Meet Lisa Loop | Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Loop and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind everything I’ve accomplished in life is a growth mindset, particularly in the area of compassion toward my inner critic. To the degree that I befriend this beast, I expand my willingness to risk and my resilience when I fail. Everything I’ve created in my life has involved walking into the unknown, knowing that I might well stub my toe, and being able to recover when I do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In the world I grew up in, conventional wisdom dictated that art was impractical and selfish, especially for women.

Luckily, I was rebellious. I pursued creativity-adjascent jobs, supporting high level creatives, basking in their reflected sparkle. My own was invisible to me. But I was insatiably curious, studying writing wherever I could, trying to feel the confidence to submit my work. Surely there was a secret sauce that allowed some people to put themselves out there. I looked everywhere for it.

I started hearing whispers about writing coaches. Maybe this was the answer. I attended life coaching school, specializing in creativity. Working with clients was a huge honor that changed my life. I came to understand that under a socially-acceptable surface, people are navigating all kinds of heartache, frustration, and harsh self talk. I was far from the only one who had been told my creative dreams were nonsense.

The way past is almost always through, by turning unworkable notions of “self discipline” into kinder, more flexible forms of self-management, training the brain with plenty of carrot, but no stick.

Then the day came when I needed to walk my own talk. In my late fifties, I applied to an MFA program. The moment I got accepted, my imposter syndrome hit overdrive. It took all my courage to tiptoe into my first day of classes, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. In a community of other writers, armed with the ability to handle negativity, I gained the confidence to put my work out into the world. With each publication, the burden of waiting for a magic formula evaporates. As my poems, essays and novels find readers, I am intensely grateful to have completed the circle back to who I started wanting to be, a writer.

My message for others is to cultivate curiosity about your inner critic. If you could tame it, what exciting dreams would open up for you?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite neighborhoods is Highland Park. I would bring my friend to some of the unique shops and coffee houses, then go to Joy for their dan dan noodles, followed by a drive to the top of Scholl Canyon to enjoy the view.

The Huntington Garden is another favorite. After making our way through the catus and visiting the carp, we would grab boba tea in the Chinese Pavilion and head to the libraries to gaze at their illuminated manuscripts. By then we would need tacos in the food court.

I love to bring friends to Musso and Franks’ Wes Anderson-esque dining room and treat them to a side-car martini. After cocktails, we would go to Skylight Books in Los Feliz, then grab dinner at Lupiotte kitchen, preferably on the sidewalk where we can watch the world go by as we eat a large scoop of chocolate mousse.

The next day we would hike at Franklin Canyon, trying to spot the owls, frogs, and single gigantic goldfish living in the creek. Once we’ve climbed up to the view down over Beverly Hills to the ocean, I would suggest a visit to the Brentwood Country Mart for iced drinks and window shopping, followed by dinner at Gilbert’s El Indio in Santa Monica.

No trip to LA would be complete without looking at art. In addition to more well-known museums, I would take my friend to Flotsam Gallery in Glendale, then to the Theodore Payne Foundation in Sun Valley to learn about the importance of native plants.

Another place I love taking friends is the Getty Villa in Malibu. Once we had enjoyed the antiquities, I would bring my visitor to lunch at Broad Street Oyster Company. Then we would take a leisurely stroll across PCH to the Malibu Lagoon for surfer spotting and bird watching.

On Friday I would pack up a blanket, and bring my guest to Mid-City Erewhon. After perusing unique delicacies , we wpould select a takeout dinner to share at the Friday Jazz concert behind LACMA.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my mother, who supported my insatiable appetite for reading, and my father, who taught me to delight in language.

Website: https://lisaloop.com

Instagram: lisaloopwriter

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-loop-74037a10/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaloopauthor

Other: https://lisaloop.substack.com/
https://medium.com/@alisaloop

Image Credits
Andrew Chapman