Courtney McKinnon: What is your first memory of art?

Milenna Saraiva: When I was about three years old, my parents were having a party at our house. I was drawing this little character I came up with — a little girl on a bicycle –and all my parents’ friends wanted me to draw one for them. I remember drawing all night, and they gave me a dollar for each drawing.

CM: Was there ever any doubt in your mind that you’d become an artist?

MS: Yeah, when I moved to L.A. from Brazil I was 18. I used to be a gymnast. I competed since I was 12. I was really torn between being a dancer or an artist. I knew that I had to stop the gymnastics because it has a very short life, so I was like, OK what am I gonna do after that? When I moved here I was actually going to college for dance and art. Along the way I was really influenced by a teacher of mine, so I decided to let go of dancing and focus on art.

CM: Do you still dance as a hobby?

MS: No, I haven’t danced for a long time. I’m still very into the whole fitness thing, though. I teach spinning classes five to six times a week, and I was a personal trainer for a long time. I work out every day — it’s just part of me. But the dancing thing…I was so high up on the scale and I was an athlete, so for me, it was like all or nothing.

CM: You’ve only been here 10 years, but your English is impeccable — did you learn English before you came to the United States?

MS: Actually, I didn’t. I was always really interested in English. In Brazil we have English classes, but they’re kinda basic. I remember finishing high school and knowing I was going to move soon so I studied by myself, translating songs with a dictionary. Back then the Internet was not really what it is today, so I used to have my big dictionary and go word by word. And I watched movies in English. When I moved here, I knew how to read and write in English. I went and took the test in college and they put me in English 101. The problem is I was not really good with understanding and speaking it. I knew how to read and write, but they didn’t have a way to test that in a written test. I remember sitting in class and thinking, Oh, my god. What the hell are they talking about? It was really intense, but it forced me to learn quicker.

CM: Tell me about your newest body of work, Part Human.

MS: I started thinking about people I was dealing with on a day-to-day basis and how we all have our part that we show people. Then we have the other parts that most people don’t know about. I decided to take pictures of friends of mine — a little part of their body or their faces, that to me, were them. I wanted it to be a part that was not a facial expression, because that’s easy. I painted a part of this picture on top of a gold background and in the background I did a bunch of geometric drawings with pencil. I’ve been reading a bunch of geometry books and it’s very intriguing to me. It has to do with how everything in this world is made of proportion. If you go and measure a circle, a triangle, a rectangle, this is what everything is made of. It’s very interesting to go back to the creation of the world and how we’re all made of the same thing. So I wanted to put that in the background because even though we’re all different, we’re all human.

CM: What different mediums do you work with?

MS: Most of my work is oil on canvas or wood, but I experiment with everything. I’m working on paper with coffee right now.

CM: Dried coffee or liquid coffee?

MS: Liquid. I think I’m going to call it Morning Thoughts or Morning Renderings. I was really sleepy one morning and had all this really nice paper on the floor. As I was getting ready to start drawing, I spilled coffee on it. I left it off to the side and when I went to look at it, the coffee left some really cool patterns and soaked through the paper, so every one was different. I started drawing on top of them with a pen.

CM: How did you come up with the idea for the short film Lovesick?
MS: I have lots of dreams that are kind of insane — surrealist dreams. Have you ever had a dream where you’re flying in the air and there’s like a giant elephant…I had this dream and I could remember every single thing about it. There was a lot of cool imagery, so I decided to draw parts of it. I was like, OK I’m going to make a series with paintings and it’s gonna be called Lovesick, because it’s like a love story. In the process of getting the sketches done I met someone and realized later — you’re going to think I’m completely insane or on drugs and I’m not — that she was exactly like the drawing I had made. So when I started talking to her and we started getting closer, I was like, Wait a minute. I went back to the drawings, and I’m like, Oh, my god. It’s you. It looked like her! Now we’ve been together for two years — I feel like I had a little premonition about that.

