by Leigh | Jul 7, 2017 | Stories |
The first time I took my kids to the Michener Museum, I think they were about 3 years old, the woman at the front desk asked me, “Are their hands sticky?” What? Are you asking me if they just got finished climbing a tree, raiding an unattended beehive, scooping large handfuls of delicious honey and licking theirs paws clean…but not entirely clean? And then as soon as they finished their snack, decided they would very much like to explore some local art?
Whenever I return to this local cultural gem, I think of that woman. And I wonder, why do people think art isn’t for kids? Not only do I believe it’s a great experience for them, but I think they “get it” in a pure, simple, true way that many adults don’t or can’t or forgot how to. I pay for an annual membership and we only go a few times a year, but it’s worth it. I believe in supporting the arts. They say only 5% of Americans have ever been to an art museum.
I grew up in DC where the museums are amazing and free. My parents took me to them a lot when I was young. I still remember being around 5 or 6 and saying that the Mary Cassatt paintings were my favorites. Then, a few years later, explaining that I liked them when I was little but had outgrown them. I moved on to new faves—Surrealists, Pop Artists, Abstract Expressionists.
So I take my “little ones” to art museums, and ask them which are their favorites, and why. They get it.
by Leigh | Jun 1, 2017 | Stories |
leigh feather
When you were little, what did you want to be?
My first memory of a career choice was an Architect. I’m not really sure I knew what an Architect did, but I liked the sound of it. When I told my dad, he said, “Well, you have to be really good at math to be an Architect.” I took it that he didn’t think I had a chance.
I think I also thought of being a Ballerina. That was actually more realistic, believe it or not, since I studied Ballet seriously for a number of years at a school that had a Company, and I was pretty good.
As a teenager, I loved fashion—especially Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, modern furniture & industrial design, and modern art. I thought the best thing I could dream of being was the next Andy Warhol. I think my plan was to move to New York and paint.
I guess I knew from a young age that I wanted to be an artist. Or a chef. Or a hair dresser.
What was your first job?
My first job was delivering newspapers, for the Washington Star, I think. A route I took over for my brother. I was 10. I lost money at that job because I had to pay for the papers myself and then collect money from the customers. I went on to have better jobs, like babysitting, mowing lawns and then as a teen, for Subway, Baskin Robbins, Commander Salamander (punk rock clothing store in DC), Kemp Mill Records and tending bar at the Lowes L’Enfant Plaza Hotel pool.
Did you go to college? What was your major?
When I realized that you could go to college and study art, it was a revelation. While all my prep school classmates at Edmund Burke seemed to be preparing for Harvard and Yale and Princeton and Brown, I was freaking out. How could I escape 4 more years of school? Couldn’t I, shouldn’t I just travel around Europe for a year or two? My parents were very insistent I apply to college. I visited Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Massachusetts College of Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).
My college counselor insisted I apply to some liberal arts colleges, that I was “limiting myself by only looking at art schools”. My high school art teacher refused to write me a recommendation. My portfolio needed help so I took extra classes at the Corcoran School of Art and a professor there wrote me a glowing letter of recommendation. My first choice was RISD, but I didn’t get in. Deeply discouraged, I reluctantly finished the application to MICA and I got in! With a scholarship! I chose Photography as a major which seemed silly since I grew up taking photos and developing and printing them in my dad’s darkroom. Didn’t everyone?
What is your career now?
I’m a Graphic Designer. I went from being a photo lab technician to a photo assistant to a freelance photographer to an advertising/marketing director. I’m not really sure how I managed to do that. A company called Photoflex that gave me my big break—took a chance on me. I learned a lot at that job. To say I got a lot of help from a lot of people would be an understatement. At first I felt like a fraud. I didn’t go to school for design. Over the years I’ve realized how much I learned at Art School. I didn’t just learn to do photography. I didn’t learn how to work in a specific field. I learned to be an Artist. I learned how to be creative, as much as that can be taught. And I can apply that to any creative endeavor.
What do you like about it?
I love design. I love imagery and typography and expressing an idea or a feeling—visually. I like the interaction with clients. I’m not always great at expressing myself verbally, but if I spend enough time in the creative process, moving the pieces around, really amazing things happen. The creative process can be really intimidating. There’s no straight line. No roadmap. No real rules. But that’s also what’s great about it.
Did you have a role model or a mentor?
So many. My dad Dan Woodhead who never treated me like a “girl”, my mom Star McHugh, my stepmom Carolyn Jean, my ballet teacher Luba Vzorov, my college professors Jack Wilgus, Paul Kohl, Ann Fessler and Howie Weiss among others, architectural photographer Anne Gunderson, master photographer Thomas Burke, the epic Rob Brough, graphic designer Joan Lintz, and of course Tim Feather.
Tom Burke always had the best advice for me, “It’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools”, “Ours is not to question why, but to do or die”, “Pressure makes diamonds“.
What would you do if you didn’t need money?
