In Indie Girl, a new non-fiction title from Zest, writers Arne Johnson and Karen Macklin inspire and encourage girls to rock their inner artistic side. Projects like "Publish a Play" are introduced, and readers are encouraged to make them happen, DIY style. What a refreshing concept! Not only is this book super-fun with great ideas, it's chock-full of great resources too. I spoke with the authors about this fabulous, coolsville-cool book and asked them about what the Indie Girl spirit is all about.

Ypulse Books Readers: This is your chance to brag! Be one of the first three people to post a comment about the most creative DIY (Do-It-Yourself) project you've ever embarked on, and we'll send you a free copy of Indie Girl.

YPulse Books: This book feels "old-school" to me while still being respectful of teen girls as they are today. What do you think of some of the newer ways teens are being creative using technology?

Arne Johnson: It's all amazing! I'm a filmmaker, and without the innovations of technology we would've never been able to make "Girls Rock!" Technology has many strange side-effects, but in the world of cultivating creativity it's been a resoundingly good thing! Think of all the independent labels and bands that can exist by making their own CDs or building audiences online...When I was young, the idea of starting a band and producing your own album and actually getting it heard seemed impossibly remote. Now bands of 12 year olds are self-releasing their first albums and making short films. The main thing I hope teens won't lose sight of is the struggle to make things cool and beautiful and meaningful even as technology makes things easier. Just because you can make a mini movie in 5 minutes with your cell phone doesn't mean you should...take some time, think it out, get people involved, be passionate about what you're making...and then use your cell phone!

YPB: And in addition, What are some ways that "new-school" tech-savy kids could incorporate the arts more and the "indie girl" spirit in particular?

AJ: I think people are doing lots of cool things at the intersection of different art forms. Despite our book being about 9 separate projects, there's no reason those can't be merged together and exploded into new forms. A music video competition while a concert is underway, for instance...Part of the indie girl spirit, in fact, the most important part, is to take things like our book, read them, absorb them, and then ignore what you want to ignore, and learn what you want to learn, and make something that's completely your own. The great thing about tech-saavy kids is they don't care so much about all the old rules, they're just inventing stuff right and left. This book is hopefully just a reminder that there's a lot involved in making something that attains to higher impact than making your friends laugh at something on YouTube, but that it's not that daunting. For real indie girls, the process will be as important as the process, a way of learning who you are while doing something that you love.

YPB: Who are your "indie girl" heroes?

AJ: What a long list I could spring on you! But I'll try to limit it to two biggies for me:

1. Patti Smith, musician, artist, poet, etc...She is the true epitome of doing whatever you're interested in no matter what other people say or what you look like or anything. She used to take a clarinet on stage and start blowing into it even though she wasn't formally trained. Now she's a great clarinet player! She is just utterly fearless...

2. Lynda Barry, cartoonist, artist, novelist...Her cartoons and novels are pretty much the best depiction of being a teenager I've ever read, and she doesn't compromise at any point. She writes a novel and does great illustrations. She write comics like they were a novel...Beautiful, funny, sad and strange.

Karen Macklin: I have a lot of fave indie girls, but I think one of my favorites is PJ Harvey because she really pushed the envelope regarding what girls are supposed to sing about and look like, and is always up there raising hell with the guys. I have also historically been a big fan of Eve Ensler (the author and performer of the original Vagina Monologues) because she took a female subject that was taboo to really the entire world, put it on stage, made it a household conversation, and went on to raise millions of dollars for girls' and women's causes locally and throughout the world. And it all started with a simple, one-woman show.

YPB: Along the same lines, what is the coolest and most original DIY effort you've experienced?

KM: My good friends and I put on a show for the SF Fringe Festival one year in which we wrote, directed, and produced three short plays of our own. It was such an amazing collaborative experience, and almost all of the primary artistic roles were taken by women: the writers, the director, the choreographer, the lighting designer, the stage manager, the producer, and even the two people who ran the light and sound boards. I am pleased to say that we never got into one argument the entire time because we were so focused on the art and really listening to and respecting each other's ideas. It was a lot of work, but so much fun.

YPB: I know this is sort of a DIY manifesto, but any suggestions or words of wisdom for the mentors and teachers of indie girls?

KM: The biggest advice I could give is simply to just do it. Pick a project, any project, and make it happen. Pick a crew, set deadlines, and go forward. Art-making is a great team experience, but it is not a sport. There is no championship you are trying to get into or a number of goals that you are trying to score. In art, it is as much about the process as it is about the finished product. Form a group, come up with a plan and a schedule (very important!), and set the wheels in motion.

YPB: I once took an acting class. I loved it. Learning about the process and technique involved in what might seem like the smallest scene was really mind-expanding. Well, I discovered I'm no actor, but the experience was invaluable because now I watch film, television, and plays in a totally new way. I have a completely heightened appreciation.

I like how in the instruction of the projects presented in Indie Girl, you inadvertently also show us how to be more appreciative of the art we encounter. It helped me understand the planning and work that goes into a particular project in a way that I know will make it more full-filling to me as an observer. I guess what I'm saying is, this book has a lot to offer 'Indie Girls' in the audience too. Thank you.

Posted by alli