Anyway, I went back and started painting and showed it to a good friend of mine, Nikko Fabber, who’s getting his master’s as a movie director from the Pasadena arts school. He looked at it and he’s like “Why don’t we make a movie of it?” I’m very excited because we’re re-creating my dream. I took stills from the movie and I’m going to make paintings of it — that was my original idea. My idea is to have an art opening where people are going to enter and first watch the movie. In a different room we’re going to have all my paintings for sale. I want it to be a multimedia show, so we’ll have music, film, paintings, and food.

CM: What does the future hold for you?

MS: I have this idea for a TV show — it’s called The Art Show. It’s an art reality competition show where we’re going to audition artists and have them all live and work in a studio space. Every week we’ll have a different challenge for them and every week we’ll eliminate somebody. The goal is to find the new Renaissance Man or Woman. There are so many amazing artists in this town — in every town — people that don’t even have a chance to show in galleries. Whenever I bump into somebody I went to college with, they’re not doing art anymore. It’s so hard to break through, even if you have a degree and a lot of talent. All the other artistic ways have media support — for actors, for music, for fashion. There’s TV shows about everything — there’s five for fashion, five for cooking, and for art there’s none — SO FAR.
For more information: www.milennasaraiva.com

Lesbian Attack!, a grassroots movement of more than 2,000 lesbians and bisexual women who swarm straight bars without warning, has joined forces with the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center to present Lesbian Attack! Gives Back! on May 22, California’s first official Harvey Milk Day.

The event, presented by SheWired.com and the Center’s Young Professionals Council (YPC), benefits the Center’s women’s programs. The party will feature some of the nation’s most popular female DJs, a hosted vodka bar courtesy of Ocean Vodka, an open beer bar featuring Budweiser Select 55 between midnight and 2a.m., and more.

“The show of support from the community has been tremendous,” says YPC member Alisa Sommer. “The YPC is so happy to be able to work with Lesbian Attack! to create yet another fun event designed to raise both money and awareness about the Center’s amazing women’s programs, and keep the Center engaged with our community’s next generation.”

The event also connects all of Southern California’s key lesbian party promoters for the first time – including Club Skirts, Girlbar, Fuse Events, PYT, The Betty, Shannon K., Kyss Club, Thrive Entertainment, Jetsetter, French Kiss and Jana Rifkin. Corporate sponsors include Ocean Vodka, Budweiser Select 55, GayTravel.com, Olivia Cruises and Rodeo Realty.

“We are thrilled to see so many people banding together to support such an important cause,” says Haley Jones, founder of Lesbian Attack! “The Attack! is always an act of love, lesbian visibility and a little bit of havoc. We want lesbians to have fun and have a positive impact. We couldn’t be more excited to support the important work the Center does for women in our community every day.”

Lesbian Attack! Gives Back! will take place at Geisha House, 6633 Hollywood Blvd., on Saturday, May 22 from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. For pre-sale tickets at a limited time price of $25 visit www.lagaycenter.org/lesbianattack.

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EVENT DETAILS
Where: Geisha House, 6633 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028
When: Saturday, May 22 from 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
What: Lesbian Attack! Gives Back! – an event benefiting women’s programs of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.
Visuals: Red carpet arrivals with VIP guests (to be announced). Limited broadcast interview opportunities available. Please contact Leyla Farah, 213.245.1493, leyla@cause-pr.com for credentialing details.

About Lesbian Attack!
Lesbian Attack! is on a mission to infiltrate Los Angeles’ best straight bars and gay ’em up with Los Angeles’ hottest women. Barely a year old, Lesbian Attack! has already been featured in Los Angeles Magazine as one of the hottest 100 things to do in LA. To find out more about the next attack, join up on Facebook or send an e-mail to lesbianattack@gmail.com to join the mailing list.