I guess I should have clarified this question. It sort of sounds like you live in a utopian society that doesn’t require money. Or in a monastery. Should it be, “…if you had a millions of dollars?” If I didn’t need to earn money, I would probably design houses and furniture. And probably buy really nice shoes and handbags.
What advice do you have for young women starting out in a career?
I try not to give advice. I can tell you what worked for me. In the beginning, fighting for what I wanted worked well. Passion and Persistence always pay off. Relationships are so much more important than you realize. The people you work with that drive you bonkers today may end up being your best ally tomorrow. It’s a lot of showing up and doing your best. Over and over. And asking for help. It’s okay to not know. It’s okay to try different things. For me, my career was not a straight line. When things were really hard, I thought it wasn’t the right career. I’m glad I stuck with it. It gets better. It get’s different. On a long enough timeline, things start to make sense. If that makes any sense.
by Leigh | Apr 19, 2017 | Stories |
I am so happy to report that I can workout again! You have no idea how freaked out I was when my back went out at the beginning of the year, and then again, and then again. So, I want to share with you what I did to heal my back and what I learned from it.
Chiropractic — I have an amazing chiropractor (that takes walk-ins.) The morning my back “gave out,” I was suddenly unable to stand up, walk, go up or down stairs, bend over, lift anything, dress myself, drive…basically anything…without excruciating pain, I ended up driving myself to his office to get adjusted. This time wasn’t a quick fix. I went a few times before I was better. Lesson: go early, go often.
Massage — Two weeks after the original “issue” I went to see Michelle. And then again 6 weeks later. She is amazing. More like a Doula than a masseuse. She said my back was really in bad shape, but not even in the place I was hurting. Everything was out of whack. And she was the one who started me thinking about what I realized was the root of the problem: my abs. More about that in a bit. Lesson: have a standing appointment.
Rest — This was the hardest part. I did absolutely no exercise for two weeks, then some easy yoga, then some online bootcamp-type workouts, then Jazzercise. I felt my back start to go out again and cooled it. Just walking and yoga. Then Jazzercise again and back pain again. All this time my weight was creeping up. So just yoga and walking for two weeks. Lesson: um, rest?
Yoga — I swear by yoga. I especially love the place I go and the instructors there. It’s incredibly humbling to not be able to do a class you once did. At first all I could do was the stretches my chiropractor suggested: child’s pose, cobra, and then really gentle stuff at home. When I went back to class, I had to really modify. But let me emphasis the absolute necessity of yoga. It’s where I learn about body alignment, protecting myself from injury and committing to caring for my body longterm. Lesson: make a lifetime commitment to some kind of yoga/stretching everyday.
Walking — I love walking. I love that I can walk. When you are in a lot of pain for a lot of days, walking is no longer the poor cousin to running. Walking is glorious! I recommend walking outside on a long flat trail in the sunshine. Fast or slow doesn’t matter. Talk to yourself or to The Big Guy. It heals the body, the mind and the spirit. Lesson: walking is a privilege denied to many.
Abs — If you have ever felt the muscles in the base of your spine quit on you, you may wonder what you did to cause it. People always ask, “How did you hurt your back, what did you do?” Nothing. It just happened. I’ve come to realize why. I neglected the muscles on the opposite side. The lower abs. My massage person suggested that I may still be feeling the effects of having a C-section. That area can’t be ignored. I’m working on building them back up and I try to always think about them, i.e. engage them, especially when loading the dishwasher and other tipping over movements. And coincidentally, my yoga class this week was all about awareness of those muscles. Lesson: if you make your back do all the work, it will eventually quit.
On March 5th I tried running (on the treadmill) for the first time in forever. Well, in two months. I did it for 10 minutes. I know, I’m impressed too. The next week I went back to Spin class and the following week, Jazzercise. And finally I was able to go back to my favorite level 2-3 yoga class. I have never been happier. Everyday I’m getting just a little bit fitter… and it feels amazing.
by Leigh | Apr 13, 2017 | Stories |
When I chose the pieces for my Spring capsule wardrobe I knew I wanted to include my new khaki pants. Why do I love khaki’s so much? It’s not just because I went to Prep School and literally read the Preppy Handbook as a kid. Something about this time of year makes me crave them so much. I woke up one day in March and realized I had no khakis. Past pairs were long gone and not replaced. The hunt began. Pins were pinned. I tried these, these and these. Finally I tried on these from The Gap and fell in love. They have a sort of slim cut but feel roomy, soft, comfy. Also they have a sort of casual, broken in look to them rather than that very crisp/country club vibe. And they have a nice, subtle stripe detail on the sides. I originally thought I wanted them in “iconic khaki” but “mission tan” turned out to be a much better color on me. Note: Definitely size down since they stretch out.
Oh, but that’s not the end of the story. The plot takes a tragic turn. My precious new pants got a few tiny stains, which I scrubbed with a little detergent like I usually do and ended up with bleached out blotches. I took a chance and took them back to The Gap and a lovely woman said I could return them and in the end I went home a replacement pair and some valuable advice on stain-treating khakis. Don’t use detergent, use Amodex.
