V: I have SO looked forward to have this conversation with you Corinne and i want to thank you for saying yes!...*smiling*. First i think it would be lovely if you could tell a bit about yourself.
C: Hello! Of course I would say yes! *smiling back* I was thrilled when you asked and have been looking forward to this ever since! A bit about myself.... I'm a 30-something wife, mother, knitter, occasional writer, nature lover, tea enthusiast, and general lover of beauty. That about sums it up!
V: I know that i have told you before but i need to say it again: i LOVE your way of writing Corinne. Your writing deeply appeals to me, it is so honest, deep and essential....you write about the real things....no "pretending" and i LOVE that!! Very often i also feel that what you share through your writings makes me connect with myself on a deeper level and that is something that i find very unique and precious! I would love to know more about your writing "history" and maybe also some dreams?
C: Ever since I was little I've loved writing. I've always been better at conveying my thoughts through writing than speaking. When I was young I wrote stories and kept journals...and up until college I wrote poems and other creative works. And then I stopped. I didn't write much other than essays through college. But when I had children I started keeping a blog about our days, and I got the itch for writing again! Knowing that people were reading my words and connecting with them really pushed my writing for quite awhile. Just this summer I've felt almost a drought in my words... and I'm trying to lean into that and honor this season of thought (and more knitting!) and less actual writing. As for writing dreams, I used to dream about having books published, but as soon as I put a label on my writing, or start writing a bigger "thing" I get turned off. When I write, I just write.I don't think I'm cut out for much other than that, and honestly I'm okay with that!
V: In one of your blog posts you have written: "I truly believe in sharing our stories and writing out our truths and being open with them so that we, and anyone reading or listening, can not feel so alone. I do my sharing via writing because I've always written better than I speak. True story. So in writing this blog, I fulfill a need to be heard. A need to be seen and also to see others. I want to live openly and honestly and this blog affords that reality to an introvert who gets tongue tied easily." I find these lines so beautiful and i admire your honesty Corinne! Honesty is a quality that i find very precious....and this honesty is something that i clearly notice (and are drawn to) when reading your writings. I am SO happy that i came across your blog a while back, since then it has been a must-read for me! There are, among many others: Facebook, blogs, Flickr and Instagram. What made you chose a blog and are there any other places or sites too where we get to read more of your writings?
C: Oh, Vibeke, I feel the same way about your blog! I'm so happy that we have connected, as your blog is like a breath of fresh air in this online world! As I said above, I started a blog when the kids were little. It began as me telling their stories for the grandparents, and then it morphed into me telling our stories. And then I started another blog that was still based on motherhood... and then I started different one when that felt old... and then I finally started the one I keep up with today! The process that got me to where I am now in my own little space took about five years. Once I figured out that I was holding myself back keeping a "theme" to a blog, or trying to create to my title or blog name, blogging became enjoyable and very stress free! I love it! I am on Instagram, where the simplicity of sharing photos and a few words is just lovely. But otherwise I try not to stay too connected because it really takes me out of my own life.
V: I would guess that you have quite a lot of authors and poets that you like. Could you share some of your favourites?
C: I do... I love the poetry of Mary Oliver and Robert Frost, their words linger beautifully and are soaked with nature. I've been on a bit of a Jane Austen kick, I'm reading Emma right now and enjoying the old language and timeless humor. Susanna Kearsley is my favorite fiction writer at the moment. She weaves beautiful tales of historical fiction mixed with present day adventures!
V: "I've long been a fan of daydreaming. Meditation? Eh. But daydreaming... letting my mind wander... surprisingly, it settles me. There's power in meandering thoughts. There's power in giving ourselves the nod of approval to sit and seemingly do nothing...........You need room to do that. You need space. You need to give yourself permission to do nothing but let the mind wander, and the dreams to surface, and the willingness to follow their lead." These lines are from one of your blog posts and i LOVE them, i can so relate to this! I know that for many of us it is such a huge challenge to manage to slow down and not to mention to allow oneself to seemingly do nothing... Something so simple as this has become so hard, i believe it to be one of the "back-sides" of living in this highly effective society that we have created. Can you share some more of your thoughts and experiences around this topic?