About the Young Professionals Council
The Young Professionals Council’s (YPC) mission is to lead by example in engaging people under the age of 40 to support the LA Gay & Lesbian Center, financially and through volunteer work, all while building a community of passionate people. The YPC fosters a spirit of service, responsibility and fun for all those who want to make the world a better place for LGBT people. Founded four years ago, the YPC raised $150,000 in 2009 for Center services through events such as Halloweenie, Poolwatch and the YPC Beach Volleyball Tournament.

About the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Since 1971, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has been building the health, advocating for the rights and enriching the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The Center’s wide array of services and programs includes: free HIV/AIDS care and medications for those most in need; housing, food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth; low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented families and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention programs; transgender services; cultural arts and much more. Visit the Center on the Web at: www.lagaycenter.org.

However, it was after finding herself engaged as an activist for the LGBT equal rights movement that Cathy began to explore the way in which personal stories inform and influence people’s everyday lives. Deeply steeped in the latest digital platforms and social media technologies, Cathy began teaching people to make these connections of personal stories, using new technologies as the medium.

Currently running her own consulting firm in San Francisco, Cathy works with companies and individuals helping them navigate the crowded waterways of new technologies with the express purpose of leveraging these rapidly evolving platforms to tell their stories. Through workshops, seminars and strategic consulting services, Cathy walks clients through the story-telling process and towards the kind of deep engagement that comes from truly authentic communication.

Every week Cathy brings these discussions to life on Social Media Hour, a live, call-in talk show on which industry leaders and average folks share their experiences and tell their stories. The program, for which Cathy is Executive Producer and Host, puts new technologies in human terms, and gives the audience a chance to interact via text chat and phone.

Her last full-time job had Cathy leading the charge on business development for Seesmic, a San Francisco-based start-up that enables global conversation using video as the conduit. While there, Cathy secured and managed the company’s relationships with top media organizations such as 20th Century Fox, The BBC and The Washington Post.

Prior to Seesmic, Cathy worked with Guidewire Group — a global analyst firm focused on emerging markets and technologies. During that time, Cathy created and hosted “I of Innovation,” a weekly talk show providing a unique perspective and insight into the processes and people behind the latest technology trends. On Guidewire Group’s behalf she also launched “Six Minutes With,” a weekly podcast series for Network World.

Cathy also produced two of Guidewire Group’s conferences — Innovate!Europe and Leadership Forum. In both cases Cathy identified and booked top speakers as well as moderated and emceed the events. For several years Cathy also played a role in content curation for LeWeb, the largest technology gathering in Europe.

Back in the day, Cathy worked at TechTV, running the talent and guest booking departments, and over the years has held several executive positions with PR agencies ranging from business development to account management.

When not traveling or meandering the digital world of the Web, Cathy can be found seeking the perfect hamburger in San Francisco, CA.

A former casting director and studio executive, Lloyd has worked with an all-star roster that includes Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Sandra Bullock and more — she even cast Brad Pitt in his first big- screen project.

Now Lloyd, who spent 25 years in Hollywood, is taking her expertise and business savvy to what is being debated as Tinseltown’s biggest competition: the Internet.

Launching BigIsGood.TV in January, Lloyd — who got her foot in the door by selling BMWs in the San Fernando Valley after moving to L.A. in 1981 — is like a kid in a candy store, rediscovering what made the town fun.

“They said to me when I was a studio executive to look on the Internet because that’s where all of our audience is going,” Lloyd says. “I went to MySpace and YouTube and thought it was a weird dysfunctional community. People thought they had a lot to say, and I was thinking they’re wrong. I looked at YouTube and asked myself, ‘Who’s curating this because I don’t get it.’ ”

And so www.BigIsGood.TV was born. The concept for the site — first conceived about four years ago with Lloyd and her longtime friend, Ellen DeGeneres — was about “giving the power back to the people who have something to say,” Lloyd says.

“(Ellen) is very peripherally involved, but we were fascinated with trends and hosts because when you look at TV, practically all the TV shows are hosted shows,” Lloyd says. “Not just ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ and ‘The Tyra Banks Show,’ but ‘The Bachelor’ or ‘Jon Stewart.’ People love their hosts. So I said, ‘I want to do a video platform — like a TV network where it’s just hosted shows.’ If people have a passion that they want to share with the world, then they can be on our site.”

