Chelsey Keith Ignacio

What was your favorite book as a child?

I was so fond of our wide set of fairy tales and Encyclopedia Americana at my childhood home. Of course I had limited understanding of those books when I was around preschool or kindergarten age, almost none for the encyclopedias. But I loved the experience of flipping through their pages, admiring the sketches in the storybooks and the long paragraphs with unfamiliar words in the encyclopedias. I guess it’s just a child’s wonder being piqued, that’s why I enjoyed those books so much. They’re my favorite books not in the sense of liking their stories per se, but loving the experience with them.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

Honestly, I don’t think there’s a reason; I just started to do it. Because I remember beginning to write “creatively” way back when I learned to write as a child. It became my hobby to scribble fantasy (senseless, really) stories on my cartoon-filled notebooks, trying to emulate those from fairytale films and quirky pieces in our school textbooks. I assumed every kid would do it, too, since we needed to practice writing for school. Anyway, I continued to write nonsense stories for fun as I grew up. It’s like a hidden hobby until I found out it’s something that I could do seriously when I heard the term “creative writing” in high school. I’ve been working on it since then.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

Wandering around art galleries is always an adventure for me. I went gallery hopping in Makati City and Rizal before. It’s thrilling to bask in a creative environment, exploring various artists’ perspectives and the details of their paintings, sculptures, and installations. I hope to see other galleries around the Philippines, too, but the dream adventure really is to visit the Museo Frida Kahlo in México.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing? Why/why not?

Depends on the kind of writing I’m doing. Music motivates me to get the work done when I’m writing something with a deadline. I listen to electropop and indie folk, depending also on the rush and load of my work. If I’m writing poetry, I’m okay with just the background noise. When reading, however, I prefer silence.