Entries in nine (13)

Wednesday
Jul072010

nine {with michelle ensminger}

Today's Nine interview is with the dear soul Michelle Ensminger. Michelle was the very first person to comment on this blog of mine back in 2005. As bloggers, we always remember our first commenter don't we? I think it is because in many instances that person will forever represent someone who gently says, "I see you." Michelle is that person for me. She is a woman who lives with an open heart, a poet's heart, and she shares pieces of what she sees and what she knows in such an honest, brave way that when you meet her you know your life will be forever changed. I know this to be true.

Enjoy this peek into Michelle's world.

*****

Question 1: Who are you?

 

Question 2: What do you love about where you live?

 

Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?

 

Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?

 

Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?

 

Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?

 

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?

 

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

 

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

 

 

*****

Michelle Ensminger loves poetry, photography, and dates with her 7 year old son. She strives to nurture her creative life and pursue an authentic spiritual path in the midst of motherhood and working an 8-5 job.  

She is currently taking a hiatus from blogging (http://blog.tangledwings.com) but you can find more of her writing each month at The Wish Studio blog (http://wishstudio.com/).  She can also be found on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ordinarymatters/) and Facebook.

(All photos copyright Michelle Ensminger.)

 

*****

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Monday
May312010

nine {with carla blazek}

Today's Nine interview is with the delightful and truly kindred spirit Carla Blazek. I remember coming across Carla's candle shop, Zena Moon, a few years ago and immediately knowing that this woman gets it. I mean candles with names like "everyday sacred," "honoring silence," "moving through change" paired with beautiful quotes and add in corresponding gem stones plus gorgeous subtle scents...ah, yes, please. Then, a few weeks later, I suddenly discovered her blog address coming across my stats. Is this the same woman? Yes! A fellow blogger as well. I was so thrilled to connect with this kind, smart cookie. And then her candles...if you have been reading be present, be here for a while, you know about my love affair with her candles. We first ordered them when I was going through a health scare. Lighting the "healing" candle each day invited me to feel like I had some piece of control in the midst of a scary experience. A few of the names of the candles one can find around these parts on an almost daily basis are: boundaries, namaste, serenity, owl, moon magic...and how the list goes on.

I am so thrilled to share Carla's answers to the Nine...

*****

Question 1: Who are you?

 

 

Question 2: What do you love about where you live?

 

Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?

 

Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?

 

Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?

 

Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?

 

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?

 

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

 

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

 

*****

Carla Blazek is a writer, candlemaker and doggiemama. A longtime Seattleite, when life painfully fell apart she landed back in her hometown, Spokane, WA. Like many women in their 40s, she is in the exquisite, bewildering and exhilarating process of re-discovering and seducing herself as a single woman. New passions include photography, burlesque dancing, triathlons and calligraphy.

She is the founder and owner of zena moon, Oprah’s favorite candles (http://zenamoon.com). Her first book, Women at Rest, is nearly finished. You can find Carla at http://www.facebook.com/carla.blazek.

(All photos copyright Carla Blazek.)

 

*****

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Tuesday
May042010

nine {with christina rosalie}

Today's Nine interview is with the rock star who is Christina Rosalie. Back in 2006, a group of creative bloggers began working through The Artist's Way together (so many bloggers I still read today were part of that group), and I remember coming across Christina's blog, My Topography, during that time. I recall that I paused and settled in to read into her archives that day knowing I had found a blog of truth and beauty and real-ness. Watching her journey from afar these last few years has been a joy as she shines as an example of someone making her creative dreams a true reality. Her recent project, her book A Field Guide to Now, has invited me to think about the importance of claiming what we want and living it into being. You will want to check this project out and find out more so you too can hold this book in your hands one day soon. 

Sit back and enjoy this glimpse into Christina's world... 

 

*****

 

Question 1: Who are you?

  

 

Question 2: What do you love about where you live?

 

 

 

 

Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?

 

 

 

 

   

 

Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?

 

 

 

 

  

 

Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?

 

 

 

 

  

 

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?

 

 

  

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

  

 

 

 

 

 

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

 

 

*****

Christina Rosalie is a writer, a mixed-media artist, and a mother. She has a knack for leaving things on the roof of her car, and a habit of eavesdropping in cafes, and a pocketful of wanderlust. Christina lives at the end of a long dirt road in Vermont with her two boys, her husband, and a flock of chickens. She is currently working on an illustrated collection of essays called A Field Guide To Now ( http://kck.st/aCtHbL) and writing her first novel. Her short fiction and essays have recently appeared in the Sun, Mothering, and the Blue Print Review; her story "If You Fall It Is Your Fault" is  forthcoming in the Los Angeles Review (http://redhen.org/losangelesreview/) this fall. You can find her at  www.mytopography.com.

