Brook Power: The name is a perfect fit for our Miss May, a free spirit who follows her instincts. The artist, who is regularly hired by record companies, fashion labels and magazines, strives to live up to her superhero-ready surname—almost to a fault, she says. "My golden rule is to put others first, but I have a Native American stubborn streak," says Brook, who is part Chippewa. She knows that fortitude has defined female icons for centuries. "Sacagawea, my role model, broke through the strict gender restrictions of North American culture. Before her, Native American women weren't viewed as equals. As a female artist, it's more difficult for me to achieve credibility, but I'm not bitter. I'll take the added challenge, because gender equality has never been forced. Women don't need the booster seat of affirmative action to be as successful as men. We can kick ass just fine on our own without a social movement taking credit for our successes." BROOK POWER AGE: 27 BIRTHPLACE: Inglewood, California CURRENT CITY: Los Angeles, California MY HAWAIIAN ROOTS My dad was an artist and a surfer; he moved us to Hawaii when_Lwas aboutjrye years old; after the 1992 earthquake in Los Angeles. I was raised on^DahUj on the edge of the jungle and the ocean. I was a lucky little lady to grow up in a place like that. THE FIRST THING YOU'LL NOTICE ABOUT ME The first thing I always notice about people is their shoes. If that's the case for everyone, the first thing someone will notice about me is that I like to frequent muddy p laces. MY PERFECT DAY OFF When I'm nottraveling, I'll take my horse about an hour north of L.A. to a national park that has miles of mountain trails. My siblings and I try to trek around there as much as possible with our animals. Otherwise, you can find me catching waves in Malibu. LISTEN TO THIS My dad used to play "Alice's Restaurant^ by Arlo Guthrie on long car rides. It's a silly song on first listen, but it's actually about the sadness of the ^Jraft during the Vietnam War. I'll put that record on from time to time when I work on my art at home. POLITICAL LEANINGS Tm a capitalist, which used to describe motivated dreamers be- fore it became a word for money- hungry people. I believe in giving power to the people, prioritizing education and keeping this coun- try as free as we can. It's a beauts ful thing to have so many different cultures assimilate, coexist and love each other, but every year there seems to be more and more government restrictions telling us what we can and can't do. We need to live freely and lovingly. THE KEY TO HAPPINESS The ocean is my connection to God and makes me feel good, without fail. I also believe humans have the capacity to make our own happiness internally. As Abraham Lincoln supposedly said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." B (g-BrookPower <g BrookPower
