Happysnappy, a storyteller with a camera: Paula Kumert is a storyteller with a camera

To define your own essence you have to look for your constants, the things that have always been there.

Family stories tell that by age one and a half I used to “read” the paper out loud, including some nodding and Aha! noises. One of my own first memories is about writing. At age 5 I had my first camera which at the time was quite unusual. At age 8 I helped my classmates out with their English lessons.

My life has had many interesting detours and yet I always go back to basics: I gather information, I record and I share. I´m a professional librarian. I write, collect, photograph, show and connect people. I am a storyteller with a camera.

Today I close the cycle of 30 interviews in 30 days with national and international artists for Art Every Day Month in November, answering the same four questions all my interviewees answered for you.

The day you stepped into your current creative space for the first time, did you already know how you wanted your studio to look like or did the design evolve from the actual space?

My studio is totally portable. A laptop and a camera. I can work from any place at home and any place in this planet.

After the work is done, do you clean up after each piece, after each day or whenever you can´t find the table anymore?

When I´m scrapbooking I re arrange the tools and supplies after each layout but only tidy up at the end of the session. Come November I only put everything away on the 30th!

Which is your best time of the day to create? Do you have music on or do you prefer to work in silence?

Each day is different. I have two planners: one for home and one for on line work. I see what needs to be done each day and assign proirities. Family activities always come first!

My brain turns on when the sun comes down. That being said, I´d rather get up very early, which can be considered the night before than sleep till mid morning.

If I am designing or painting I play music. If I am writing I need silence not to get the words mixed up. If I am doing housework and I have to be around the house I put the radio on and if I have to stay in one place (when cooking or ironing) I play Internet podcasts.

Which is your next project?

On line workshops about creativity and organization for your daily life. A lot of art journaling, maps and compasses to guide arts & crafts entrepreneurs to see where they are at and how to get where they want to go. Tutorial series on blogging and more.

After the owls that kept me company and guided the way in 2014 I´m choosing cameras as the image for 2015. I will met some artists “live” to know their stories and share them so we can all learn from them. I want to inspire others togo for their dreams in a practical way. I will keep up the photoprompts and illustrate quotes and songs with my own photography archives.

There are more projects in the works. I have a wall full of sticky notes!