Welcome to, ‘The Blog Of Bast’!
My name is Siranna. Many of you know me from Facebook, LinkedIn.com and other networks. And some of you don’t know who I am at all. The purpose of this blog is to let ALL of you know more about Moi. What I do professionally, my viewpoints, concerns and …just a little bit of everything. At this time I am pursuing many career opportunities as well as returning to college to become an Art Therapist.
On the side, besides being a Fiction Writer, Font Designer/Specialist and Photographer, I also do community work for the City of Bangor. I have helped the homeless and have helped various of people within the Bangor Community. I also am working on a project for the Writers and Artists (WAARM: Writers And Artists Relief Maine) within the Bangor Community. I know so many people who have a gift for writing & art and should not have their work go unnoticed.
How the project will work is each participant who signs up will have to meet certain qualifications before becoming a final nominee. If nominated, the participants have the choice of taking their fund money and put it towards a college course to further their passion into a career or towards publishing their work. I am working towards that goal. It would also get people off the streets and away from troubled crowds (problems with addictions), to help better their lives!
I also have plans in the future to move to New York. I am a team member of Forte Films Entertainment as a Font Designer/Specialist and Writer. Once I have relocated to NY, I will be aiming towards the goal as a horror TV host . On the show I will be having Filmmakers, Directors, Producers and…everyone horrific enough will attend. The idea of the show is to help bring creators and fans together and talk-horror. Hosted by yours truly. 😉
I have been asked by my viewers, some very interesting questions. With this blog, some (hopefully all) questions will be answered.
To start off, here are several questions I have been asked ( a lot)…
Q. #1 Viewers: “As a horror fan and Writer, what scares Siranna?”
*A. [ Siranna] “Reality. Many watch the News. I don’t. Not because I don’t care, because I do. But I also know I can’t change -what is. You see more negative reports than positive, of course sometimes it varies between the two, I agree but I am a positive person. Negativity drains my positive energy. I do pray for those I hear about or read about on Facebook , or other sites. I even pray for those who have done me wrong. ‘Why?’ Some ask. Because… I am Siranna and that is what I do. I don’t need the News to know what sickness spreads through our society.
Q. #2 Viewers: “You dress Goth, do you have a preference in religion and are you religious?”
*A. [Siranna] “I am Goth/Christian. You should see the heads that explode with confusion when I tell people that, lol. I am Goth, I dress Goth, although you may see me with a Marilyn Monroe shirt on and 80’s stylish jogging pants, or if I am relaxing at home, you may catch me wearing a Type O’ Negative T-shirt, Family Guy boxers and my Sylvester the cat slippers on. I don’t dress according to “What the Media thinks” Siranna is persuaded by her own opinion and own style of clothes. I dress according to the occasion. As for the Christian part, just because I dress dark does not mean my heart is the same.
Nor does it mean I worship Satan, far from it! The black represents death, of the living and the passed. Representing the ones I love who have passed and those, I never met. We all were born into a beautiful dark world and have a dark side. Just some of us are better at expressing it. I do it through my Art and Writing.”
Q. #3 Viewers: “What is your favorite horror movie?”
*A. [Siranna] “Gee, if I had a nickel for every time I was asked that one! It is so hard to answer that because growing up in the 80’s, I have been spoiled with fantastic horror films. But I also love the classics, Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula” and the classic “Wolfman” with Lon Chaney. The list goes on and on.
The easiest way to answer that question is I love anything “realistic”. And the story has to interest me as well. I am picky when it comes to horror films. There has to be more than just gore. And if you’re going to make a horror film- make it right. True horror fans pay attention (including me) to detail. I know the difference between fake blood and what I call “lazy” blood. With horror films today, you are better off making your own horror film and making homemade blood than to watch what they release for “horror” films. I do have to give props to Rob Zombie’s films because he did fantastic with “Halloween”. Other than that, I fall asleep with anything else. The early 90’s had some good horror films but as of today… ‘yawn’ Unless you get Rick Baker or Tom Savini, now you’re talking fantastic work! They are Masters at what they do because it looks “real.” When my Brother introduced me to George Romero’s, “Dawn of the Dead” when I was younger, it blew my mind! The effects were just amazing. So, anything realistic, and I am hooked!”
