Copyright 2012 Millie A. Kinsey. All Rights Reserved.

Photo  by Albert Kinsey

About Millie

My life began in Santa Fe Springs, California. In 1963, we moved to the orange grove-filled Placentia, a small town in the suburbs of Orange County. But, the ominous specter of
Cold War hung over us. Our schools mandated air raid drills with “drop and cover” exercises. Sonic booms emanated from El Toro Marine Base in Irvine. On the evening of the historic moonwalk, my father set up a telescope in our driveway. Peering through its lens, I wondered why the Apollo astronauts weren’t visible. Like many kids of the 60’s and 70’s, I was protected in a world of innocence and contradictions.

I knew at a young age that I was going to pursue an artistic life largely due to the encouragement of my father, also an artist. My interests also included film, writing, photography and music, which would always inhabit my life in one form or another.

I never liked school very much as it always seemed too restrictive for a creative mind. Everything was geared towards regimentation, not exploration. I stayed with art, music, writing and photography. By the time I graduated from High School the orange groves were gone. Our small village was filled with shopping centers and endless housing tracts.

 

Eventually, I moved to West Los Angeles attending Santa Monica College as a Cinema Studies major. After graduation, I transferred to New York University-TSOA. In 1991 I received a BFA in Cinema. In the midst of a recession, my intention was to stay in New York but my mother’s declining health took precedence.

Arriving back in California, economics dictated immediate action. While co-caring for my parents and working as a secretary I went back to school and received a Graphic Design Degree in 1994. My parents’ care lasted 13 years until my father’s death in 2004. Presently, I still remain involved with film, art, writing and photography. My website is dedicated to my family, Dr. Wayne Dyer and my favorite Film Director, Francois Truffaut.