Writer's Interview: Daisy Mariposa

Daisy Mariposa is a consummate writer. From parodies on art to Comet Halley (Halley's Comet), where she received the 2012 Hubbie for Most Interesting Hub. Daisy writes with a commanding, informative and unique style.

In this interview, Daisy explains how she became one of HubPage's first Apprentices and much more.

Please join me in getting to know Daisy better.

I feel most relaxed when I’m creating craft projects, taking photographs, preparing artwork to be used in my Hubs, and researching and writing articles for HubPages. I have always found it very relaxing to engage in creative activities.

The times I feel saddest are...

I feel saddest when I learn about hunger and poverty and cruelty to children, the elderly, and animals. I don’t watch news programs on television, and I very rarely read the news on Internet sites any more.

I also feel sad when I hear people grumbling and complaining, when I hear people saying negative things, when I see people acting in a negative manner. I greatly dislike negativity. There’s no need for it, no use for it. I wish I could wave a magic wand and have negativity become positivity. Think how much better the world would be.

Something I'd like to teach others...

I am already teaching others about art history and geography via the articles I write for HubPages. I’d like to continue doing this. I’m certified to teach all art subjects in Kindergarten through the twelfth grade of high school. In addition to my degree in Fine Arts, I have occupational certificates in Travel Management and International Business. My writing for HubPages allows me to use the knowledge I gained in school and through my travels. By writing “educational” Hubs—articles about painting genres, artists, a specific painting, a museum—I’m teaching in a more relaxed atmosphere, I’m teaching without a traditional classroom.

My secret passion ... my dream job....

My dream job is the one I currently have. I work from home as an assistant to a very talented writer. I do Internet research, fact checking, and copy editing (editing for grammar, syntax, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, inconsistency in logic, inaccuracy of facts). I also convert manuscripts currently in Word format to the format required for publication as e-books. I do this by writing the XHTML code, not by using conversion software. (The result is much cleaner code if one writes it oneself.) I’m also responsible for the design, creation, and maintenance of the author’s blogs.

Most hated gift I ever gave someone ...

Very few of the gifts I have ever given someone were opened while I was present. I put a lot of thought into the gifts I give. I don’t know if I ever gave someone a gift which they hated. I would hope that anyone to whom I gave a gift wouldn’t be insensitive and thoughtless enough to tell me they hated the gift.

The best gifts I have ever given are friendship, loyalty, and love.

The gift I could have done without ...

I have received very few tangible gifts in my life. I can’t think of any gifts I could have done without. I’m both surprised and happy when someone thinks enough of me to give me a gift.

I received one gift which I thought was a bit unusual. A friend knew that I had purchased a few pieces of unfinished furniture, and that I had spent many hours sanding the pieces by hand and then staining them. One year, this friend presented me with an electric sander as a Christmas gift.

I can tell you about a gift with which I was thrilled. My good friend and fellow HubPages author Mohan Kumar, whose HP pseudonym is Docmo , surprised me by creating a special painting. Mohan took a painting by Jan Vermeer, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” and a black and white photo of me as a three-year-old that was on my Facebook wall, and created “Daisy Mariposa with a Pearl Earring.” His creating the new painting wasn’t something to be used in a Hub. It was just something he was inspired to do.

If you peeked in my junk drawer, you'd be surprised to find ...

I don’t have a junk drawer. I have been drawing discernible objects since I was a year old and creating craft projects since I was two or three. All extra space in my house is taken up with art history and photography books, painting and craft supplies, and completed craft projects.

My date from Hades ....

If you’re asking about a bad date, I can’t think of any.

A great date would be spending the afternoon and evening on a deserted beach with someone special, enjoying the summer sun, cloudless sky, gorgeous sunset, shining moon, twinkling stars, sharing a bottle of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne.

My worst/ or funniest vacation story ....

I’ll tell you my most terrifying travel experience. I was traveling from Orange County, California to the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. (The Atacama Desert is the driest spot on earth, with no appreciable rainfall for more than 400 years. It’s located on a plateau between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Why was I going to the Atacama Desert?—to observe and photograph a total solar eclipse.)

My friend and I attempted to fly from John Wayne Orange County Airport to Dallas, Texas to Miami, Florida to Santiago, Chile. (We were to spend a few days in Santiago before flying to Arica in northern Chile and then travel by rickety bus to a Chilean army campground on a plateau west of the Andes.)

“Attempted to fly…”

The pilot of our flight couldn’t land in Santiago due to poor visibility. With only an hour's worth of fuel left—the pilot was insensitive enough to announce this—he requested permission to fly to Mendoza, Argentina.

No problem, you might think...wrong! Chile and Argentina were having skirmishes at the time—border disputes—and weren't on friendly terms. Do you remember the book and movie "Alive"—the fact-based story about a plane crash in the Andes Mountains?—I won't go into details about what the passengers did in order to survive.