Q. #4 Viewers: “Do you believe in the paranormal? And have you had paranormal experiences?”
*A. [Siranna] “Yes. To both of those questions. A few times I have experienced the paranormal. I remember, I was was around six years old. It was bedtime and after my parents had kissed me goodnight, I couldn’t fall a sleep but tried. When I opened my eyes I saw a silhouette of a man. Only it was a dark figure, shadow-like. No eyes, just a shadow. All I could do was stare. I closed my eyes hoping it would go away but when I opened them, the shadow was closer to the foot of my bed. Just standing there.
I closed my eyes for the third time and called out for my Father, as he was always the Hero in my life. When I opened my eyes, he disappeared. I looked all around. Nothing. Never saw anything like that ever again.
The second time, didn’t involve a ghost or silhouette but it was comforting and I must share. After my Father had passed from being hit by a plow truck in February 2000, that summer a familiar ‘whistle’ was in the air. My Dad use to whistle to songs playing in his head and I know that whistle anywhere. I was standing out back on the patio at home. Feeling sad about my Father’s passing, it started out faint but then it came out clear. I heard that familiar whistling. I looked out into the wooded area, hoping to see something. No signs of my Dad but his whistle has comforted me and has helped me cope with his dead a little easier. I remember when he told me as a child, “I won’t be around forever. But just because you can’t see me, doesn’t mean I am not there.” He kept his promise. 😉
My third experience, I was visiting family for a few days. After my visit, my ride came to pick me up. I grabbed my overnight bags and headed out the door. The next day I get a call from my brother & his girlfriend. My brother had asked me if I felt or sensed anything unusual last night before I left. I asked why. Apparently a little girl wearing a dress with long pigtails had followed me from the front door to the car. I was alone, just me and my ride that night…but apparently I was not 😉 A ghost, in the form of a little girl felt the need to be at my side that night. Just wish I knew how to help her. But I guess she wanted to help me with my overnight bags.”
Q. #5 Viewers: “How did you come up with the name, Siranna Bast?”
*A. [Siranna] “Actually, it wasn’t that easy and partially by mistake. For a while I knew I would need a professional name or pen name. I wanted it to be unique. There is a story I have yet to finish and the main character’s name is ‘Siranna’. That name sort of just came to me. I liked it so well that I thought, “What the heck. I made it, I’ll use it.” As for ‘Bast’ growing up and to this day, I have a had a spiritual bond with cats. So, that being said, I use the name ‘Bast’ after the Egyptian Goddess. I used Bast until I thought of something different but it sort of stuck with me and viewers dig the name. So, I kept it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet
Q. #6 Viewers: “How do you over come writer’s block and how long have you been writing?”
*A. [Siranna] “To over come writer’s block, I go for a walk, watch a movie or work on a different project. Writer’s block is a way of telling my brain, “Hey, you need a break!” This only happens to me when I work on a project for too long. I know how it is to ‘get in the zone’ once the ideas flow through your mind, but it’s important to take breaks too. Find something to do to help rest your mind for a bit. Otherwise, you may burn out your brain and that leads to frustration. As for writing, I started at the age of eleven. So, this year would make it twenty five years. But I started letter art before the age of eleven.”
Q. #7 Viewers: “What is a Font Designer or Specialist? Explain that profession.”
*A. [Siranna] ” I started learning basic cursive handwriting at the age of five. Kept practicing throughout the years and by high school I have various Font styles and Calligraphy designs. The letters or (Fonts) you see on a computer when writing a document, like ‘Ariel’ or ‘New Courier’, with the combination of cursive, calligraphy and my own personal techniques, I design Fonts for the computer, computer graphics and on items such as journals, notebooks, stationary and practically anything with a surface. I fell in love with the art of lettering and handwriting when I was a child. And because my work is unique from other Fonts and calligraphers, I earned the name, “Lady of Letters” and became a member of the Forte Film Entertainment as a Font Specialist. – Also Writer.