(all photos copyright Christina Rosalie)

 

*****

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Wednesday
Apr212010

nine {with leonie wise}

Today's Nine interview is with lovely, spirit-full woman who is Leonie Wise. I was lucky enough to meet Leonie in person at Squam last fall, where I learned that her laugh makes me very very happy. To me, her spirit is full of adventure and open-heartedness, and she seems to have such a quiet wisdom about her. A few weeks ago, I ordered Leonie's exquisite new book, all of a sudden, and when it arrived, I slowly savored each photo and poem. If you are a searcher, a person cracking open, a lover of poems plus photography, a person seeking your words, well, this book is one you need to hold in your hands. Yes. I recommend settling in for an afternoon spent with a cup of hot tea, some dark chocolate, and Leonie's book. You might want to have a little poetry reading and read her words aloud.  That sounds about perfect.
 
Here is a little glimpse into Leonie's world and some of her adventures through her answers to the Nine...
 
 
*****


Question 1: Who are you?
 
 
 
 
Question 2: What do you love about where you live?
 
 
 
 
 
Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?

 

 

 

Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?

   

 

 Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?

 

 

 

 

 

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do? 

 

 

 

  

 

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

 

 

     

 

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

 

 

*****

leonie is a poet, photographer, adventurer & life enthusiast. she lives creatively, dreams crazy dreams, laughs a lot and is often seen without any shoes.

she currently lives in london, england with her beloved, though will always call new zealand home.

when she’s not writing poetry (and sometimes, even when she is) you can usually find her at the nearest beach.

visit her at her blog.

(all photos copyright Leonie Wise.)

*****

 

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.
Thursday
Jan142010

nine {with Stefanie Reneé}

Today's Nine interview is with the creative, beautiful spirit who is Stefanie Reneé. Stef's blog was one of the first I read in the summer of 2005. Her honest outlook and brave truth sharing pushed me to think about starting to share my own words later that year (and I am pretty sure she introduced me to the poetry of Mary Oliver). It was a joy to be able to finally meet her in person at Squam last fall and to shyly share the truth of how she has inspired me. Now, I turn to her book when I need a dose of that brave truth that she shares through her photos and words.


Enjoy this insight into the world of Stefanie Reneé...
*****


Question 1: Who are you?












Question 2: What do you love about where you live?






Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?






Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?






Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?










Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?






Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?




Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?







Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?




*****
Stefanie Reneé is a photographer, writer, dreamer and an artist in training. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two beautiful, hilarious daughters.

You might find her commuting over the Bay Bridge to her day job, roaming the hills of San Francisco with camera in hand or having dance parties with her kids.  She loves the sound of waves crashing on the beach, sand between her toes, juicy peaches, purple converse all stars, cozy cafes, the sun on her face, gumball machines and creating magic in a tiny corner of her apartment.

Visit her at www.stefanierenee.net


*****


Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.
Monday
Sep282009

nine {with Tracie Lyn Huskamp}

Today's interview is with the delightful spirit who is Tracie Lyn Huskamp. I met Tracie when I attended ArtFest for the first time in 2006, and we instantly knew we were kindred spirits. She is a gifted teacher, and she simply has a heart of gold. Her first book, Nature Inspired, is now out, and it looks beautiful and full of incredible techniques that invite readers to notice the world around them and create something that honors the world in which they live. (You can even order an autographed copy that includes a print; visit Tracie's blog for more information.) 

Enjoy this peek into Tracie's world...

*****  

Question 1: Who are you?

 

 

 

Question 2: What do you love about where you live?

 

 

 

 

Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?

 

 

Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?

 

 

Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?

 

 

 

Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?

 

 

 

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?

 

 

 

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

 

 

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

 

 

Tracie Lyn Huskamp is an Artist, Author, Dreamer, and Poet. She lives amidst the Plains of the Midwest. It is here, among the landscapes of Kansas, that she has discovered her muse. The magnificent beauty of Nature inspires and captivates her imagination. This deep love and adoration paired with her passion for mixed-media fuels the fires of her creative spirit and continues to lead her on a wondrous journey of artistic and self-discovery.

 

(all photos are copyright Tracie Lyn Huskamp)

 

 *****

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Tuesday
Aug252009

nine {with christina of soul aperture}

 

Today's interview is with the inspiring Christina of Soul Aperture. Christina invites me to pause, notice, and take a deep breath, and for this, I am so thankful. Spending time with her at her blog is truly like stopping in for tea with a friend. If her spot in this blog world isn't already a daily pause for you, I encourage you to wind your way there and stay for awhile. She will invite you to notice the simple things and drink up the goodness of your life.

