I was very excited to see that Miranda July was one of the featured artists in our digital design class. She is creatively fearless and original. When you see a Miranda July film, or read a story, you get to go to a parallel universe and experience something new. Everything is quirky yet insightful and honest, without feeling forced.
I was first introduced to her when I saw her film Me and You and Everyone We Know. The movie has several characters with lots of issues that manifest in odd ways – like the little girl who is obsessed with building a hope chest for her future husband. Here is a great review of the movie by Roger Ebert. I cannot wait to see her new film, The Future, which features some narration by a cat and is in theaters now!
I’ve also read her book of short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You. My 
favorite story is “The Swimming Lesson” where a woman is basically teaching these people how to swim on a carpeted floor in their home. All the characters are seriously committed to what’s going on and it is just crazy.
It makes me think back to when my sisters and I were younger. We would play my parents’ James Bond Soundtrack on the record player, clear a large area in the living room and pretend 
to be figure skaters while our parents were at work. I remember those times as a very happy part of my life and in retrospect, part of it had to be because my life revolved around being creative. I was drawing pictures of groceries so we could play “grocery store”, we would draw up ad campaigns for our ad agency and we would turn our Barbie’s Dream house on its side so we could pretend it was a car. I realize that this is what children do, play and pretend. It was so much fun losing yourself in those games and getting to be whoever you wanted.
Miranda July seems like the kind of person who does something creative, for the simple pleasure of it, everyday. She is not afraid to video herself doing a crazy dance or narrate what she imagines is the story of a random picture…she is truly inspiring.
aysebt 