I don’t consider to be a pro or expert at what I do because I still challenge myself to create newer styles and techniques with my letter art. – And there is always room for improvement. I see ‘specialist’ as a way of saying what I do is ‘special’ in it’s own unique way.
[Examples of your common Font styles already seen in a computer system: Photo Below]
[Example of Siranna’s Font Art. Photo Below]
Q. # 8 Viewers: “What do you write about?”
*A. [Siranna] “I write a little bit of everything. I started out writing mystery and ghost stories. Then onto fantasy, horror and science fiction then poetry. From there, Memoirs and Quotes. I started a few projects over the years, one called, “Poetic Dreams” a book full of random poems wrapped up into one big book. It contains Dark poetry, Inspirational and various genre selections. “Visions” is another series of short stories. All were created by a single thought- or ‘scene’. I listen to music and certain verses from songs give me scene ideas- like out of a movie. I take that scene and transform it into a short story. That is how “Duvessa And The Beast” was created.
“Duvessa and the Beast” is about a werewolf who falls in love with a very mysterious lady character. I can’t explain much more than that but the ending has a very unusual twist. The only genre I have yet worked on is Children’s stories. But eventually that will be another project. Like the photo above, I take my own photos and use them for my writing projects. I live in the city now but once I have all of the necessary photos, “Duvessa and the Beast” will then be complete. I need more country-setting photos for “Duvessa and the Beast” and for some poems to add to my “Poetic Dreams” book. Where each poem will have it’s own unique photo. I also study Etymology. I like to look up various names for my characters to make my stories more distinctive. “Duvessa” is an Irish name and means; Dark Beauty.” Here is a link for your convenience.
**Read more: http://www.meaning-of-names.com/irish-names/duvessa.asp#ixzz388LHsDhg
Q. # 9 Viewer: “What inspires you to write?”
*A. [Siranna] “Life experiences, music, nightmares and my dreams.”
To learn more about Siranna and read samples of her work, you can visit her at http://www.facebook.com/ladybast1
Q. # 10 Viewer: “Have you been published? And if not, why?”
*A. [Siranna] ” Some people don’t understand that writing and art is much more than hobbies. I do it because it makes me happy. In the beginning, to get published was not a priority. Writing and art have been my outlets to escape the negativity in the world, plus, my therapy. It wasn’t until a few years back I decided to share my work with the public. Several years ago a few people stumbled across some of my writing samples including stories, quotes and letter art. They encouraged me to share my work to the public. I hesitated at first because I wasn’t seeking opinions from others, it my therapy since childhood and a part of me was not ready to share. But after given highly compliments of inspiration, I then thought about my parents and how they inspired me. It’s not that I was selfish, I just didn’t need feedback on what made me happy after all these years, but then, I had a change of heart. I shared some of my work and got positive feedback right away. The first time I got published, it was in the sixth grade. I was part of a reading group who created the story, “The Mystery Road.” I volunteered to be the writer for the group and added my own touches to the story. It became such a hit that the entire reading group (including myself) had our picture taken and we became an article in the Bangor Daily News. The headline for the newspaper had quite the touch as well. It read, “Stephen King, Watch Out!” It was then I knew what my heart desired. Published or not, I was meant to be a writer. However, I DO plan to publish which those updates will be posted to my Facebook page.
Model: Lady Siranna 2014
I would like to thank all the friends and fans on my Facebook and on my About.Me.com website.
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I never would have thought I could inspire and touch the lives of others like I have. So many have supported my work and have been so dedicated. If I decided to never set foot on Facebook, I would have never met Kevin Forte and so many awesome people. Nor would have I had so many opportunities and offers to take my work further. I would like to thank Kevin Forte, John Ginder, Briana Blair, Robert Paul Chaney and many others who have ‘encouraged’ and inspired me to put more of my work out there. You all are radical! You can view these radical people by visiting me on Facebook.
The Blog Of Bast. Siranna: The Mysterious Madame 
Very sweet blog and awesome great to to know about a sweet lady like you
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