My favorite thing to do in New York is to ride my bike with no plan. There is constant stimulation in this city. When you lose inspiration, just go outside. Exploring places in New York I’ve never seen before is a fun challenge, but also very meditative for me.
In the past, I have put a lot of meaning on places and things, but recently I’ve been working on letting go of that. It seems like things are moving so fast these days, you can’t invest too much meaning and emotion in a place, because you never know what’s ultimately going to happen to it. So I just continue to ride my bike around and observe it all.
I’m obsessed with details. I can sit in a restaurant for 10 hours and just guess what people’s lives are like. I’m always noticing people’s shoes and their hands. I also love being in a train station, or anywhere where I can observe a constant flow of people. I’m not looking around and thinking, Oh, my gosh, look at this beautiful building! Instead, I search for people. I might pull up on them and take their picture and get their number.
I think I have a sixth sense about people. A lot of filmmakers start with the story instead of the characters, but all my projects start with the person, and then I build a story around them. That’s what truly interests and excites me. There was a time when I was stopping people on the street and taking photos every day. I’ll go to extreme lengths to connect with someone if I think they’re interesting and could be part of a future project. The idea for Skate Kitchen, came along when I ran after a group of girls who were talking on the train. My current project is with my neighbor, who is now going to be my husband. If I know there’s something there, I’ve got to just figure out what it is.
