|
You know that book I raved about earlier this week? It was written by one of my favorite bloggers, Susannah Conway.
She's honest, she's open, and I love the way she sees (and photographs) the world. I took her Unraveling course last year and it was a great experience. Be sure to follow her links at the end of this interview to see more of her work. After finishing Susannah's book I had to reach out to her to let her know how much I enjoyed it and I asked if she might be willing to be a wonderstruck interviewee. And you know what? She replied to that message with her answers. Incredible. More and more I'm learning that sometimes all you have to do is ask. Please welcome Susannah Conway. What have you been wonderstruck by recently? My 4-year-old nephew. That I get to be his auntie is just the most incredible thing to me. I was there when he was born and every day I marvel at how much love and joy he has brought into all our lives. He’s the brightest star in my galaxy. What part of your day are you grateful for? I’m grateful for the moment I wake up without an alarm. I spent many years following a more traditional career path and as a night owl I always struggled with getting up early in the morning. These days I’m blessed to be able to wake up when I naturally wake up. It’s something I will never take for granted. What part of your day is tough? How do you move through it? The mid-afternoon slump tends to be a tricky one for me. I usually do something admin-y that doesn’t require too much brain power. Recently I’ve started going to the gym around 4pm and that seems to be working quite well — I definitely don’t need brain power for that, just willpower :) What do you wish your were more conscious of? These days I find I’m pretty conscious of most of my good and bad habits, so this might sound silly but I really wish I was more conscious of my reading glasses! I recently had a bout of eye strain and it was down to me using my iPhone too much and never taking off my reading glasses — I’d wear them around the house all day, even though I only need them to read. The eye strain was the wake up call to get into the habit of taking them off — it’s a work in progress. How do you stay focused on what is truly important to you? I’ve kept a journal for the last 30 years and I use it to check in with myself and keep track of what I need/want. Everything I’ve created in my life started in my journal — the good and the bad! I have to do lists and goals and plenty of business-related projects I want to complete, but what’s really important to me is being as truthful as I can possibly be — in life and love — and that starts with my relationship with myself. My journal bears witness to everything and helps me unravel the knots that inevitably come along. I think we all need a place where we can be thoroughly ourselves and for me that’s my Moleskine notebook. About Susannah Conway: Susannah Conway is the author of This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart (Globe Pequot Press). A photographer, writer and teacher, her classes have been enjoyed by thousands of people from over 50 countries around the world. Co-author of Instant Love: How to Make Magic and Memories with Polaroids (Chronicle Books), Susannah helps others reconnect to their true selves, using creativity as the key to open the door. You can read more about her shenanigans on her blog at SusannahConway.com.
0 Comments
There are a handful of books that I've read that leave me in a weird state when I'm finished: equal parts awe, inspired, ready to act, and like there is a void now that it's over that can't possibly be filled with any other book. These are the books I return to again and again to flip through and revisit. To curl up with like a dear friend.
This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart by Susannah Conway is one of those books. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for almost a year. Not because I didn't want to read it, rather because every time I picked it up, it felt important. It felt like I needed to be in the right headspace. I could tell it wasn't a book I wanted to dabble in. I wanted to sink in wholeheartedly. Finally I knew it was time to pick it up, and I am so glad I did. This book is amazing. It's beautiful. It knocks on the doors of your heart, mind, and soul to see if you're paying attention to life. It makes you question if you really understand who, where, and why you are and if you are being gentle with yourself. Chapter after chapter, through prose bordering on poetic, Susannah discusses grief, family, solitude, body image, and so many other things she had to understand in order to move forward in her life. Sprinkled throughout her writing are her photographs - muted and compelling - telling their own version of her story. I've been drawn to Susannah's work through her blog (including her Unraveling course which was fantastic!) and when I read This I Know, it became clear why her work resonates with me. In it she said, "I prefer to be the one behind the curtain, tapping away at my keys, walking through town with my camera, recording the ordinary magic I see." Ordinary magic. Yes. All of her work oozes with ordinary magic. I love that. I gave This I Know five stars on Goodreads (that's out of five possible stars, so you know I mean business). So yeah, put this on your to-read list.  There are a handful of books that I've read that leave me in a weird state when I'm finished: equal parts awe, inspired, ready to act, and like there is a void now that it's over that can't possibly be filled with any other book. These are the books I return to again and again to flip through and revisit. To curl up with like a dear friend.
This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart by Susannah Conway is one of those books. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for almost a year. Not because I didn't want to read it, rather because every time I picked it up, it felt important. It felt like I needed to be in the right headspace. I could tell it wasn't a book I wanted to dabble in. I wanted to sink in wholeheartedly. Finally I knew it was time to pick it up, and I am so glad I did. This book is amazing. It's beautiful. It knocks on the doors of your heart, mind, and soul to see if you're paying attention to life. It makes you question if you really understand who, where, and why you are and if you are being gentle with yourself. Chapter after chapter, through prose bordering on poetic, Susannah discusses grief, family, solitude, body image, and so many other things she had to understand in order to move forward in her life. Sprinkled throughout her writing are her photographs - muted and compelling - telling their own version of her story. I've been drawn to Susannah's work through her blog (including her Unraveling course which was fantastic!) and when I read This I Know, it became clear why her work resonates with me. In it she said, I prefer to be the one behind the curtain, tapping away at my keys, walking through town with my camera, recording the ordinary magic I see. Ordinary magic. Yes. All of her work oozes with ordinary magic. I love that. I gave This I Know five stars on Goodreads (that's out of five possible stars, so you know I mean business). So yeah, put this on your to-read list. |
Categories
All
Archives
July 2020
|
RSS Feed