Q&A with Ashley Arabian

Hi everyone,

We are all charmed by the talent and the kindness of Ashley Arabian. We discovered her on You, Me and Charlie. She is Armenian and lives in California, San Francisco, in a cabin in the woods. :)

As Ashley's enthusiasm is contagious, it was normal for us to devote her a twitter fan page : @team_AshleyA.  

Ashley is a great inspiration. She is a writer, an explorer, a cook, and a lover of nature and life. The aim of our Team is to support Ashley, in her various projects and dreams. We will introduce you to Ashley Arabian and what could be better than a Q&A?

We are happy to share all of this with you. have fun :D

Ashley, thank you so much for this Q&A, for your inspiration and share your passion and your enthusiasm with us. :)

"I am a restless writer with a love for the open road. I believe travel opens our souls, reading opens our minds, and art opens our hearts. I aim to see the world, stay close to nature, eat a lot of food, and write about it all with the hope to inspire and be inspired." Ashley Arabian

Q&A with Ashley :

When you were a kid, what was the job of your dreams ? 

I wanted to be a ballerina, as all little girls do. I quickly learned this was not the profession for me after I got kicked out of my first ballet class. My dad signed me up for soccer soon after that.

We know you're a wonderful writer. What do you like the most about writing?  

Thank you! Writing is always an incredible challenge, a struggle even. There is never a time when any person has ever thought, "Okay, I'm a good enough writer now- at the top." Writers are always trying to be better, mostly by studying other writers. There is an immense amount of material to study from. It's an endless world.

Who is your favorite author? What is your favorite quote? music? movie?

 Author: Charles Bukowski, because he showed me there are no limits to what you can say, and even the most obscene can be beautiful. Milan Kundera is also someone I look up to because every sentence he writes makes me hold my breath and read it again. Music: Tom Waits, The Fleet Foxes, and Ray Charles have permanent places on my playlists. Movie: The Professional (I cry almost throughout the whole film). Quote: "Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you." -Frank Lloyd Wright

We know you have studied the culinary arts. Who or what made you develop a passion for cooking?  

My older brother got my into cooking- his talent is incredible. Throughout my education in the culinary arts, I've learned it is similar to writing in that there is not top or no end to what you can learn. The creativity in this field is purely pleasure seeking, not just with taste, but through smell, sight, touch. I find this incredible, as not many other art forms can reach all senses like food can.

You have lots of animals: your dog Bear, your hens...! Did you use to have animals too when you were a kid?   

Daisy was my first cat. She was a total freak and didn't love anybody but me. I loved that. I now have 4 pigs, 8 chickens, 1 rooster, 1 dog, and a cat named Butter that loves absolutely everyone.

If you had to describe yourself in few words?   

Restless, curious, overwhelmed.

Which do you prefer: night in or night out?     

Night in: wine, records, typewriter.

Can you describe a typical day of yours?  

I change my lifestyle often, but right now, I start out the day with coffee (that never changes). Then I let out the chickens, water the garden, pretend to do yoga, then get to the computer to work. (novel, short stories, research, YM&C, etc). I end the day by cooking a meal with foods mostly from my garden, followed by a book or a film.

What are your travel plans this year ?  

This year has been fabulous for my traveling soul. It started in Spain, then to Hawaii, now in California. I will be in France this Fall and will finish off the year with a long road trip through the Southern part of America, where I hope to end up in Nashville, Tennessee (I'm captivated by music originated in the South). All plans are subject to change- isn't that beautiful?

What are your ideal holidays like?  

FAMILY FAMILY FAMILY & FOOD!!!

How do you feel when you receive messages or tweets of support? 

I'm blown away. I've never received anything like this before. I almost can't believe it.... Overall, I feel gratitude and encouragement.

What do you do when you feel a little blue? 

I'll walk Bear, call a friend, or try to write. If none of this works, I put on some David Bowie and have a glass of wine. This never fails.

What or who can make you forget your good manners?   

Too much Bowie and wine. Ugh...

If you were a word, which word would it be? If you were a flower? An animal?  

Word: Sassy. Animal: Fox. Flower: Scarlet Begonia.

You, me and charlie is back, you'll continue to contribute? What do you think of this site and the community of Charlies?  

YM&C is an incredible platform in the art world. I truly appreciate this and am incredibly grateful to be a part of it. I've had a hard time finding a place in this world to express my creativity, especially when the pressure to quickly figure out what to "do with your life" if so high. YM&C relieves the pressure by telling us to not fight the creativity inside us, but to dig deeper and go with it. Artists are vessels that have been given a gift, and to deprive that of the world is a terrible thing. Always create- this is why we are here.

If you were to die tomorrow, what would be your last wish? What would you do today?

I have moments in my life when I become very overwhelmed because I cannot comprehend how beautiful life is- this gives me a great fear of dying. But this is a hypothetical question, so I'll try not to get too deep. I'd probably want to be in New Mexico to watch a sunset on the mountain. I'd wish for the people of this world to realize what they are doing to it, and to make greater efforts to make it a livable place for the people of the future.

 

Ashley, do you have any questions for us?  

What do YOU love about YM&C? What do you hope to see on the new site?

Team Ashley (A+N): We love that YM&C has gathered so many people, from so many different places of the world, and make them all feel as members of one huge family. This is one place, among very few, were everything is about love, and passion and inspiration. It's safe place to be in! We hope we could still feel that way with the new site... We're very happy it's back, and we're eager to discover more about it!

Where are your favorite travel destinations? 

A : My favorite destination is Corsica. my family is from this island and I think is the most beautiful island in the world. between sea and mountains, it's an island full of mystery and passion. But if I were to discover a country, it would be Australia, maybe because my father (who was a sailor) spoke to me when I was a child, and New york

N :  I love to go camping, wherever it is, and to live in harmony with nature: when the sun rises you get up, and when the sunlight goes down, you go to bed. This is simple and relaxing. The sea also has a special power on me. I just love it, and would like to discover all the seas of the world!

My favorite question to ask people is: What would be your last meal????

A : My last meal? I think it would be the CIACE is a cake with brucciu (Corsican cheese) inside. This pastry is made only in winter and spring. And myrtle wine. It is not really a full meal, but it's so good.

N: It's so hard to choose, there's so many things that I love! I guess there would have to be some chocolate in my last  meal. And maybe pancakes... Pancakes are festive!

By Team Ashley Arabian

 links :

youmeandcharlie.com  

http://tourshi.blogspot.fr/  (Ashley's blog)

Official twitter : @ashleyarabian

Twitter fan page : @Team_AshleyA