I’m so happy now.
by Leigh | Apr 4, 2017 | Stories |
I take a lot of selfies. It’s pretty ridiculous. I do it to figure out what outfits work for me and it’s really helpful. You will see below, how taking tons of shots helped me come up with a “Spring Capsule Wardrobe” (a la Un-Fancy) My goal: get dressed quickly, feel comfortable and confident and stop buying clothes I don’t need.
I started by picking out:
5 DRESSES.
7 BOTTOMS.
14 TOPS.
5 OUTER LAYERS.
8 PAIR SHOES.
Then I mixed and matched. That help me finalize my picks. I won’t show you all the photos. We’d be here forever. I’ll just drop in a few favorites for now.
I picked the most comfy dresses, a combo of long sleeve and sleeveless, sort of casual but work-appropriate for me. I chose one denim skirt and one black pencil skirt and one pair of black shorts. Plus pants in cream-khaki, tan-khaki, black cropped trousers, skinny jeans. For tops I went with a black cami, a super colorful shell, a blush tank, a striped tank, an off the shoulder striped tee, a white tee, a grey tee, a black tee, a three quarter length navy tee, a long sleeve white button down, a floral blouse, a long sleeve striped top, a lightweight navy sweater and a grey cardigan. Whew! Outer layers are an oilve bomber jacket, a jean jacket, an army jacket, a faux leather jacket and a soon to arrive “coatigan.” I managed to narrow the shoe wear down to black stripy sandals, black open-toe booties, brown thong sandals, brown ankle boots, blush ballet flats, black block heel ankle strap heels, adidas sneakers and platform sandals.
As I’ve put my wardrobe to the test, some items seem destined to be swapped out. I also have become obsessed with the “perfect” long, cosy, sweater/coat.
That’s it. Let me know if you’d like to know where any of the pieces are from.
Happy Spring!
by Leigh | Mar 22, 2017 | Stories |
I saw the new Beauty and the Beast this past weekend with my 8-year-old daughter, her aunt and her grandmother. A girl’s day out to indulge in a girlish fairytale. Then my son tagged along even though his sister explained repeatedly that it was a girl’s thing. You see, there is a lot of separation in my world based on if you’re a boy or a girl. Boys go to monster truck shows and hockey games. Girls go shopping and to get their nails done. Many birthday parties are girls only. I’m always questioning it but that’s kind of how it’s always been and I don’t see it changing, although I did end up going to a monster truck show last year. A “girl” driver won.
So, Beauty and the Beast, 2017. They just released this live-action remake and if you’ve seen the 1991 Disney animated version, it won’t feel much different. The plot and dialogue is almost identical. There were a few new things peppered in and some funny jokes. The best and most unexpected part was casting of Josh Gad as Le Feu. Thank you! If you missed him as the unforgettable “Bearclaw” in The New Girl you need to go watch it immediately.
Here’s my take away from the movie: what exactly are we supposed to learn from B & the B?
It’s the Beauty on the inside that matters? You could say that Gaston was pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside and the beast was the reverse. But the beast started out like Gaston, then was cursed for it, then he was ugly outside as well as inside. It’s only at the end when he falls for Belle that he becomes selfless and good. The beast never seemed to be aware of what a jerk he was. He only seemed concerned with his own eternal damnation.
Women should not have to get married. They can be perfectly happy being independent? Belle makes such an argument for not getting tied down and living a provincial life. But she ends up marrying the beast/prince and settling down in the castle—even more remote than the small town she grew up in. Why couldn’t she have a career as an inventor like her dad? Or move to Paris and open a bookstore? Disappointing.
Poor townsfolk: bad. Rich monarchy: good? The other thing that I thought was bothersome was how we keep glorifying elitism. Can’t we move away from all this archaic classism? Didn’t we learn anything from Downton Abbey?
Also, was anyone else concerned that after the household objects/servants succeeded in getting Belle to fall in love with the Beast and getting the curse lifted, they all went back to being human servants? How is that a win?
I really wanted to like this movie and was willing to accept that it would be fairly fluffy, but it just left me wanting to go back an watch the version my mother took me to when I was little: Jean Cocteau’s 1946 La Belle et La Bête. Trailer. Online rental.
If you’re interested, you can read a plot synopsis of the original story by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve here. It is much more interesting than either Disney version.
I saw the new Beauty and the Beast this past weekend with my 8-year-old daughter, her aunt and her grandmother. A girl’s day out to indulge in a girlish fairytale. Then my son tagged along even though his sister explained repeatedly that it was a girl’s thing. You see, there is a lot of separation in my world based on if you’re a boy or a girl. Boys go to monster truck shows and hockey games. Girls go shopping and to get their nails done. Many birthday parties are girls only. I’m always questioning it but that’s kind of how it’s always been and I don’t see it changing, although I did end up going to a monster truck show last year. A “girl” driver won.
