This could easily become a recurring feature. Not to brag or anything. Everyone you know is probably amazing and beautiful, too! Well, except that one guy/girl. He/she’s the worst. Seriously, though, this week I just wanted to give shot outs (shots out?) to three amazing and beautiful friends who have inspired me recently. Check em out!

Kellie Romany, Painter

Her deal: I’ve known Kellie since our families first moved to Pennsylvania in 1996 or so, and in those nearly two decades (wait…help?), I’ve seen her become such a beautiful and talented person and artist. I’ve long admired her work and this week finally picked out my first piece of hers for my fledgling art collection (which, PLUG, also consists of pieces from my brother Buster Bylander and brother-in-law Francks Francois Deceus). Kellie’s work is exquisite and haunting, and I’m ridiculously excited to hang a piece on my wall. Her most recent show was the Von Luschan Series, which ran this spring at the Stan McCollum Gallery in Atlanta. Her next show is at the Callonwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta in March 2015.

What inspires your art?

“Things that inspire me are my life experiences, bodily functions, and the materiality of paint and its mediums.”

Stephanie Feldman, Author

Her deal: I’ve known Stephanie since we attended Pennsylvania’s Governor’s School for the Arts (RIP, sad face) after junior year of high school, and I’ve always been amazed by her talent and her drive. Her debut novel, The Angel of Losses, came out this summer to rave reviews. It’s a gorgeous, spooky, sweet and magical story and I genuinely recommend it. And if you don’t trust my recommendations because I listen to so much pop music, just ask NPR, The Washington Post, Book Riot … etc. I can’t wait to read her next book.

What inspires your writing?

“The Angel of Losses (Best debut novel of 2014! – my mom) was inspired by an image: an immortal sorcerer with a fiery symbol etched in his forehead. I found him, the Wandering Jew, in a very old British novel, and immediately knew I wanted to write my own version. Years later, I did, and the novel ultimately evolved into the tale of a woman trying to negotiate her family’s history and her sister’s choices, and to correct her own mistakes. (That’s something else that inspires me: I like to find the moral and political dimensions of a story, and push hard on them.)

All different things have inspired me over the years, but I think they all have something in common: a dimension of mystery. Some writers go straight to their own experience. I write from a place of curiosity, a desire to explore and learn new things. I like the unexpected and the uncanny. Those settings, people, circumstances are not my only influences, not by a long shot, but they’re the things that inspire me to begin and to keep going.”

Follow @sbfeldman

Sarah Enni, Author and Podcaster

Her deal: I met Sarah in a writing workshop at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda about five years ago. Though she’s the blushing youth to my cantankerous old lady, I’ve long thought to myself: damn, I want to be this girl when I grow up. This summer, Sarah set out on a cross-country road trip, driving more than 6,000 miles and recording more than 40 interviews with authors of Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction for her new First Draft podcast series.

I’ve spent many hours on the bus listening to First Draft, and have felt so inspired and — I will admit — even a little jealous of the tight-knit and super supportive YA writing community. But even as someone who doesn’t write YA, there are so many nuggets of goodness and inspiration in every episode. Check. It. Out.

What inspired your new adventure?

“Like most cool things, this project started when some real crappy junk went down in my personal life. My marriage was falling apart, my book didn’t sell, and I hated my day job. So the podcast idea grew out of wanting to change all three. I decided to interview other authors I loved, travel to see them (and slowly make my way to the west coast, where I was moving), and learn how the hell to record and edit audio like the real, honest-to-God NPR journalists I admire. The entire experience was life-changing, and miraculously it has continued to be really, really fun. As they said on New Girl: ‘Without ash to rise from, a phoenix would just be a bird getting up.’”

Follow @FirstDraftPod and @SarahEnni