Sharon Ann Lee is the co-founder of Maker City LA, a workplace for artists and entrepreneurs throughout Los Angeles. Before she participated in a discussion about the future of creativity in Los Angeles, she talked about her creative routine, legalizing pot, and transcendental love poetry.
What’s one of your earliest memories of making something?
My mom worked as a seamstress downtown. So I think I probably sewed something, like a ’70s collar attached to some hideous vest.
How did you get in trouble as a kid?
I was an unsupervised latchkey kid. My friends and I used to come to the [La Brea] Tar Pits, and just cruise around. We climbed up to the Hollywood sign when I was like 9 years old.
What’s your favorite use of public space in Los Angeles?
An unexpected gathering—CicLAvia, a flash mob. I like events that mix places and communities.
Do you have a favorite magazine?
I think there aren’t many good magazines anymore. They’re all petrified. I like ClickHole and the Onion. There’s an art to satire.
What’s the best thing to do in Claremont, California, where you got your undergraduate degree?
Afghan patties and eggs at Walter’s Restaurant. I have been known to drive out there just for them.
If you could legalize one crime, which would it be?
Legalize pot, for sure. Most scientists would say that if alcohol and pot were discovered at the same time, they’d have banned alcohol instead.
What’s one thing youth culture understands today that everyone else doesn’t?
This is true for any part of youth culture at any time: They don’t know that they should be jaded yet. As a result, there’s this lovely openness and sense of experimentation. It’s like when you’re a tourist—it gives you an open mind. When you’re young, you don’t think you know everything yet.
What’s one piece of art that’s personally important to you?
The discography of David Bowie. He was my muse when I was in high school. I loved how courageous he was. My parents wanted me to be a good Asian student, but I could still have a wild mind.
You wrote about “transcendental love poetry” for your undergraduate thesis. What is that, and why do you like it?
In the Transcendental movement, you can choose your path to transcendence. Some poets explored love as something that can transport you to that ecstatic state. I’ve always loved poetry, and I think love is the most important energy in the universe.
What helps you get creative?
I have a whole system. First, I go exploring: I go outside of my normal patterns of where I drive, where I eat. Then I go do some physical activity where I don’t have to think much, like spinning. And then I go to a Korean spa. It’s an ongoing process—you can’t get it all done in one day.
If you had to learn a new musical instrument, which would you choose?
Electric guitar. My daughter’s taking it right now.