✨👽ALIENS!👽✨
ANNIE MILDREW DISCUSSES HER INTEREST IN ALIENS AND HOW THEY CONNECT TO SPIRITUALITY, ENVIRONMENTALISM, ART HISTORY, AND EVEN ALTERNATIVE/INDIE MUSIC.
>>What sparked your interest in aliens?
ANNIE: I feel like it’s just a fun and ridiculous thing to be interested in, especially since in reality I know very little about any real science backing up extraterrestrial life. I just think it’s fun and I’d rather talk to a stranger at a party about their opinions on aliens rather than typical small talk.
>>If you were to invite an alien to come to Earth for a day in order to show them around, what music would you introduce them to?
ANNIE: I would show them Grimes for sure. I’m not convinced that they are not an alien so I think a real alien would really be into them. Plus who doesn’t love a little synth-pop?
>>From your knowledge of art history, have aliens ever been represented in art? If so, which representation is your favorite?
ANNIE: Artist Mariko Mori makes some insane pieces that feature aliens and alien-like elements to her work. I love her pieces so much and her “Pure Land” has some of my favorite aliens flying around in it (all small greens). All her work is super futuristic and gorgeously feminine so if you’re looking for some cool work that combines space/alien imagery with y2k motifs I would really recommend checking her stuff out.
>>If "space" had a theme song, what would you pick from your playlist as this theme?
ANNIE: Ooo I love this question. So from my most current playlist I would have to go with “I know the end” by Phoebe Bridgers. The song is soft, honest, and peaceful at times and then it escalades into a kinda scary and powerful war-cry which in my mind represents the beauty, mystery, and danger of space.
>>When I read that you were interested in aliens, I immediately pictured the cutesy image of a green, big-eyed creature, similar to how the word has been translated into emoji form. When you say aliens, what do you picture?
ANNIE: Well, for some reason my older sister and I always end up talking about aliens to random people because it just always leads to weird and fun conversations, and this first question you bring up is controversial because we debate on what types of alien would be out there. We’ve categorized the main types in “short greens” (the type you are referring to), “long greys”, and “tall, graceful whites”. We have no science or real reason to imagine them like this other than alien representation in pop culture but we usually have to confirm which type of alien we are referring to prior to starting an alien conversation. I like to think about the short greens the most so I’d say we have very similar expectations of what they’d look like.
>>Does your belief in aliens affect your spiritual beliefs?
ANNIE: I used to be kinda hardcore catholic because I was sent to catholic school from pre-K to 12th grade so historically I wouldn’t have considered aliens to connect to religion for me, however, in the last year or so I’ve basically rejected those beliefs and now I would totally consider aliens, other life forms, and alternate realities part of my spiritual beliefs.
>>Do you feel that aliens would likely do a better job at protecting their environment than we humans do? Why or why not?
ANNIE: They would for sure. I think other beings (animals for example) have an instinct and understanding that they are part of a natural and delicate system and that it is in their interest to protect that environment as if it is an extension of their internal body. Also if they have higher levels of society, and say, an economy that isn’t centered on capitalism I’m sure they would do a better job at protecting the environment than us.
>>Have you ever witnessed anything extraterrestrial?
ANNIE: I don’t think I have but I also don’t know if I would even be able to distinguish an alien interacting with me, so I may have.
>>If you could design your own UFO, what would it look like?
ANNIE: It would look like a comet or natural element of space so they could camouflage into the space landscape without attracting unwanted attention.
>>How would you persuade someone who doesn't believe in aliens/extraterrestrial life that it exists?
ANNIE: I would probably go the route of just persistently questioning them and say, “well how do you know? How are you sure they’re not? What information and knowledge do you have that would allow you to make such a definitive and close-minded person?” And I would hope that would prompt them to reconsider their perspective.
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