With only a half-hour of fuel left, the pilot flew over that same part of the Andes. He even mentioned that we were flying over Aconcagua, the same mountain! Can you imagine how terrifying this was—crossing the Andes Mountains in an aircraft with only a half-hour of fuel remaining?!?

When we landed in Mendoza, the passengers had to remain on the plane while it was refueled—with the windows covered.

The goals on my bucket list are all related to travel. I am fortunate enough to have visited more than 30 countries, island nations, and island dependencies. I would love to travel to all 50 of these United States. I would love to travel to 100 countries. I would love to take an around-the-world cruise or a cruise around South America.

These would be “working vacations.” I would write, photograph, and remember. I would share what I learned.

What I most look for in a friend...

I look for honesty. If I do something that’s wrong in any way, I want my friend to tell me—to volunteer the information without my having to ask. If I ask for advice, I want an honest answer.

I also look for loyalty. I don’t want a friend who runs hot and cold—someone who’s my friend one week, who doesn’t care about me the next, and then is my friend again the week after that.

Something I will never part with...

I will never part with my 17.3” laptop computer, my scanner, my digital SLR camera and associated lenses, my digital movie camera, my Kindle Fire tablet and accompanying stylus, my two models of Kindle e-book readers, and my passport.

I’m an individual, I don’t fit into a mold, I don’t behave or act or do what everyone else does merely as a means of “fitting in”—and that’s OK.

The worst part of getting older...

I have no idea what the worst part is of getting older. Is there a “worst part”? As each day passes, I become smarter and savvier. I look, listen, experience, learn, share my knowledge, and help others.

“Old” is a state of mind. I’ll become more mature, but I won’t become old.

A writing lesson I learned the hard way...

I’m very sorry, but I can’t answer this question. I have asked a few people what the question means, and I haven’t found anyone who understands the question.

Regarding writing, the best advice I can give anyone is... write. Don’t ever stop. Write about what you know, write what you feel, express yourself. There was a period after I joined HubPages during which I considered stopping writing. Dave Roome, one of my first HubPages friends and an excellent writer, convinced me to continue writing. I wrote a series of haiku dedicated to Dave, whose HP pseudonym is thejeffriestube called Haiku My Heartfelt Thoughts and Emotions in 17 Syllables.

My favorite movie and why...

I very rarely go to the movies, and I don’t watch television. I don’t have a favorite movie, television program, actor, or actress. I enjoy Disney films — the older ones. I especially enjoy the original Fantasia, not the sequel…for its creativity, artwork, animation, and music

What subjects / genres do you enjoy reading/ about ?

Before I began writing for HubPages, I read an average of 2-½ books per weeks. I read mysteries, historical fiction, and travel books. I also read computer technology and software-related books. Since I began writing for HubPages, I don’t have nearly as much time for reading. I’ve just about eliminated all of my reading for pleasure. The only books I have time to read now are ones that will help me advance my career as a copy editor, technical editor, publisher of e-books (converting the books from text to e-book format), and Web graphic artist.

What would be a subject/ genre that you would like to read more/ about...

I would like to read more collections of short stories written by the author for whom I’m working. He writes in several genres. His short stories, I think, have the widest audience appeal. The subject matter varies. They’re extremely good.

I would also read more poetry. Poems often use few words to express great thoughts or emotions. I like that.

Can you take us to a favorite piece of writing on HubPages by you that does not get much traffic...

One of my articles was awarded the 2012 HubPages Hubbie for Most Interesting Hub. Surprisingly, the article, Comet Halley (Halley's Comet), receives much less traffic than my craft how-to or museum / art history Hubs.

I was invited by HubPages to be in the beta test group for the Apprenticeship Program. This is the very first group. We began the program on March 1, 2012 and completed the program on August 31, 2012. Thirty - three people were in the group on March 1st. Only 18 people completed the six - month program. We're no longer Apprentices. We're Apprentice Alum. We have a green 'a' on our HP profile photos.

If you're asking what song I like the least, the answer is easy. The song that drives me crazy is “It's a Small World” by The Walt Disney Company. The song is sung repeatedly during a boat ride in Disney World’s FantasyLand in Anaheim, California and also at the other Disney parks. Whenever I hear that song, it becomes stuck in my head for hours, refusing to leave. Just answering your question has caused me to “hear” the song.

Your article, Dance Music of the 1970s: What is Disco Music?, gave me ideas for how to stop "hearing" that song. Of the many great disco hits you reminded me of, I selected Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way". Hoping this is a bit easier on the ears, one of my all - time favorites!

To honor your Half Birthday today, the HubLadies and I would like to take you on the trip of your dreams.

The Supremes song: "Love Train" will take us to our destination. So, up to you, Daisy... where shall we go?

Enjoy your special day. Thanks for taking the time to be interviewed.

© Maria Jordan (revised July, 2015)