Sainte-Exupery (The Little Prince)  I've always loved Hopkins (he's made every Interview list that I've done, I think) and the reason I love his poetry is because of the uniquely creative things he does with language. The Little Prince speaks to me in the words "You are unique in all the world"...

Music: Broadway-style showtunes (especially Mancini, some Sondheim), classical (especially piano with orchestra)

Restaurant: Perkins. If eating wasn't so much of a hassle for me because of my allergies and other dietary problems, I'd have a much more interesting answer here.

Automobile: 1961 red MG convertible, 1954 Jaguar roadster, Mercedes  My previous questionnaire had only one answer, Chrysler's PT Cruiser. Obviously I've changed from retro-utilitarian to classic antique-sporty. Again, it's partly that thing about having verve and drive despite age, partly the fact that as *I* age, I'm opening myself up to other possibilities, and letting loose a bit.

Television show: I haven’t watched television for nearly two years, except in isolated instances. Liked The West Wing.

Clothing (designer or store): Jones New York,

How would you describe your style (3 words)?

1. Grace-full

2. Creative

3. Simple

PERSONAL HISTORY

Where have you lived?

1.   Where you were born: the city where I now live

2.   Where you grew up: farm, current city

3.   As an adult: Tiny artsy town, BC; current city; another city, same province; tiny farming town; larger city, different province; current city

Whom would you consider a role model? Julie Andrews

What three adjectives describe the qualities that you admire in this person? No, it's NOT her singing voice nor her fame.

1. Optimism

2. Resilience

3. Grace

 Here's where I really see the changes in myself. I have grown a great deal in the last two years, both because of my experiences with Mum & Dad, and because of my conscious efforts to meet the challenges that life has thrown me with yes, optimism, resilience and grace.  In my last interview, before any of the nursing home saga began, I cited Rosalynn Carter as a role model, because of her qualities of being "precise, committed, concerned". That was the caregiver SCB. The SCB I'm growing into is allowing herself to expand, to dream, to be. I can still be committed and concerned, but in an optimistic and forward-looking manner. That will be reflected in what I do with my apartment as I make it *mine*, not Mum's and Dad's. This Cure is very symbolic of the changes that have occurred in my life, both externally and internally.

APARTMENT

What is the problem with your apartment (3 words)?

1. Cluttered

2. Transition

3. Dusty

If your apartment could speak, what would it say is the problem? You need to make me your own. Completely. You need to love me as yours.

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your apartment? Open the door freely and invite people in, without worry or shame.

Eight weeks from now, when this project is done, if friends came to visit, how would you like them to describe your home (3 words)? (Actually, the second & third are how I want it to feel to *me*.)

1. It’s “you”.

2. Uplifting.

3. Inspiring.

In the quiz, Head & Heart are doing well, Breath & Bones are in bad shape.

Home supports most things I want to do.

I use my home as workspace and living space.

There is room for everything I want to do.

The space for my writing is becoming better every day.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I consider my home "beautiful", but I love the art and photos on the walls.

I have a fairly well developed sense of my own style.

My clothing expresses my style, for the most part.

My home more and more expresses my style. This all says to me that my home is an outward expression of who I am. This is important for me.

My home is comfortable, but dusty.

I don’t sleep as well as I would like to.

My apartment is cluttered.

It isn’t easy to clean (I don’t have a good vacuum) and there’s too much stuff around, piled here and there.

My home needs work as far as bones goes.

Not everything is in working order.

I don’t always get to repairs quickly. I’ve been embarrassed to ask the managers to fix things because the place has been a mess.

I don’t clean my home nearly often enough (there are so many things that are more fun to do, that let me let loose my creativity. Cleaning doesn't do it for me... but it still needs to be done!).

So, that's where I am as I begin this Cure. Wanting a home that shows optimism, resilience, grace, creativity, uniqueness ... and less dust.