Day 4: Write about someone who inspires you

I don’t think there’s any one person that inspires me. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by people that are creative, brave, model citizens, survivors and dreamers and I don’t think I could single out one person that inspires me to be who I am. Instead, we’re all going to have to deal with a list.

Tim Burton
I’ve never met him but his quirky style and no apologies have always sunk deep into my psyche.

My parents
I think I am one of few who can say her parents were married less than a year after meeting and are still going strong, as of December of this year, 32 years later. My dad never refers to my mom as his “ball and chain” and my mom doesn’t try to control the things he does. I find it amazing the met and started with so little and now they have the house of their dreams and, in my completely bias opinion, two kids and a grandson that adores them.

My friend Liz
She was mentioned before on day two because she told me I do Goth beautifully. Liz is older than your average college student but it doesn’t stop her. I truly think she’s taken on more than the students 30 years her junior and done so with so much grace that I can only hope to handle the things that come my way the same. She has determination to get her degree after all these years and I have to admire her.

Lena Dunham
The creator of my favorite show, Girls, and I think all around coolest person with a spotlight. I follow her on Twitter and Instagram and find myself cheering when she steps up for women, girls and equality. There are many people that misuse or miss the opportunity to use the microphone they’ve been given and I’ve never seen her back down. In the first episode of Girls, her character says, “I think I could be the voice of this generation…or a voice of a generation.” Even though it’s her character that says it, Lena Dunham has become the voice of a generation of girls that don’t know where they belong or what’s wrong with who they want to be.