We love asking the folks that inspire and excite us about what inspires and excites them. Check out their responses below.

Paula Crichton | Film Writer & Director / Cinematographer

Inspiration is an interesting subject to me. It feels almost otherworldly when ideas enter my mind. I have always been a natural observer, a day-dreamer and someone who pays close attention to detail. A lot of my inspiration is sourced from the way I process the world and relate it to my own existence within it. Ideas tend to come to me at random. Sometimes an item or a scent might spark elaborate stories in my mind. Although my creativity has always operated spontaneously, there are clear elements and themes that are present in my storytelling, such as: human nature, folklore, magic, the natural world, stories from the past, women, sapphic tales, gothic imagery, antiques, and the fine arts. These are all actively present in my life and influence me as a writer and director. Read more>>

Juan Pablo Carreon | General/Academic Counselor

Growing up in a single parent, low-income, and first generation household in the city of El Monte inspired me to do better. I witnessed my mother’s hard work for 25+ years. She would get up at 4am to prepare her lunch, our bags for day care, and take us to her friend’s home to take care of us. I remember her carrying me baby brother and walking us a few blocks away. She would work 12-14 hour shifts 5 days of week to make ends meet. Although, we didn’t have much, my mother provided us shelter, meals, and the clothes we needed to get us through our early years of life. My mother is my biggest inspiration and I am forever grateful for all that she did for us. She is the reason I pursued a college education. Read more>>

Chelsea Blue | Mental Health Therapist & Stylist

I am continuously inspired by drag queens I see on RuPaul’s Drag Race, instagram, and out in West Hollywood performing. I am constantly amazed by the creativity of the queens and fashion designers some of them work with. They have inspired me to try and push my own boundaries with fashion. Other sources of inspiration for me are from high fashion runway pieces and general pop culture. Read more>>

Arielle Blumberg | Mobile Sculpt Technician and Esthetician

What inspires me and drives me is to work on improving myself everyday both professionally and non professionally, all for the success of the business. To improve myself I like to learn new things such as how the Cryo T-shock machine works on skin to get the results clients come for. I know that through cold temperatures, the T-shock machine freezes fat cells, and the hotter temperatures stimulate collagen production and relaxes the muscles. The hotter temperatures are also able to penetrate into several layers of the skin, leading to higher collagen production, and therefore, making the skin look more youthful in appearance. There are so many new esthetician techniques and machines I would love to learn how to do like hydrafacials, chemical peels,and many more! Read more>>