The business model, Lloyd says, was inspired by vlogger Michael Buckley’s popular “What the Buck,” an entertainment-based program he started four years ago that now pockets the self-proclaimed ‘failed actor’ $150,000 a year.

“That was the role model for us, for people around the world to talk about their passion and create a social community — not friends of friends, I think that’s weird — but around a passion or topic that they love,” says Lloyd, the out founder and CEO of www.BigIsGood.TV who happens to also host her own show on the site, “Hi Doll.”

The site, which in two months has already wracked up 100,000 unique visitors, draws its name from its basic concept: “What is big? Big is good because all our shows are small little shows with individual niches and voices and we add up to a really big platform,” Lloyd says.

As for the primary differences between www.BigIsGood.TV and other video-hosting sites, Lloyd breaks it down: “(BigIsGood.TV) is smaller, it’s curated, we shoot a lot of the stuff ourselves, we produce, shoot, cut, post and set it up for other distribution platforms. My background is Hollywood, and it’s a platform where we find people and we incubate them and develop them. Because I’m from here, all the Hollywood eyes are on my site, so the people that are on there are easy to find. Also, we’ve already gotten two offers, one from Bravo, one from a TV production company to turn two of our shows into TV shows. That wasn’t the intent when I started out, but it makes sense now. There’s a lot of options here.”

With about 18 shows on offer and nearly 100 episodes, Lloyd’s staff — most of which she says falls into the LGBT category — has produced 90 percent of the content and is aiming for an upscale demographic.

“We’re aiming for a more sophisticated audience, like HBO and Showtime do vs. network TV,” she says. “It’s not for people who spend a lot of time surfing for dates. It’s really for people who have a pretty sophisticated taste; they want to go to a place where they can just find interesting and informative information.”

And Lloyd’s long-term goals for www.BigIsGood.TV? It’s all about passion. “Our long-term goal is to enable everyone around the world to speak about their passion. That’s big.”

From a young age, makeup artist Jill Ventimiglia has been getting her hands dirty –whether painting or making pottery. So it comes as no surprise that makeup artistry came naturally to her.

An assisting gig doing makeup led Jill to recognize similarities to painting ceramic pieces, and she instantly found her niche. However, it was really her fondness for building confidence in women that propelled Jill into the makeup industry. From that point on, Jill thrust herself into the business, working at a makeup counter in Atlanta. Thus began a journey into making a career out of cosmetics. After three years, Jill was ready to take herself to the next level — she moved to Los Angeles where she enrolled at the renowned makeup school, Makeup Designory (MUD). Her talent and drive got her hired on her first film before graduating, and she has been working in the business ever since.

Her experience in the film industry led her to conceptualize her first product — a foundation that would not break out her clients and would actually benefit the skin. With the creation of the Shea Butter Foundation Stick, Jill decided to go all out and design a full line of cosmetics: Jack & Jill Cosmetics was born.

Jill’s approach to beauty is simple yet classic, which is evident in Jack & Jill Cosmetics. Her belief that beauty starts from within is evident in her motto: “beauty from the inside out.” Her knack for bringing out the inner beauty of her clients is at the core of her brand. “To touch a woman and give her the gift of confidence makes me feel like I’m doing something good for the world. I try to teach more then just outside beauty. I’m trying to empower the woman of tomorrow,” she says.

With the launch of Jack & Jill Cosmetics, her career is about to come full circle — from selling cosmetics to customers in the retail industry to bringing her own line of cosmetics to the shelves of boutiques and beauty supply stores. Jack & Jill Cosmetics is already building up a following, as it was recently used by makeup artist Tym Buacherern on Beyoncé and on by Jennifer Hudson in DreamGirls.

