Despite the fact that fate had dealt her young life a hard blow, little Izzy developed into a confident, self-reliant young woman, who sees the solitary path she has trod through her life as a source of pride. But it’s taken her a while to come to that point. “I struggled with it a lot, not that long ago,” she recalls. “Because, I feel like a lot of people have had people to help them, and I haven’t, really.”

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Something else her unique childhood brought out in her is a musical talent that has continued to be a cherished form of self-expression for Izzy. From the age of four or five, Izzy would watch Nickelodeon and Disney shows like Hannah Montana, singing along to the songs. “I really liked what they were doing,” she says. “That’s kind of where it started, and I’ve been singing ever since.” She writes music and sings mostly for herself, and isn’t too keen on the idea of making a career of it. ”That’s something I’ve thought about a lot, but it’s never really been about that for me,” she explains. “At the moment, at least, I’m not really looking at myself and my music as a product.” For her, it’s more using her music to try and make sense of the world. “Most of the songs I write are not about my life,” she says. “I write mostly about movies and other things that I’ve seen, because I think the way other people experience life is so interesting. I don’t really write about what I go through – it’s a way that I understand other people better.”

 

Given her interest in pursuits that are often solitary, one might be forgiven if they thought Izzy something of an introvert. In truth, she doesn’t really consider herself to be one. “I don’t think I’m an introvert,” she states. “I talk to a lot of people, and I’m happy and excited to talk to people.” Her friends are actually very important to her, and if asked would probably say that she is “funny and weird,” according to Izzy. “They’ll say it in an endearing way, not in a weird way,” she is quick to add.

 

Reluctantly, she admits that her friends would also probably describe her as smart. Although she is sometimes able to understand things in a way that might surprise even those who know her best, she doesn’t make a show of it. “I don’t really put that on display most of the time,” she explains. “The way I present myself, and the way I project myself is very different from who I am inside.” Her favorite subjects are English and art, but she leans more toward the graphic design realm than fine art, and feels like design could be a career path she would like to explore. She has a tentative plan, however, to study cosmetology at Kaskaskia College. Beyond that, she’s not sure where she might end up. “It depends on where life takes me,” she says. She feels torn between urban and rural life. “I want to live in a big city,” she states, “or in the middle of nowhere, in a cabin with a big husky.”

 

City or country, in a salon or design studio - or somewhere else as yet unimagined – one thing is certain: Izzy Hill will be doing what she does in her own, unique way. And, no doubt, succeeding wildly.