Giselle W. Interview

Interview with Giselle W.

Giselle W.

e-publishing empress

When I asked Giselle if she would be an interviewee for The Encourager she was exhausted from a number of marathon hours spent getting some publications ready for print, was a day away from coming down with the flu, and was in the middle of trying to make a couple of very large decisions.

With her usual quirky humor, she said: "How flattering! I think at this point I'd be a better interviewee for The Discourager - but maybe rising to the occasion would be good for me. : ) "

We did the interview while Giselle was in the clutches of the flu. Despite being sick, she kept surprising me with her humor. Giselle has a straight-faced delivery to her humor - she looks serious - until you get close and see the twinkle in her eyes.

Giselle is a graphic designer with a dream.

...I would like to create ... a publishing house of e-books that relate to each other ... a whole little library on something like art self-help - art projects that are guides to decision-making, collage, journaling - something with an art component and a self-help component. I'm pretty new to art therapy, but I'm always reading art books, and self-help books, so it seems like a natural combination to me.

I'd also like to provide e-book design and publishing services for others.

With this dream in mind, she is currently building Snapdragon Publishing and Design. You can see Giselle's beautiful work on her portfolio website.

And, if you're an Artella fan, you've probably seen some of Giselle's work. She has worked on layouts for several e-Artella issues.

How Do You See Yourself as a Square-Peg?

I'm kind of introspective and detail-oriented. I have trouble getting the overview of things, because I'm so interested in details...other people see the forest, and I tend to see trees. But the trees are so interesting!

How Do You Maintain Your Square-Pegness (in a round-hole world)?

I've learned to compare myself less to other people, and to accept that I experience the world a bit differently.

I tend to have a few close friends, rather than a crowd of people to hang out with.

I have a very low tolerance for small talk - I hear myself making inane comments about the weather and it's so frustrating, because I want to have conversations about things people really care about. No one cares a great deal about the weather, least of all me.

I love to hear about the things people really care about - but that's the kind of conversation that doesn't usually happen in groups.

Giselle continues:

I try to maintain a sense of humor at the absurdity of things - sometimes when I'm feeling really wretched, I can laugh at how tangled up I get over things that in the grand scheme of things are so trivial. I'm also trying to cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude for how much I have, rather than dwelling on what I lack.

What Has Been the Hardest For You as a Square-Peg?

Day jobs have been very hard for me.

I've had lots of low-level temp jobs where I felt so invisible I would go into the bathroom to talk to my reflection in the mirror, just to make sure I was still there (of course, I only did this when I was alone!).

And I've had several jobs where my need to do good work, rather than just get a lot done, made the work really difficult.

What Square-Peg Trait are You Most Proud Of?

I think I'm funny. I amuse myself.

When asked where she first noticed using humor, Giselle said:

My sister (who is 5 1/2 years older - and a big support) and I made each other laugh. We grew up in a not very cheery household. We had to see humor in dark situations.

I'm also very conscientious.

My father's always been big on doing things the right way. He taught me that there IS a right and wrong way - and I think I've internalized that.

Of course, it's sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse, and I'm working on setting that idea aside sometimes.

Giselle's all-time favorite Square-Peg trait is:

...my love of geographical cures. I like to put myself in completely new situations where I sort of have to reinvent myself.

I spent a year teaching high school English in Poland, and parts of two consecutive summers volunteering at a monastery in Idaho.

My year in Poland was a much bigger culture shock than the monastery, but they were both pretty far outside my normal life.

What are Your Favorite Books?

I like Barbara Sher's books, especially I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was. What a great, optimistic title!

Another new favorite is: The Office Sutras: Exercises for Your Soul at Work, by Marcia Menter.

What Can a Square-Peg Learn From Giselle?

Among other things, courage. I'm not sure courage is learnable, but the desire to live courageously is - and out of that desire will come opportunities for courageous action. And that can build...and grow...until you find that you have courage.

Giselle displays courage in challenging herself. Her trip to Poland and her work at the monastery, as she said, were: "pretty far outside (her) normal life." Her "geographical cures" - where she somewhat "reinvents" herself are another example.

I am someone who has lived in the same house for 28 years - quite close to the same neighborhood I spent most of my childhood in (while often dreamily talking about moving), so I look at Giselle's ability to move freely and I feel tremendous awe.

Giselle's publishing house dream is yet another challenge she has set for herself. Dreaming BIG is always courageous.

And she cares about quality! While also working on knowing when doing something "right" is important and when it impedes.

Quality seems a rare item today - there are so many examples of badly done work, poorly made products, etc. So I enjoyed hearing Giselle talk about her passion for quality in her work - quality is important.

Since I grew up with the saying: "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right" (that belief is the foundation of the perfectionist leanings that I still struggle with), I loved being reminded that I can set "that idea aside sometimes".

Then there's Giselle's humor. What is it about Square-Pegs and humor? Maybe humor is something you have to acquire to think outside the box...maybe it comes from being aware of and dealing with things on a deep level...?

Giselle mentioned having "...trouble getting the overview of things, because I'm so interested in details...". Her humor seems to balance that - it often shifts perspective into the bigger picture. Giselle seems to cultivate her humor - she appreciates it, and is aware of using humor for balance. She pays attention to it - and qualities we pay attention to grow.

Giselle's Favorite Books:

Remember: when you buy from Amazon.com you don't pay a penny more, but you help support Square-Peg-People!

Interview originally appeared in the January 2006 issue of Square-Peg-People's Encourager newsletter.

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