Meet Our Winter Guest DJ/Editor: Alexandra Adolph
Created to Create
For me, the process and ability of imagining something out of nothing has always been absolutely fascinating. I grew up in a family that encouraged artistic tendencies, so it was very natural for me to be interested in creativity. With an art teacher for a mom and graphic designer for a dad, I knew I wanted to be like them one way or another from a young age. They would always make time for us to play with paint, go to the park and draw flowers, or spend time collaging in our sketchbooks on family vacations. Even though they were partial to art, they always encouraged me to try other creative outlets. From that my love for playing and writing music grew. These childhood memories are so inspiring and close to my heart. I definitely feel that my parents are a huge influence on why I’ve always been so drawn to music, art, and fashion.
Ultimately what I find to be most inspiring in these things, particularly in music and art, is that I feel connected with God through them. I believe that he created all things and chose me to want to create things as well. I know without a doubt that this is something God has given me and without him I wouldn’t be able to do it.
Music
Throughout my life I’ve always been very inspired to create music when I see other women doing it. I know when I was about 12 or 13, when I was first learning how to play the guitar, I found out that Taylor Swift wrote all of her own songs. Learning that honestly inspired me to do the same. I love that so many other girls have that same story too! No matter how much flack she might get, when it comes down to it, she really is a great songwriter and inspiration to so many people. It was definitely difficult trying to write my own songs without that much knowledge of music. I made do with the few chords I knew and little life experience to go off of at 13 years old.
Later on I continued to be inspired by other women in music especially when Lorde first released The Love Club EP on soundcloud when I was sophomore in high school. That really opened my eyes to the potential of recording my own music and using your voice as instrument itself (especially in background vocals). I was constantly watching videos of her performing trying to see what midi keyboards and sounds they were using or reading articles about her writing process.
I’ve been inspired by a lot of other male artists and bands as well such as Elton John, David Bowie, Bleachers, The Beach Boys, The Beatles (of course!), Borns, ELO, Cage the Elephant, and Simon & Garfunkel just to name a few. However, I am most inspired and encouraged to go create music when I see other women doing so, I’m inspired by women lead bands like HAIM, Feist, Sucre, Maggie Rogers, The Japanese House, Lucius, Emily King, and Florence & the Machine.
Art
When it comes to art, I can’t help but be inspired by what my parents create. However, I didn’t realize how interested I was in design until I was an intern for the high school yearbook staff in eighth grade. I remember having to put together a mood board for the next year’s yearbook for my application and spending hours on the internet looking for inspiration. Mind you, this was pre-pinterest days so you really had to search for good imagery. I am so grateful that I decided to continue to be on the yearbook staff all through high school because without that choice I’m not sure if I would have chosen to major in graphic design in college. Once I started taking some of my first art classes in college I knew I picked the right field to go into. Taking 2-D design, typography, and art history classes in some of my first semesters as a college student really had an influence on my understanding of what the world of art and design could be. Having a better understanding of the rules of color theory, type treatments, and how art movements evolved from one another definitely made feel more confident to create my own art. Being an art student has also taught me to use my art to say more than just what meets the eye. Making art that has a message that leaves the viewer impacted is much more important than making something that looks beautiful.
Fashion
When I was a senior in high school I took a history of fashion design class and that really fueled my interest in fashion, especially vintage and historical fashion. I had to do boatloads of research in that class as well as learn how to draw the human figure properly. I am so thankful that I decided to take that class because through it I found what eras I was particularly inspired by (60s and 70s) and found some of my favorite fashion blogs (Man Repeller).
I hope that one day I can find a job that combines three of my interests into one. I’ve always dreamed of making album art and promotional content for bands that I’m inspired by, working for a clothing brand, or even being a freelance artist. I think there are a lot of different roads each of those passions could follow and I am open to trying them all!
Follow Alexandra on Instagram at @alexandradesign.co to purchase and be inspired by her art!