In Los Angeles, Jill actively works between film, television and the red carpet — and was Key Makeup Artist on the film Brick. Her growing celebrity client list includes Megan Good, Daryl Hannah, Emilie De Ravin, Noureen DeWulf, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Lukas Haas.

Female FYI recently sat down with Jill Ventimiglla to get a little more up-close and personal with the makeup artist.

Tell us a little more on how you got started in the makeup industry.

As a young adult I got into dancing and acting. I was supposed to dance in a show but got mono. Since I couldn’t perform they stuck me backstage the makeup artist. She said I was a natural. After working at the makeup counters and salons in Atlanta, GA I made the jump to Los Angeles, CA to pursue my dream.

Did you have an artistic background growing up?

Yes, I painted ceramics, pottery, lampshades, boxes, chairs, anything I could get my hands on.

Did you have any formal makeup training?

I received my Masters makeup certificate at Makeup Designory in Los Angeles.

When did your freelance makeup career begin?

Before graduating from MUD I got my first job as an assistant on a movie in 2002. I’ve been freelancing ever since.

What areas of media do you frequently work in?
I started in independent films; currently I work on commercials, headshots, print, red carpet, and private clients. I just recently obtained my Esthetician’s license so I’ve added facials and waxing to my repertoire.
How did you become interested in creating your own cosmetic line?

While working on film sets I couldn’t find a foundation that would moisturize the skin without causing breakouts to my actors. Most movie makeup is heavy and oily. This led me to the conception of my first product, the Shea Butter Foundation Stick.

How do you keep up with all the new trends and styles? How do you incorporate them into your makeup repertoire?

I’m constantly looking at magazines and what’s on the runway. My clients / directors usually have a direction they are going in with regards to makeup design, but I always give them my advice on what is best for the project. It’s
a collaboration between us to come up with a “look.”

If we took a look in your makeup kit what would we see?

Jack & Jill cosmetics, MAC cosmetics, Joe Blasco, travel-size Wet One wipes, cotton swabs, cocoa butter lotion…and much more.

Give Female FYI readers your best beauty tips for Spring.

Moist, hydrated-looking skin.

Long lashes are big. A huge trend is permanent false lashes applied individually. They last a couple weeks and are especially big on the West Coast. Not ready to go the glued route? Layer on the mascara. Several coats should do you fine.

Coral is in this spring for women of all ages. It is the perfect shade when pink feels clichéd & red is just too vampy. The deal with coral is to stay away from mattes and opt instead for glosses and lipsticks that you apply with your finger (the stick itself can make the color too heavy). You want it to look as if you just ate a piece of fruit.

You have become known for your makeup work with lesbians. Explain why this is unique in comparison to women in general.

I am a lesbian so lesbians feel comfortable in general with me doing their makeup. They know they can share their fears about makeup with me and I won’t make them look like a glamour shot photo. I have a knack for listening to their needs while bringing out the true beauty within. A lot of my lesbian clients don’t even know how to properly wash their face, put on moisturizer, and have never picked up a makeup brush before. I take each woman at their own pace without making them feel insecure. You would be surprised by the butchest of lesbian who wants to bring out their best features with makeup, they just don’t know how. My clients know they can trust me. I bring out the femininity and confidence inside without changing their “identity.”

For more information:
www.jackandjillcosmetics.com
www.jventimiglia.blogspot.com
www.jillmakeup.com

Coco opened and closed the show, Conversations with Coco, an Inside the Actors Studio-style show, with hilarious original songs (“I’m fulfilling a dream; I’m finally meeting Ernestine”). She and Lily sat in chairs on one side of the stage and chatted about Tomlin’s incredible career and the co-stars she’s worked with such as Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Dolly Parton and many others. Clips of Tomlin’s work were shown on a huge screen behind them.

Coco shared her first encounter with Tomlin, when they were seated near each other at a Mexican restaurant. Coco’s husband wanted her to introduce herself and pointed out that Tomlin was smiling; Coco’s reaction was, “That’s what famous people do—smile at the crazy people and hope it doesn’t escalate!”

