I heard the name Ms Glitter Sparkle in one of my little girl’s movies and it made me laugh because it’s such a funny name. For whatever reason, it has stuck with me and when I think about who Ms Glitter Sparkle could possibly be, I think of Alrinthea.
The term authentic is very popular today, to the point where it’s kind of annoying because if authenticity was so easy, why would we be celebrating it so much, right? The challenge is that when trying to come up with a word to describe Al, authentic is the one that continually comes up. And also glitter. Lots of glitter. Honestly, the reverse is true. When thinking of the work authentic, I’m hard pressed to find someone who fits that word more than Al does. Al is a comedian and does improv with Alchemy Comedy. She works at Clemson University advising graduate students. She’s a celebrated photographer. And if that doesn’t impress you, she was also a speaker at Greenville’s Tedx talks. The list goes on and on.
Al and I got to know each other at Clemson University. We attended football games together, Al entertaining us as the football sometimes stunk it up on the field. Those weren’t the days of national champions. Though Al and I didn’t keep in close contact after college, we were connected on Facebook which is just as good, right? I feel lucky that we were connected even if it was just through social media because I’ve gotten to witness some really cool things about Al and I’ve learned a lot of stuff along the way. I’ll head on back to that word authentic again. When I think of someone who is authentic, I think of someone who is willing to be themselves in spite of fear, in spite of it being popular, in spite of it ruffling a few feathers. Al isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers. She’s passionate and dedicated to fighting for the underdog and standing up for the rights of others.
One of the things that makes Al unique is that she will first disarm you with her humor and then educate you on the ways of the world. That’s why I call her Ms Glitter Sparkle because she makes the world fancy wherever she goes.
As a photographer who’s work has been featured in magazines and galleries, she speaks to the world of old places full of treasures left behind. She uncovers beauty in a history that may seem ugly. She isn’t afraid to dig into what we want to forget. Maybe that insight is what motivated so many to nominate her to speak at TedxGVL. Her willingness to be herself allowed people to connect with her in real ways and she was able to learn some lessons about what motivates artists to do what they do.
Al and I spent some time laughing and capturing her essence in ways that pushed us both out of our comfort zones. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and hope you guys enjoy everything you see.
Please check out her website.
You can see her TedxGVL talk here.