Enjoy these glimpses into Christina's world...

*****

Question 1: Who are you?


Question 2: What do you love about where you live?
 


Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?
 

Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?
 

Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?
 


Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?
 

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?
 

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?
 

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?
 


Christina is a personal chef, photographer, and believer. She lives in the city of Milwaukee, with her husband, two kids, and dog Miles. She believes in...making cupcakes on Wednesdays, following butterflies, allowing life to burst through her camera lens, releasing balloons into the sky, and writing from her soul. She places memories of her Jamaican breezes along side her heart for safe keeping.
(All photos copyright Christina)
*****

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

 

Monday
Jul272009

nine {with stephanie lee}

Today's interview is with the radiant soul who is Stephanie Lee. She is an incredible artist, a beautiful woman, mother, and friend, and she has a way of inspiring others through the written word. Get to know her a bit more through her blog Semiprecious Salvage. Stephanie and I seem to cross paths when we most need to, and I honor that she is a true seeker on her journey. Today, we are lucky to be able to see pieces of what she finds on her path...

*****

Question 1: Who are you?


Question 2: What do you love about where you live?



Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?


Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?


Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?



Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?


Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?





Stephanie writes: I'm a seeker and a finder, an asker and a listener, a poet and a mute. I try my best to live consciously. I live for the biggest little things - for wide skies, staying up late, getting up early to see the sun rise, my girls' laughter, my man's faith in me, and for learning. Learning, learning, learning. I love sewing, cooking, making things for friends, generally being domestic, reading and writing and writing about what I'm reading. I eat peaches over the sink, my insides like to boogie while my outsides keep a cool front. I love green shoes and wearing them while perhaps driving a little too fast because I like the way my stomach tickles when I go over that one little hill.....


(All photos copyright Stephanie Lee)

*****

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Sunday
Jul052009

nine {with goddess leonie}

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Today's interview is with the marvelous Goddess Leonie. It was through a post Leonie made on Sark's Message Board that I found myself in blog world several years ago. Since then, her energy and positive force of goodness have been apparent to me as I peek in on her blog and her art and connect with her across the earth in this incredible world that is the Internet. I imagine that her kind spirit and welcoming, open-hearted nature have probably sheparded many a woman into the magical world of blogging. And I think that anyone who comes across her path will find herself wanting to pursue the dreams of her heart...

Enjoy this insight into pieces of Leonie's world through her answers....

*****

Question 1: Who are you?








Question 2: What do you love about where you live?



Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?



Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?





Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?

Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?


Goddess Leonie helps women discover the creative, joyful, and spiritual Goddess inside them through e-courses and coaching. Check out her website and blog at www.goddessguidebook.com and see her latest e-course at www.decluttergoddesses.com.





(all photos copyright Goddess Leonie)

Monday
Jun292009

nine {with jen goff}

Nine is an interview series with creative folks that began in the Spring of 2009; the interviewees are asked to respond to the interview questions in photographs (or video). You can scroll through all the interviews here.

Today's interview is with the beautiful spirit Jen Goff. I met Jen last fall and then was lucky enough to spend a week at the Oregon coast with her (and some other soulfull ladies) earlier this year. Jen teaches me about living my life with an open heart and to listen to the whispers of my intuition. And, I am so excited to be teaching an evening class, Recipes for Self Care, at Art and Soul with her in October.

Enjoy getting to know Jen through these glimpses into her world...

*****

Question 1: Who are you?

Question 2: What do you love about where you live?

Question 3: What might your perfect afternoon look like?

Question 4: If you had an hour alone in your studio/creative space, what would you do?

Question 5: Right now, what are some of your favorite things?

Question 6: What foods nourish your soul?

Question 7: When you need to simply take a breath and reground yourself, what do you do?

Question 8: How do you nurture your creative dreams?

Question 9: Does your heart have a secret wish you want to share?

Jen Goff is a jewelry designer and mixed media artist living in Portland, Oregon. She finds her inspiration in old worn fibers, dream-like photographs, and things collected on walks in the woods. Currently, she is working on a body of work that includes a lichen coat and a seed pod dress. Her hope is that this entire collection will be shown in an open field with live cello music and birds flying overhead. You can see more of what Jen is up to at her blog, Unravel, and view her jewelry at her website, Paper Wings.


(All photos + video copyright Jen Goff)