Tomlin shared this gem: “I’ve always said there’s no excuse for a square gay person. They’re inherently hip.”

It’s a sad predicament we’re in when we can fund endless wars and occupations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, yet we can’t pay our librarians or keep current books stocked on the shelves.

Do we even have lobbyists for libraries? During the recent healthcare debate, we were told there are 8 lobbyists per member of Congress for Big Pharma and the health insurance companies. But a search for who lobbies Obama and friends on the subject of libraries didn’t garner so much information.

Libraries are so much more than where kids can go after school to keep out of trouble, or Grandma can go to read copies of the magazine Nostalgia. My mother used to walk my sister and me to the local library where we were encouraged to check out as many books as allowed. I loved the classics and challenged myself to read the biggest, thickest books I could find. I learned more from library books than I ever did in high school and college combined.

Libraries are the great equalizer. You don’t have to be rich to get the best education money can buy. You just have to return your books on time and not make too much noise in the reference section. A person can have a middle or lower class upbringing but with the aid of the local librarian, she can be smarter than a Harvard or Princeton graduate.

I called my local Councilman to express my dismay about the lessening of hours at the library and a very nice receptionist commiserated with me. But it’s not enough to just agree and lament. I’d like action in the form of cutting the real wasteful spending on drone attacks and obsolete F-22 fighter jets. Eisenhower said, “Beware the Military Industrial Complex” and it’s so disheartening that we haven’t heeded that call.

We have the power to change the things that our tax dollars are spent on. We must act though, and not be lulled by who’s going to be on next season’s Dancing With the Stars, or how long it took to weave in Kate Gosselin’s new hair extensions.

72 library branch closings is a lot of knowledge defenestrated. That’s a word I learned at the library. It means thrown out the window. We are not powerless to watch this happen, but we must act now, and act decisively, and become the lobbyists we are looking for.

Please visit:www.savethelibrary.org

I have been a personal fitness trainer for four years and have been studying the lifestyle impact of a raw food diet, almost as long. I have been a practicing Raw Food Chef for over a year.

Originally you are from the Bay Area and currently living in Los Angeles; do you have clients in both cities? And if so, how do your work your schedule?

I try to go home to SF at least once every three months to visit my friends and family. When I go home, yes, I still train clients that I had prior to moving to Los Angeles. I have also been flown home by clients to train them for countdowns for a wedding, reunion or even just a quarterly cleanse.

Where do you work out with clients when you are in Los Angeles? San Francisco?

In Los Angeles I work at a gym name “Train” located on La Cienega and Melrose. I also train many clients at their homes as well as do group runs and boot camps. In SF I train my clients in their home or at Dolores Park or Buena Vista.

Currently, do you have more clients for fitness or for your education and experience with Raw Food?

All of my clients that I train in physical activity practice raw either completely, 50% or even 5%. I have a few other clients that are just interested in Raw.

What do you feel you bring to the table that is unique and different, within your workouts and training, from the rest?

I build a relationship with all of my clients and try to create a workout for each individual based on their own personality and physical ability. I build an environment for them to feel comfortable in order for them to step out of their comfort zone. I share activities that are fun and exciting. I teach back from the roots. Most activities and exercises you will remember from elementary school. All exercises can be done both in and out of the gym. Some sessions are done in the neighborhood; others are performed in the park while some are completed in the gym. The thing I try to do best is make each session personal and fun for every individual.

Rumor has it you are working on a book. True or false? Tell us where you’re at with the book?

Yes I have a book in my near future. I am in the beginning phases of the project.

For the last couple of years, you have done a boot camp at Mariah Hanson’s Club Skirts Presents The Dinah, held in Palm Springs every year. Being that you are leaving for this event shortly, tell us a little more about what you do there for Dinah Shore Weekend so the girls know for next year.

