Lauren Daccache: Photographer, Muse, Argumental BFF
The Context was largely inspired by my incredibly talented and creative peers. Namely, my closest friend, comrade, part-time shrink and full-time Copa Cabana dancing wing-woman Lauren Daccache. Lauren and I met on Room Surf, a college roommate pairing website, before finding out that Wake Forest actually does not allow you to choose your freshman year roommate. No obstacle for this pair. We met on the quad first night of orientation week, took tequila shots in a boy's stale-smelling dorm room, and have been outwardly rejecting normalcy ever since.
This interview is Part I of a series featuring LD, my best friend with such an incredible eye that I take it very personally when she doesn't like what I'm wearing. Lauren now works at Glossier and side hustles as a photographer. Read along as she shits on my questions and then proceeds to answer them!
MO: Tell us about yourself, how long have you been creative? At what point did you KNOW you were a creative? (Just answer these questions at the rate of your free time...)
LO: Lol *3-year long interview begins*
LO: Also I don't like the question about being "a creative." Is this part of my interview? Addressing it anyways... We are all creative!!!! Creative is seen as this thing you have or don't have. But I resent that a lot.
MO: I AGREE. But I had to ask.
LO: Literally everyone is a "creative", some people just use it more than others. But ok. I shall try to answer. Actually, I was trying to think of an anecdote to answer this question...
MO: Everyone is creative in very different ways, so let's rephrase. At what point did you FEEL you became in touch with your creativity?
LO: Oh yes. Much better. Erm... Honest answer is there is no definite date or event. There are some days where I feel SUPER IN TOUCH. Like where all I want to do is paint and write and I can literally create 50 different works and I love them all and it's just this magical thing. And then there are some days where I feel like a human cinder block. Just gray and square and unable to produce anything of meaning or value. I don't know if that answers the question.
MO: I can relate to that. Some days I feel completely sucked dry of all inspiration. Some days I'm like, "It's here! It has come!"
LO: Exactly.
MO: So then, what do you do to make that magic happen, to maximize the magic feelings?
LO: Ugh. These questions are making me realize I have no organization or method. I want to say like, "Take a walk! Go look at art! Read something fun and inspiring!" But when I'm feeling uninspired or "non-creative" literally all I do is just sit and wallow and tell myself I'm awful. And that I'll never create again. And that everything I've ever done is dumb. And then I go back and look through my photos or other works while wallowing in a pool of self-pity until I come across something I like. That's when I think, "Hey wait you like this!" ....Realizing now I basically just said I inspire myself.... I swear I'm not a narcissist.
MO: But this is also where friends come in! And remind you that you're great!
LO: Yes! Friends. I try to be careful though... with seeking validation from someone outside myself, because that is a very slippery slope. And if you get in the habit of seeking an external source of validation for all your work, you'll never be able to create anything truly for yourself. Does that make sense?
MO: Yes, ultimately, you have to know how to get it from yourself. Otherwise you slowly get away from creating what is most authentic. What YOU want to create, not what others want to see from you.
LO: Exactly.
MO: I think it helps to find something that reminds you of yourself. Like a song, a place, a feeling that make you think, "Ah! That's it." What brings you to that place, or what reminds you most of you?
LO: Argh. These questions are HARD. Is it bad that the first thing that comes to my mind is disorder? Lol. Are we talking what reminds me of me in my work/art? In daily life? In food? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!
MO: I mean, when stressed, when a little lost, when in a moment of self-doubt, what reminds you of the YOU that you love! Music, place, anything.
LO: Oh man. Well. This is going to sounds laaaame. But a boyfriend in high school got me super into Neutral Milk Hotel and Vampire Weekend at a point that happened to be when I was just getting into darkroom and photo again. And so now if I'm ever feeling off-kilter creatively, that's what I like to listen to. Place? Literally anywhere that I can get some vitamin D. I could be sitting in a pile of garbage and if I'm getting sunshine on my face I feel good. And just in general spending some quality time alone.
I guess my more concise answer would be a place where I can be alone with my thoughts, where there is ideally a good amount of natural light (99% of the reason I picked my apartment was because of the light it gets...), and where I can just doodle. That's like pressing a reset button on my brain. Also drinking wine by myself and going to the movies by myself helps. Just doing things alone! I feel like that should be anyone's answer. People should spend more time with themselves and doing what they enjoy alone. That's really when you figure out what you ACTUALLY like, instead of what you think you like because you believe other people will like it when you put it out into the world. I just rambled. Whoops...
TBC.
AND check out more of Lauren's work here
