Ashley Olsen's Intro

Ashley Olsen wrote an intro in her and M.K's book Influence. I thought I'd share it for people who don't own the book. Its always how I've felt about life except I didn't get a job at 6 months old...anyway, you get what I mean.

"Hardwork has never been something someone taught me or something I picked up from someone else. Maybe it's a by-product of landing my first job at six months old, but I've never believed that there were boundaries or limits to anything I set my mind to. For the first time in my life, I'm in complete control of my destiny. Like everything you put out there for the universe to see, it all comes back to you. I'm finding out that taking my life to the next level is all about discovery. Being aware of the world around you requires you to pay attention to everyone and everything. But in order to stay grounded, you have to stay true to yourself. Diane Von Furstenburg once told me, 'You have to be your best friend.' I believe that.

None of us is in this game alone. With each project I begin, I'm reminded of the importance of listening, of appreciating and taking advantage of all the creative, dynamic, and wonderfully bizarre people in my life. And like any good listener, I know its my duty to share this wealth of influence with others. Whether it's my family, my friends, a novel I've read a hundred times over, or my favorite painting, I'm really just the sum of many different parts. Ultimately, that's what this book is all about. I've been inspired, surprised, supported, and yes, influenced by every person I've talked to in this book. Their stories, bodies of work, and lives are like open vaults of creativity for me....Whenever life feels like a dreary place, these individuals know how to make the most out of any situation. I turn to the people on t hese pages, in one way or another, to keep me afloat.

The book you are holding in your hands is comprised of conversations my sister and I have had with artists, designers, photographers, writers, and personalities who come from different backgrounds, industries, age groups, and points of view. Risk takers in their own special way, they share a common belief that the world should never be a boring place. To put it bluntly, they have guts. I dont' want the dialogue to stop at the end of each interview. It's my hope each one will remain a constantly evolving conversation that will continue to influence every project that I do-and perhaps by reading, you will be similarly affected by these interviews too. I believe part of the process of figuring yourself out is a way of connecting the dots between the fabulous and influential people around us all, like some sort of hidden constellation-you only have to know where to look." - Ashley Olsen

It's a good reminder of how important your friends are and I'm so very lucky to have the people I do in my life. You guys know who you are. You are my inspiration, I love you guys.