I have been the lead event manager for The Dinah for years, though in the last couple I have appeared there as talent. I’m back in this year, doing both! I am in the fashion show, but I am also here running the event again and will be taking an increasingly visible role in years to come.

What other new surprises can we expect from you in 2010?

I am launching “PureRawLove,” which is a prepackaged raw food delivery service. We actually launch April 12th. I am so excited! My partner and I do catering and classes teaching people hands-on how to prepare raw food. We are delivery to small and big local businesses, salons, and gyms as well as homes. CBS is our major client. We will also have a demonstration and sample booth April 24th in Palm Springs at Earth Day.

Female Fyi has 10 random questions for you to let our readers get to know you a
little bit better.

One raw food you couldn’t live without?

Avocados for sure.

One fitness tip that you’ll always keep preaching?

Consistency. I would rather you workout 20 minutes a day all week then one great hour workout twice a week.

Favorite sport?

Softball.

Favorite restaurant in Los Angeles? San Francisco?

In LA, Cru in Silverlake. In SF, I want to say Café Gratitude because it is raw, but I will have to go with Moki’s Sushi in Bernal Heights.

Strangest phone number in your cell phone?

The 12-digit number I got at the bar last night.

Favorite Film?

Love Actually.

Favorite Quote?

You’re OK…. No, really.

Where are you now?

I am actually in Palm Springs now. I have been here since Saturday preparing for the Clubskirts Dinah.

Girlfriend?

Ha, I have learned the hard way not to expose my personal life.

Name one non-profit organization that you support and/or work with and why?

I am honestly just starting to get involved in the non-profit organizations. I would love to support and be a part of those such as PFLAG or organizations benefiting LGBT Youth.

Numerology is one way to take a peek beneath the surface, and see the numerical influences of your life based on the name you received at birth, the name you now use and the day you were born. While numerology will certainly provide powerful insight, it’s what you do with this insight that is most powerful. To illustrate this, let’s look at a dynamic celebrity talent and see what’s behind her actions! Fran Drescher was born Fran Joy Drescher on September 30th,1957. According to numerology her Life Path number is 34/7: showing her to be a searcher and a seeker of truth who is very capable of handling all of life’s challenges. You can see this amazing ability in her brave fight with cancer in June, 2000 and the subsequent birth of her second book Cancer Schmancer and the Cancer Schmancer Movement. Her true nature is to turn the negative into the positive.

Fran’s Expression number is 20/2: close relationships are essential to her happiness. She is highly creative, deeply insightful and she has a practical solution to any problems that arise in her life. She is a go-getter! You can see this express itself in her politics, having been appointed Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women’s Health Issues in September, 2008. Her Heart’s Desire number is 13/4: work is central to her life, but she has a tendency towards overworking. Her high level of energy is what drives her career and it is in this way that she can accomplish a great deal in a short amount of time. She has been honored with numerous achievement awards, her most recent being the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award presented to her by Senator Hillary Clinton. Ms. Drescher is certainly inspiring!

But, how can you make the most of every situation in your own life? Here are three ways that you can start to make a splash, strengthen your life’s purpose and turn even the most trying situation into a winning event; 1. Create believable, positive affirmations. Affirmations have a funny way of working on the subconscious mind, redirecting negative, old patterns of thinking and creating new thought patterns. The key is to use believable affirmations. 2. Write about your experiences. Start a blog about how you overcame a break-up, how you got your dream job or even how you finally trained your dog to sleep late only on Sundays. 3. Become a mentor. Everyone is good at something and chances are someone wants to learn from you. Helping to inspire another creates a sense of well being in ourselves. Wherever you are in your life is where you are supposed to be, as all things are in order on a Divine level. Enjoy being you! Please feel free to write in and ask questions. They will be answered. Renée Starr, CH/CI, is a metaphysical hypnotherapist, and a spiritual life counselor offering her services to those who seek wisdom, clarity and balance in their lives. She believes that when we heal our lives we change the world. You can contact her at 323.632.0947, lotustarr@hotmail.com www.LOTUSTAR.net