Erika

Has anyone ever told you that you have a doppelgänger? More so, have you ever met the person you’ve been told is your doppelgänger? And let’s take it one step further…have you ever WORKED WITH your doppelgänger???

I have.

When I first started working at Microsoft, there were repeated situations where I was clearly being confused with someone else. And every time I would say, “I don’t think that was me” I was asked, “aren’t you Erika?” To which I would say, “nope, but I sure hope I meet her at some point!” because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to meet the other blond, PhD that seems to be my doppelgänger, for all intents and purposes?

It didn’t take long before we met and everything made sense.

But Erika was WAY BETTER than I ever could have imagined! Yeah, she’s a PhD, yeah, she speaks a language in science very few people on this planet would even begin to understand, yeah, she spent YEARS at Stanford cutting her teeth with the best researchers in the business, but more importantly, SHE IS IN MUSICAL PLAYS AND DESIGNS COSTUMES!!!! She pauses on calls to appreciate pods of orcas casually passing outside her window (life on Vashon Island, what can I say?). She has a lovely little family, a lovely little life, loves music and art and WOW! Talk about blown away (and flattered that anyone would confuse me with this amazing woman).

Erika and I have spent the last two years working on a project together and the time I have spent with her has been some of my favorite moments, personally and professionally, over the past two and a half years. She really is amazing…and humble beyond belief…and I am so grateful that she is one of my work besties, but even more for the friendship that has grown OUTSIDE of the office.

My next piece is entitled, “Erika.” It is slightly altered from the original photo, as I wanted to capture the full rose and use this absolutely incredible, blood red Fremont Antique Glass that I had. Her face has red and silver glitter, white pressed flowers, green glittery butterflies and the words, “You are amazing my friend, remember that.” She has a dichroic jewel in the middle of the flower and red poppies on black fabric for her shirt.