C: This is a wonderful topic. I can really only speak from my experience, and that is that when my family and I are busy with so much doing, we don't connect with each other. When I am busy with so much doing, I don't connect with myself. And when our society is so busy doing, none of us connect. We might think we do. We have all these great ways to stay in touch, to keep up, but they only hit the surface. You simply cannot grow relationships with surface level chit chat and hurried hellos. So I think it starts with each of us, the slowing down so we can connect with not only each other more, but ourselves. The benefits of cultivating a quiet, soulful relationship with ourselves will trickle out towards our relationships with others, and soon. And that's where daydreaming and giving ourselves permission to do nothing comes into play! Sometimes the only way for me to figure out what I am actually thinking and feeling is to do nothing and see where my mind
goes. It's not always fun, but it's almost always a bit enlightening.
V: I like collecting quotes and i have found some new ones at your blog that i like a lot. like fex. this one: "Whatever the present moment contains, embrace it as if you had chosen it." -E.Tolle. Do you have a favourite quote to share with us?
C: The one you just listed is a favorite of mine as well. There is a saying floating around that I just adore "It's okay to be happy with a calm life." These words by Anais Nin always resonate: "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom." And also this by Anne Lamott: "Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and the discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns." This by Jack Kerouak: "One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple." Lastly, I love these words by Alice Walker: "Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise."
V: Other passions than writing?
C: Knitting. Knitting. More knitting. I love it! I love good yarn, I love
good needles, I love good patterns... I'm finding that I'm terribly
passionate about the whole process!
V: Currently reading and knitting?
C: I'm currently reading Emma by Jane Austen, and I'm working on knitting
up a Cara sweater in Osprey by Quince and co. I'm also midway through
designing a little boys scarf for my son.
V: On your want-to-knit list?
C: There's so many... I've been eyeing a newsboy type hat for myself, and as soon as my holiday knitting is done {yes, it is August, and I am already talking Christmas knitting... there's so much to knit!!} I want to spend a good deal of time knitting socks for myself and my kids! But really, I've been wanting to knit the Cara sweater for so long that I'm just enjoying having it on my needles right now!
V: What inspires you Corinne?
C: Beauty, in words and visually. I love spending time on Pinterest looking at images of simple beauty, whether it is nature scenes or steam rising from a tea cup. My kids inspire me to be more creative as I see how they are at their happiest when they are creating, both imaginatively and physical creations. After spending time by the ocean I am always full of a calm soulful inspiration and try to bring that home with me.
V: Autumn has arrived here in norway now and i am blown away by it's beauty: the colors that the nature is painted in now....the crispness of the air....the taste and smell of autumn apples. Is it one season that you are especially drawn to and if so, why?
C: Autumn is by far my favorite time of the year. I love the smell of it, the sound of leaves underfoot. I love being cozy, wearing sweaters and boots. Having an excuse to curl up under blankets and sip hot tea. Hiking in Autumn is one of my favorite activity Each year I'm left in awe at what Mother Nature has up her sleeve! My body is not made for heat, so I feel like I can actually move and be productive again when the cooler air comes in!
V: A new school year has just started. and as a closing of this lovely conversation i want to ask you if you could tell a bit about why you have chosen to homeschool your children? And also what you find as the most challenging parts about it and also about the biggest blessings of it.
C: Homeschooling just felt like a natural extension of parenting for us. I am so thankful that it's an option! Around us it seems like public school is less about the education as it is more about evaluations and test scores, and it doesn't seem like a good environment for our kids to have a love of learning instilled. Yes, it can and does happen, but for us we wanted a different lifestyle for our family. One that thrives on our intuition and cultivating creativity and freedom and intellect in a safe, warm environment. It is definitely not for everyone, but homeschooling works for us!
The most challenging part of homeschooling for me is that there isn't a break. We are together, always. And while that is also a blessing, I'm having to figure out ways to protect my introverted self from getting burned out quickly. The blessing is being a part of my children's education. I get to see all of their "aha!" moments and help them through whatever issues come up. They're still dealing with conflict and strife, but it's such a blessing to walk with them through challenges every step of the way. Plus, we get to play and go on way more adventures than if they were in school all day!
Vibeke, thank you so much for the lovely conversation! It has been lovely exploring these topics with you!
Link:
Corinnes's blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment