Skip to the Good Part: An Introduction

I’m going to be honest with you: I hate introducing myself.

It’s terrifying. It’s hard.

The number of times it got to me in the icebreaker circle and I said, “Hi, I’m Kira, my major is film and media arts, and a fun fact about me is...uh...umm...” haunts me to this day.

Not to mention the existential dread it can set off if you’re not prepared.

So, to make this as painless as possible, I suggest jumping into the blog proper. Think of it as meeting someone at a party, agreeing that you both hate small talk, and immediately striking up a conversation about life, art, and TV show opinions.

You know, the real stuff.

Okay, okay - I know that doesn’t work all the time. (When I actually tried that at parties, I made some pretty great friends. But I also got some very strange, slightly offended looks.) So let’s break this down.

With a little cheek.

Question: Who are you?

As in: Qualifications, please.

I’m Kira (she/her), writer, video editor, media artist, nerd. I recently graduated Temple University’s film program, and I’m a huge fan of strange and diverse storytelling. You can find out more on my About page, or view my work here.

Question: Who are you?

As in: What are you doing with this blog?

I’m doing a lot of things with this blog! Including but not limited to:

• Project announcements and updates

• Behind-the-scenes breakdowns of my creative process

• Media reviews and analysis

• Whatever you’d like to see more of!

While this is a personal creative blog, I hope the insights into my own work, as well as the work of others, can help you with your artistic journey.

Even if it’s just knowing that someone else out there is just as fumbling and frustrated as you are.

Question: No, but seriously, who are you?

As in: Tell me about your personality. Your likes and dislikes. Your hobbies!

Last time I checked, I was an INFJ. I’m also an Aries, for whatever that’s worth. People have described me as perfectionistic and a little weird, which I wholeheartedly agree with. They’ve also described me as intimidating, which I don’t agree with. I’m about as intimidating as a paper bag thrown over an anxiety ball.

I like good tomato sauce, books, and long YouTube videos about niche topics. I dislike pie and paywalls on academic papers.

When I’m not writing or coming up with cool projects, I’m spending time with my dog and thinking about running again. (One day.)

Question: Who are you?

As in: metaphysically

Selfhood is like holding a jewel in your hand. You can never see every face of the jewel at once, so you keep turning it over and over, trying to memorize them, finding new ones.

Introductions in particular are difficult because they require you to decide, in one precise moment, the face you are going to present to others. It’s not saying, I am this person. This essential, gleaming core. It’s saying, I have a dozen different faces. I will find a dozen more. But right now, this is the one I choose to put in front of you.

And you’ve got to do it in a few hundred words.

(Even when the language, too, feels imprecise.)

I don’t know if there are words to describe the essence of our very beings, or whatever. But I’ll keep turning the jewel over for you. Let many faces catch the light.

And then you can take it from there.