Tangee Dog Interview

April-May 2009 Interview

Q: Welcome! Tell us, how did you get started as a literary consultant?

Tangee Dog: Well, I am an unusual dog in numerous ways, and I happen to own author D.B. Pacini. She and her family are “my” people.

Q: Have you always been interested in creative arts?

TD: You bet. I LOVE creative arts big time.

Q: How do you keep your creative juices flowing?

TD: Eating treats. Treats make me dance, sing, act, etc. Naps help too. All creative creatures need their rest.

Q: Do you have any projects you’d like to tell us about?

TD: I'm thinking about starting TANGEE DOG’S PAW-FESSIONAL BOOK & MUSIC REVIEWS. I'm sure I'd be an instant sensation in the international creative arts world.

Think about it; wouldn’t it be fantastic to have a well written review from me instead of from human beings who write plain old run-of-the-mill reviews? Some book reviewers don't really read the books they review. Come on, who reads several books a week? Nope, I don't believe them, do you?

I can't read several books a week because I gotta life. I will only be able to write one book review and one music review per month. I won't be a big fibber and pretend that I've read or listened to something that I haven't read or listened to. I am really busy this year. I think I'll start my reviews in 2010.

Q: What is something you wish human creative artists understood?

TD: That humans aren’t the only creative beings in the world. Plenty of animals are creative, plants are, nature is, etc. You ever hear a brook sing? Ever see the sun rise? Ever see a breeze dancing? Ever see a flower blooming? What about a horse galloping? A dolphin leaping? A bird gliding? People are only one part of the creative arts canvas.

Q: What are some of the challenges and obstacles you faced during your career?

TD: Being taken seriously. Too many humans believe I’m just a dog. It is frustrating to deal with people like that.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your career?

TD: I derive great pleasure from helping writers become authors. When my little paw prints help to make a manuscript sparkle---that is a very satisfying feeling.

Q: What inspires you?

TD: Animal lovers, people who like to go for long walks, creative artists, especially writers and musicians, humanitarians, youth advocates, people who read, environmentalists, and my good friend Eric Clapton.

Q: How do you manage your time when you are working on more than one project?

TD: I’m just super capable. I have an incredible knack for managing my time and being brilliant. What can I say? It is a gift.

Q: What do you do to relax and to just have fun?

TD: I like to run fast, and I like to nap. I’m also a talented singer. I've appeared as a special guest vocalist with several nearly famous bands.

Q: What is the number one thing you would like to tell new creative artists?

TD: Be a readaholic. Creative artists must read. Read about everything. Be sure to read about other creative artists---not to become a copycat but to learn about those who have been before you.

Q: Do you have a support system?

TD: My people family and my dog brother Dylan. Dylan can be a pain sometimes, but I love him.

Q: If, at the age you are today, you could spend a day with you at age seven, what would you take back in time, what would you say, what would you do?

TD: I’m a dog. I’m a dog-kid no matter how old I get. Animals don’t “grow up” like humans do. We get older physically, not mentally.

Q: When you feel creatively blocked, what do you do to get yourself back into the creative flow? When your muse is napping, what do you do to wake him/her up?

TD: When I feel blocked, I go outside and eat some lawn grass. It cleans out my system. When my muse is taking a nap, I take a nap too. Naps help me develop creative ideas.

Q: How do you recharge your creativity?

TD: I go into my backyard and find a spot of shade. In the shade I chew on my bone and contemplate world peace. World peace ought not to be just an idealistic dream. You have’ta believe it’s achievable. Thinking about it motivates me.

Q: What is your greatest inspiration?

TD: Children. What is more wonderful than a child?

Q: What makes you smile?

TD: Going outside to pee and Stephen Colbert.

Q: What advice can you offer to a creative artist who is struggling with their inner critic?

TD: Be constructively critical of your work but don’t be unconstructive. Listen to your constructive inner critic and tell your unconstructive inner critic to BUZZ OFF.

Q: Many artistic people struggle to develop a routine that allows them time for their creative work. What advice can you give that will help them create a balance between work and social life?

TD: Hey, the biggest thing I’ve witnessed in humans is a tendency to procrastinate. It is a chronic human problem that a lot of humans have. If they didn’t procrastinate, they’d have time to develop a routine for their creative work and time for a social life. My advice is to stop being a procrastinator. Care enough about your creative work to make time for it. If you don’t, it is your own freaking fault if you don’t have time for your art.

Q: What creative individuals do you admire?

TD: Way too many to name. I'll just mention the first three that pop into my head: My main man Eric Clapton, the late great Paul Newman, and that amazing lady that sings for animal shelters, Sarah Mclachlan. I LOVE Sarah.

Q: What is your favorite first sentence in a book?

TD: “It was the dog who raised me.”

The Dog, The Family: A Household Tale (from Cutty, One Rock) by poet August Kleinzahler.

Q: Are you listening to music as you answer these questions? If yes, what are you listening to?

TD: Papa is in the other room playing his guitar and singing Pancho and Lefty by Townes Van Zandt.

Q: If you only had one more day to live, what would you do with the 24 hours?

TD: Duh, I’d eat, play, and love.

Q: What traits, if any, do you think creative people have compared to people who are not creative?

TD: I know this answer really well because I know a lot of creative people. Creative people can look at things in a number of different ways. They are often open minded. I find that many believe they have a unique purpose that they hope to share through their art. They are observant. More than anything, they are observant. They're always watching, listening, thinking. They can fantasize and visualize things (or concepts) that do not exist yet. Also, they are determined. They have to be. In spite of dismal odds of “making it” in the creative arts world, they continue to strive to share their art.

Q: When do you feel most energized?

TD: When I go for a long walk.

Q: Who is the most creative person you’ve ever known?

TD: Children. They haven’t decided that their wonderful imaginations are ridiculous yet.

Q: Can you see your finished project before you start it?

TD: Most times I can only see a short distance ahead, enough to keep my interest peaked.

Q: Do you feel that you chose your passion, or did it choose you?

TD: I was adopted from an animal shelter into a loving family. Their creative arts interests rub off on me. I am a happy dog. I am not spoiled, but I am kind’a doted upon. My family can't help it because I'm so adorable.

Q: What book are you reading right now?

TD: I’m reading a poetry book by Armenian poets titled Armenian Town. It was copyrighted in 2001 by The William Soroyan Society. I admire James Baloian's poetry. Have you read his work?

Q: What is the last movie you watched?

TD: I try to watch movies, but I usually fall asleep after the opening credits.

Q: What is the favorite question you were ever asked?

TD: You wanna treat?

Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

TD: Wait a minute.

Q: Your famous last words: will you share a piece of advice, a favorite quote, a tip, whatever you wish?

TD: “To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.” By Milan Kundera.