By Nora Titus
“Remember that time at speech regionals last year? When we went up onstage for impromptu and just said the most atrocious things?” I ask Emily as she sits across from me, plonking her heavy satchel onto the seat beside her.
“Don’t remind me!” She laughs, hands clasped together. “But those were some good times, huh?”
I wink, “the best… speaking of which, let’s talk about you and public speaking. Actually, can we start with a little about you?”
Emily scratches her head and leans back, thoughtfully, “I was born in Vancouver and have lived in West van my whole life. I have a sister named alison in grade 9 and a brother named Alec in grade 4. collingwood since kindergarten.I’m grateful we’re pretty close, sometimes they even inspire my efforts.”
I smile, “that’s so sweet. Do you have any interests outside of the arts? I know you do a lot of public speaking and writing, but what else?”
She pauses, running her index finger along the grain of the wood, “I’m a big environmentalist, that’s pretty important, i’m definitely a tree-hugger and nature lover. I also enjoy filmmaking, longboarding, exploring, meeting people, and adventure!”
“Sounds like you’re pretty confident with yourself, do you have any advice to those who are just starting out in art?”
“Well,” she begins slowly, “Don't be afraid to make mistakes, go with your mistakes and make it awesome. Art is just a really great means to let your soul go free on paper. It's the only thing I know where there is no specific criteria, and that's amazing.”
“What does writing do for you, do you have any inspiration or heroes?” I ask, my interest further peaked.
Emily nods, she’s been expecting this question, “I would say I look up to poets like Wes Anderson and John Hughes. Their works are incredible; they’re honest and pure. It's not about the fame for them, it's what the create. My writing is basically just an extension of me. It's a part of my mind that's been transferred to paper. It's actually a really great relief. If I'm having a terrible day I'll write about my troubles. After that I feel a lot better! I do believe it publishes some very good material and honours the artists in our presence! I have some memorable times, I opened for shane koyczan once. And I performed at yuk yuk's downtown. I made it to the semi finals of public speaking! yayayayay!” She stifles her giggles, continuing, “I'm trying to get another gig at yuk yuk's. And the play i'm working on! It's called ‘Flats’!”
Her enthusiasm is contagious, and I’m beaming as I ask my last question, “Last but not least, what do you want to do with your art skills? How do you plan to use them later in life? Make it good!”.
Emily takes a moment to consider her answer, breathes deeply, then begins, “ I want to tell stories. In the simplest form possible. That's all I really want from this life,to tell stories. I guess for me that means, speaking in front of people, making videos, conveying emotions in their most powerful forms. I've always been a lone wolf and so I've always had a director's point of view. I have a real sense of mission and purpose and all of this, so I definitely want to make an impact. I'm already part of of an environmentalist group called Kids For Climate Action. So that's a start. Hopefully I can write a play. I'm working on one right now, I mentioned it, ‘Flats’.”
“What’s it about?” I tease, knowing she won’t tell me.
“Shhhh” Emily whispers, “Not until it’s done. You know that. Every writer knows that.”
“Don’t remind me!” She laughs, hands clasped together. “But those were some good times, huh?”
I wink, “the best… speaking of which, let’s talk about you and public speaking. Actually, can we start with a little about you?”
Emily scratches her head and leans back, thoughtfully, “I was born in Vancouver and have lived in West van my whole life. I have a sister named alison in grade 9 and a brother named Alec in grade 4. collingwood since kindergarten.I’m grateful we’re pretty close, sometimes they even inspire my efforts.”
I smile, “that’s so sweet. Do you have any interests outside of the arts? I know you do a lot of public speaking and writing, but what else?”
She pauses, running her index finger along the grain of the wood, “I’m a big environmentalist, that’s pretty important, i’m definitely a tree-hugger and nature lover. I also enjoy filmmaking, longboarding, exploring, meeting people, and adventure!”
“Sounds like you’re pretty confident with yourself, do you have any advice to those who are just starting out in art?”
“Well,” she begins slowly, “Don't be afraid to make mistakes, go with your mistakes and make it awesome. Art is just a really great means to let your soul go free on paper. It's the only thing I know where there is no specific criteria, and that's amazing.”
“What does writing do for you, do you have any inspiration or heroes?” I ask, my interest further peaked.
Emily nods, she’s been expecting this question, “I would say I look up to poets like Wes Anderson and John Hughes. Their works are incredible; they’re honest and pure. It's not about the fame for them, it's what the create. My writing is basically just an extension of me. It's a part of my mind that's been transferred to paper. It's actually a really great relief. If I'm having a terrible day I'll write about my troubles. After that I feel a lot better! I do believe it publishes some very good material and honours the artists in our presence! I have some memorable times, I opened for shane koyczan once. And I performed at yuk yuk's downtown. I made it to the semi finals of public speaking! yayayayay!” She stifles her giggles, continuing, “I'm trying to get another gig at yuk yuk's. And the play i'm working on! It's called ‘Flats’!”
Her enthusiasm is contagious, and I’m beaming as I ask my last question, “Last but not least, what do you want to do with your art skills? How do you plan to use them later in life? Make it good!”.
Emily takes a moment to consider her answer, breathes deeply, then begins, “ I want to tell stories. In the simplest form possible. That's all I really want from this life,to tell stories. I guess for me that means, speaking in front of people, making videos, conveying emotions in their most powerful forms. I've always been a lone wolf and so I've always had a director's point of view. I have a real sense of mission and purpose and all of this, so I definitely want to make an impact. I'm already part of of an environmentalist group called Kids For Climate Action. So that's a start. Hopefully I can write a play. I'm working on one right now, I mentioned it, ‘Flats’.”
“What’s it about?” I tease, knowing she won’t tell me.
“Shhhh” Emily whispers, “Not until it’s done. You know that. Every writer knows that.”
Dive into an all-too-familiar world of teen angst, stress, and the pressure to be perfect with Emily Kelsall. In her Dramatic Interpretation entitled “Speech,” Emily explores all three concepts through the eyes of a seemingly model teen girl, encouraging her audience to reflect on their own lives, and what it means to them to be flawless. She closes with a powerful call, to children and teens everywhere, to put their own mental well-being and content before the more material gains, “For once in my life, I wasn’t so focused on the destination—I was more interested in the surroundings.”