We had the good fortune of connecting with Millicent Borges Accardi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Millicent Borges, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
In life risk taking is often not risk taking per say but just a matter of following your gut or what YOU want in life versus what other people want for you or what is assumed by the general population to be a good business or creative idea. So, risk does not always – risky behavior, but risk, meaning acting upon own instincts and making decisions based on your goals, wants and needs. For example, “risk” to me might mean turning down a six figure job offer in exchange for an unpaid year of writing a book. A decision that many folks would have deemed “risky” Time after time, I have on purpose made decisions based on what I felt was right for me, versus what society may have felt was right.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Here’s my official mini bio:

Millicent Borges Accardi, a Portuguese-American writer, is the author of four poetry collections, most recently Through Grainy Landscape and Quarantine Highway. Her awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Fulbright, CantoMundo, Creative Capacity, California Arts Council, Fundação Luso-Americana (Portugal), and the Barbara Deming Foundation. She lives in Topanga, CA, where she curates the popular Kale Soup for the Soul literary series.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Topanga canyon, which some people call a hippie paradise– For visitors to the area, I would recommend these restaurants, Inn of the Seventh Ray (vegan and organic food, magical creek side and special occasion dining), The Canyon Bistro (French flair, with live jazz most weekends their French onion soup is to die for)), and Water Lily (great juices, coffee and wonderful salads). In the canyon there is hiking and two national parks– funky shopping at Hidden treasure (vintage shop), Topanga Homegrown, and outdoor and Bali inspired statues and furniture at Jalan Jalan (hidden waterfall). During the fall and summer., the perfect date is a picnic dinner, followed by a Shakespearian play at the open-air theater called Theatricum Botanicum (aka Will Geer’s theater). Memorial Day weekend is full of crowds for Topanga Days (a three day fair with a parade, music and dances, including old time fair games like pie eating contests for kids. In December, there is a Snow Day pot luck party at Pine Tree Circle and once a year in June there is the Topanga Studio tour (a three day event when local artists open up their homes and studios to the public). A trip to Topanga would not be complete without a day visit to Topanga beach, the closest beach to Los Angeles!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
National Endowment for the Arts

Website: https://www.millicentborgesaccardi.com/

Instagram: TopangaHippie

Twitter: TopangaHippie

Image Credits
photo in Lisbon by Miguel Vaz (Fundação Luso-Americana)

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