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.

ask yourself.

florida sunset . many years ago

The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change.

Richard Bach

finding my way...

cooling off in the evening during the heat of last week . back porch, july 2009

life whirls and breaths and laughs and cracks me open.

yes.
this is where i am.
whirling
breathing
laughing
cracking open

life is full, much fuller than it has been in years. it is full of good things. it is full of things that are, to be honest, work. good work. the work of dreams being lived into reality, but work all the same.

which finds me walking the path labeled balance. finding my way, sitting to rest, and looking up and wondering "how the hell did i get here?" and laughing at myself as i realize i made my way here. to this moment. yes, i did. finding my way and seeking shade and then in the next moment standing in the light with my face turned up as i smile into the truth. finding my way and realizing that asking for help is part of the path labeled balance. finding my way and knowing that collaborating brings the goodness. finding my way and realizing that finding my breath is the way to the path that is balance.

yes. it is good. breathe in. breathe out. open. whirl. laugh. breathe.

how are things in your world? i would love to know...

senses view: a moment alone

{touch}

{see}

{smell}

{taste}

{hear}

{and know}

*****

who :: kirsten michelle . liz

where :: park . front stoop (and kitchen)

when :: a july afternoon . a july morning

senses view is a collaboration series.

read more about how it began.

see all the senses view collaborations.

yes.

pike place market singer . june, 2009

Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get a heartache when we read those lines written by the hand of a master and recognize them as our own, as the tender shoots which we stifled because we lacked the faith to believe in our own powers, our own criterion of truth and beauty. Every man, when he gets quiet, when he gets desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source. There is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we have only to open up to discover what is already there.

Henry Miller

take a moment. remember.

we watched "sunday morning" this morning.

the opinion piece by martha gillis is something we all should watch...even though it is hard to sit in the quiet and listen to this woman's words, i believe, this is something we all need to see. something we all need to remember.

the words are found here.
you can scroll down and click on the video in the left column of that page (or click here).

blessings and peace,
liz

senses. a ballard beach afternoon.

{taste}

{hear}

{smell}

{touch}

{see}

{and know}

this day.

this morning, i almost forgot me for a bit

life is full in this moment....which can be oh so very beautiful...

but also an invitation for overwhelm

and a current project had me in a full-on stop. start. stop. what is going on? start. stop.

so i took myself outside

and found yellow + wishes

and remembered