by Alison Martin | Sep 1, 2020 | Artists, Featured, Interviews, Scuffed Stuff |
Outside HelMel Studio & Gallery in Los Angeles: John Becerra of SparkRise, Val Kilmer, and Brad Koepenick Who doesn’t know of Val Kilmer? Let’s take that one step further, who doesn’t love Val Kilmer? First, there are his incredibly varied and... 
by Alison Martin | Aug 25, 2020 | Artists, Interviews |
I’ve known Kate Chassner a long time – thirty years! That’s most of her life. I met her at my wedding when I married her mother’s brother. My first distinct memory of Kate was when she held my bouquet, smothered her face in the flowers then... 
by Alison Martin | Aug 5, 2020 | Scuffed Stuff |
The Words The other day, someone I barely know but whom I have been working with sporadically the last few weeks told me that I was incredibly difficult. They said I was off-putting and pushy. They said we would never be friends if we were ever to meet. They said I... 
by Alison Martin | Jul 31, 2020 | Everyday Hero, Featured |
Out of the blue one of our readers, Louise Gardner, contacted us about her amazing sister, Tricia Patterson, with this simple email: My sister is 18 months younger than I am. She is a paraplegic with pulmonary fibrosis. She is my hero who has always lived each day as... 
by Alison Martin | Jul 3, 2020 | Scuffed Stuff |
The Struggle This month, I am tasked with writing about “character” and I find that I am struggling. I usually write about one event that will sum up a theme or one moment with a stranger or my family that I feel is universally reflective. But, for me, this moment... 
by Alison Martin | Jun 14, 2020 | Charity, Featured |
Honoring Farrah Fawcett’s own fight with cancer… … by supporting “cutting edge research, patient assistance funds for those faced with mounting expenses during treatment and prevention programs to help spread the word so the cancer struggle... 
by Alison Martin | Jun 3, 2020 | Featured, Scuffed Stuff |
Dear Couch, I’m glad you’re sitting down… or lying down…I have something to tell you… I just wanted to say how great you are. So gentle and yet firm. You really get me. And the way you hold me… your arms are snug but not confining… your selfless, too. You allow... 
by Alison Martin | May 5, 2020 | Scuffed Stuff |
I have to write this article on beauty, so I have some confessions: I have worn make-up only twice in the last 7 weeks. I have not plucked my eyebrows in over a month. I don’t dye my hair. I don’t feel beautiful, not even in the slightest, and when I look in the... 
by Alison Martin | Apr 4, 2020 | Scuffed Stuff |
A Lifetime of “Breaking News” I have a heart condition and my husband and I both work freelance as actors… so, just like many people, during these times I feel fear and worry and dread about both health and finances. I was also raised by two parents who... 
by Alison Martin | Mar 5, 2020 | Scuffed Stuff |
It’s been a challenging time… or maybe it’s best to say that I am having a challenging time (less victim, more power that way). Lots of change and surprises for myself and my family… so I’m feeling a lot. Last Friday, my husband and I had an incredibly busy, stressful... 
by Alison Martin | Feb 14, 2020 | Editor Notes |
insidewink’s editors monthly “share” Hello friends, Happy Self Love Day! Happy Valentines Day, too! How has February been treating you? 2020 is moving so fast… It’s mid-month already and we have so many more wonderful offerings for you coming up... 
by Alison Martin | Feb 4, 2020 | Featured, Scuffed Stuff |
The best time to talk to someone is in the car. It’s sort of quiet and the passing scenery takes on a meditative quality and, well, basically you’re trapped. No one is going anywhere so you might as well talk. I knew I had to write this article on our theme of love... 
by Alison Martin | Jan 30, 2020 | Everyday Hero, Featured |
Steve Alperin is at the heart of SurvivorNet’s mission— To bring comfort and power to those looking for answers by creating a valuable online resource for cancer treatment and prevention. Survivornet’s Steve Alperin, and co-founder Tim Langloss, want to help... 
by Alison Martin | Jan 15, 2020 | Editor Notes |
As you may have guessed, our theme for January is creativity. Looking ahead we have some great articles in the next two weeks! Hello Friends, We hope your year is starting off with a bang! 2020! It’s begun! Jean and I were discussing what it means to be creative and... 
by Alison Martin | Jan 5, 2020 | Scuffed Stuff |
I’m an actor. This job of being an actor has paid my bills for quite some time… that’s how I express my creativity. I’ve been on Broadway, I’ve been in movies, I’ve been in TV shows, and I’ve been in commercials – lots... 
by Alison Martin | Dec 7, 2019 | Featured, Scuffed Stuff |
Gifts. That’s the theme for this month. That’s easy. I love gifts. I love the whole idea of gifts – the giving, the receiving, the shopping, the making. I like surprising people and thinking about their expression when they open something. And I like it when I’m... 
by Alison Martin | Nov 26, 2019 | And Another Thing ..., Expert Advice |
One of the things that I truly appreciate about the holidays are the traditions… so let’s create some more! I love these days between Halloween and New Years. I know they can be loaded. I know they can be complicated. I also know there is a sense of peace... 
by Alison Martin | Nov 9, 2019 | Education, Everyday Hero, Featured |
EVERYDAY HERO Anne Cochran, One of Los Angeles’ Best College Counselors and Founder of Valley International Prep High School Anne Cochran’s monthly column gives advice for parents and teeneagers who are navigating the college planning process. Find her... 
by Alison Martin | Nov 7, 2019 | Artists |
“Painting gives me great pleasure.” – Joe O’Connor, insidewink’s artist of the month Joe O’Connor is a really wonderful actor and has been acting professionally for years. That’s where Alison met him – on a commercial... 
by Alison Martin | Nov 5, 2019 | Scuffed Stuff |
In our small Studio City living room, we have two Thanksgiving tables set up – sort of side-by-side like a separated “T”. It is crowded. It is fun. It is loud. You have to suck in your stomach to squeeze around a corner to get to the kitchen for more sweet... 