In Response...

1. imagine that you are standing in a graveyard looking at your own tombstone. now write the epitaph you would like to see there. begin with the words "here lies..."

Here lies Larissa M. Locke 

"how beautiful it is to love something death can touch." 

or maybe a quote by Gregory Colbert. (if you haven't seen his photography, look it up now.)

"Feather to fire, fire to blood, blood to bone, bone to marrow, marrow to ashes, ashes to snow."

2. write your own obituary (don't make it brief). how do you want people to think of your life, to remember you?

Since I seem to be at a loss for words in terms of an actual obituary... I will answer the questions. I would like to be thought of as someone who lived in the moment, took and gave everything I could from life, and inspired and changed people through my art and writing. I want to be remembered as a generous person, someone who always had time for others and went out of their way to help.

Really... I want to be remembered for all these things I want to do. 

"I want to be independent. I want to be inspiring. I want to be so in love with life I won't "waste" a moment. I want to be in tune with things. I want to play a musical instrument. I want to call myself an artist and mean it. I want to be free with myself and feel at ease. I always want to be striving for improvement. I want something to be proud of, for someone to be proud of me. I want to change people for the better. I want to be remembered for being different, for being compassionate, for being there, for having a voice. I want a piece of mine to make someone cry, to make someone have an epiphany about life, to make someone think, to make someone feel something familiar or something they have never felt before. I want to surprise people, and give gifts for no reason. I want people to surprise me (even though they always will.) I want to make people care. I want people who understand me, and me them. I want friends I can depend on and can call at any time to do whatever random thing. I want to find peace. I want to be able to find the silver lining in everything. I want to find that perfect medium of expression, emotion and still being in control. I want to give my heart away, and get it back, and still be able to trust someone enough to give it back again. I want to write a book. I want to be able to go to bed at night and know I have done something worthwhile that day. I want to get up with the sun, and the birds. I want to sleep in and have it be a treat. I want to see the world. I want pen pals from all corners of the globe. I want most of all, to find myself and be truly content with who I am no matter the situation. I want to make a name for myself."

3. what legacy would you like to leave when you die?

I think the above piece answers that question. Really, I would just love to leave behind a plethora of wisdom and inspiring artwork and literature and good deeds. To have been someone that lights the fire of life in others. To make something that will last, at least a little while. I realize it takes someone very remarkable to last through the centuries, and I don't think I am any Shakespeare or Van Gogh. (not yet, anyway.)