Growing up, I was more involved in theatre and music than visual arts. Theatre definitely influences the work that I’m making now, so I’ve sort of come full circle! In terms of other influences that aren’t as obvious, I’ve always paid a lot of attention to decorative objects and colour. For instance, when I was young, I was an acolyte at my church – now I’m pretty much an atheist, but I have strong aesthetic memories of all of the objects involved in religious ceremonies (the velvet, the chalices, the brightly coloured applique flags… I could go on!) My early obsession with these materials eventually moved to the uniforms, pennants, and pageantry involved in athletic culture when I was a competitive athlete in high school. I was subconsciously doing visual research throughout my childhood which has become a strong influence on my work today.