This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
过去的这个冬天，学院的学生 艾娃·博尔达萨 released her first published literary work: 《大发彩票平台登录》. You may recognize her from her recent feature on Fox32芝加哥! 音乐剧专业的大四学生, 艾娃 speaks on how her art transcends the boundaries of standard artistic categories. 她在学院的时光, as well as working as an artist with dyslexia, greatly influences how she navigates the specifics of her work.
Read along to hear about her perspective:
How did your personal experience with dyslexia influence the type of story that you wanted to create?
艾娃: I was always interested in adventures and mysteries when I was little. 那是我最喜欢的书类型. And I used to read a lot because the best way for me to learn and catch up and really comprehend was just to practice. That's the best way to do anything: practice. 在写书的时候, 我不想跟阅读障碍有关, because it was almost an escape from that, as well– proving to myself that I could do it. 我会写字. 我能读. I can do all of these things, and it wouldn't matter if I was dyslexic or not. 所以这真的是, 非常有趣的活动, 为了教会自己，为了证明自己, and to hopefully one day prove to others, that people with dyslexia or other learning disabilities can do it just as well as anyone else.
What type of audience do you want your work to reach? What type of person do you feel is most important to relay this story to, if any?
艾娃: Well, it's ages 9 to 12 for this book. 它是轻松的. 很有趣. It introduces kids to people like William Shakespeare as well, because I put quotes in t在这里 from him– quotes that I really, 真心佩服和爱. 我希望它只是一种有趣的阅读方式, something that's interesting for these kids who are learning to read. 只是为了好玩. 在未来, 如果我写得更多, it's more screenwriting stuff– definitely different than this book. But I love writing, and I want people to be touched by everything that I write. I want people to experience it, see it, hear it, feel it, smell it– everything. Truly, I want my writing to get into people's souls and make it memorable and something enjoyable.
I know that you create other forms of art, especially studying 音乐剧 at The Academy. What inspired you to use a literary format to express this story, as opposed to demonstrating your intentions through any other art form?
艾娃: I've always been a performer, starting ballet at the age of four. I was always doing something on the stage. And I think that’s why [I chose literature]. Being a storyteller– the way that I show myself and tell the stories through myself– I wanted to step back a little bit and see what I could do with directing other people. Showing other people how I feel, not just how a character feels. How a story in my life can be portrayed through someone else. And I think that being involved in theater and performance– live theater, 电影, 电视, all that– will help me in the future when writing, 当导演, 在摄影机前工作时, 诸如此类的事情. Because I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the camera or on the stage, 而不是在他们后面.
Is t在这里 anything else you wanted to share about the story or about your personal experiences? Or anything else you’d like readers to know?
艾娃: How I said in the Fox interview about people with dyslexia superpowers. I truly think that people with learning disabilities have had to learn how to connect with people in different ways. So I think that we are incredibly empathetic. 我们是解决问题的高手. And I think that that's why t在这里 are so many people in the arts world who are dyslexic and who have learning disabilities because this is an outlet. 这是一种表达自己的方式.
I'm not going to become a scientist or a math person. 这不是我的菜. But I found a way to express myself and learn. 我每天都在学院学习. 我喜欢这里. It's the best place on earth for someone like me who needs art to truly be whole. 这里是一个特别的地方. And I hope that people know that they should write what they're feeling, like keeping a journal. Write something, write anything, because it could turn into anything. If you're passionate about it, write it down. 如果你想展示什么，就拍下来. 这样做. 做这件事. Don't just sit t在这里 and sit with it in you. 把它拿给别人看. Every thought and every art piece is special and should be seen.
The Academy community is incredibly proud of 艾娃, and is excited to see what she does next! 看看她在Fox32的采访吧 在这里.
