As Molly O'Neill leans forward, her eyes widened by excitement and stylish glasses, her hands come up to play with a thought that hangs in the air. "Artistic inspiration? Mostly life." She leans back shyly and shrugs. "Is that enough?"
For this diverse actress, mime, poet, painter, model and photographer, the inspiration of life is certainly enough to sustain an abundance of artistic expressions. From serving on the executive board of Pen, Paint, and Pretzels (3Ps) to modeling for a charity fashion show, Tufts sophomore Molly O'Neill adds her joy for life to a multitude of artistic endeavors both on-campus and off.
Growing up on a farm in Oregon, O'Neill always enjoyed art, whether it be taking sculpture classes at a nearby university or getting together with her high school classmates to discuss their poetry and stories.
Surprisingly for this now-busy actress, O'Neill says she did little acting before she came to Tufts, finding the atmosphere at her high school unsupportive and exclusionary. However, after joining the cast of the 3P's production of "Clue" her freshman year, she realized that drama was quickly developing into her new calling. Discovering what O'Neill calls a "tight-knit, bohemian, supportive community," she quickly made some of her best friends and entered a theater organization that she now leads as the group's archivist. Since then, she has acted in five plays on the Tufts campus, including "Monster," which closed Saturday night.
Aiming for a double major in drama and archaeology, O'Neill studies acting with Sheriden Thomas in her Acting III class and describes the experience as, "very challenging, but [it] pushes you to another level in acting."
For O'Neill, the entire artistic experience is about expressing a love for life. "Art is my way of appreciating the beauty around you. It keeps you humble," she said.
And while she enjoys the structured art of acting in a directed show, O'Neill also draws inspiration from more spontaneous forms of expression. As a member of Hype!, the Tufts miming troupe, O'Neill appreciates the ability to break the boundaries of our everyday lives. "In acting, you look for room to move inside your character's skin. In Hype!, you can alter time, reality ... it's a much more fluid form of theater," she said.
Yet for this all-encompassing artist, acting is only one outlet. O'Neill cites the poetry of e. e. cummings and Dylan Thomas as major inspirations, along with nature and dreams. In her painting, she strives to explore human dreams, claiming that "people don't pay enough attention to their dreams."
In her photography, O'Neill searches for the essence of the subject through its small patterns and its textures. In the busy life of this artist, few things bring greater joy than discovering the availability of a darkroom in the Aidekman basement or in witnessing the first flowers of the season poke out from the frozen ground.
Filled with an exuberance for the natural world around her, O'Neill admits that the urban diversity of Boston somewhat overwhelms her. While she speaks highly of the Museum of Fine Arts and other museums and theaters in downtown Boston, it is clear that O'Neill still needs only to look up to the night sky for artistic inspiration.
Upon mentioning that she comes from a more rural part of Oregon, she inquires animatedly, "Can you believe that in Boston you can't even see the stars because of the lights?" Despite the significant change of coming to Boston for college, O'Neill feels like she's just discovering what the world has to offer. "I love college life. Whatever your passion is, you can find an opportunity."
One such opportunity happened upon O'Neill last year, when she was literally walking down the street. A woman working for Spheres of Exchange, a support organization for refugee women in Boston, asked O'Neill if she had ever thought about modeling and if she would be interested in hitting the runway for the group's charity fashion show.
Now in her second year as a model and volunteer, O'Neill finds herself contributing to a social cause as well as exploring the new artistic realm of fashion. For this Renaissance woman, entrance into a new artistic medium is a walk in the park - or down the street.
So while O'Neill grapples with the practical demands of life - deciding what to major in, fixing her cell phone, and finding a summer job - she takes solace in being able to move through that life with her art.
"I'm a very firm believer that you get out of life what you put into it," O'Neill said. And as explanation for her busy rotation of acting, painting, modeling, writing, and various other endeavors, O'Neill shrugs her shoulders and gives a response that obviously comes just as easily as her talent: "There is so much beauty around us. I am merely expressing it."
