If you know me a little already, you know that I'm a creative soul and a scientist bottled into one. This week, I was interviewed by the McGill Reporter about how I balance science, art and entrepreneurship, in the context of an event happening at my alma mater called "Artists Among Us" on November 1st. This annual show and sale celebrates students, staff, faculty and alumni members of the McGill community who, in addition to their academic careers, are passionate about creating art. 

I truly enjoyed answering Neale McDevitt's interview questions for his article, as I have been reflecting a lot lately on the intersection of my scientific and artistic careers. 

We compared their native (Italian) and second-language (English) to native-speakers of each language, as well as to second-language learners of Italian. Our aim was to study whether, and in which areas, changes might occur in how a native-language is used and processed due to influence of a second-language and due to factors related to the individual’s experience (e.g., age of learning, amount of exposure, length of residence, etc.) ​

Veni Etiam Photography is a fine-art photography shop where I sell my local and international travel photography as wall art and other home decor products. My mission is to inspire and transport people with a piece of art that represents who they are, where they have been and where they dream of going. I transform the photographs I have taken in our city and all over the world into innovative wall art (on paper, canvas, aluminum, acrylic, wood), designer furniture (coffee tables) and small gift items like coasters, notebooks and magnets. There is something in my shop for every decor, mood, memory or dream. Veni Etiam is a Latin phrase meaning "return again". No place is ever the same (and neither are we) and therein lies the beauty of returning. I have an online shop and an Etsy shop where the full collection can be found. Several Montreal shops carry images from my local collection, and I participate in markets and shows in Quebec and Ontario year-round. 

It’s hard to tell. I have almost always been academically-minded and passionate about a career in science; I was the girl who carried an encyclopedia in her backpack and asked her 4th grade teacher whether she could do independent “research” while her peers did their schoolwork! But I have also been very creative from a very young age. I haven’t always been a photographer. Rather, my first and favorite form of art is writing. I have always filled notebooks with ideas, impressions and recollections.

​After my B.Sc from McGill, I moved to Europe for two years to pursue an unconventional M.Sc program in three European countries. My parents gave me my first digital camera as a “bon voyage” gift. Those travels enabled me to write, but also to discover a new form of storytelling -- photography. I learned mostly by doing, until photography became so natural to my daily routine that it changed the way my eyes were accustomed to seeing the world. As I conducted a part of my PhD research abroad and travelled to international scientific conferences, I collected more photographs and stories to tell. For this reason, I always say that my career in science fueled my art and accelerated my vision for an online art shop, culminating in its launch during the most intensive part of my PhD (data analysis and manuscript-writing). 

​As both creative and scientific sides are deeply ingrained in me, I feel like I need both to thrive. I remember when I first launched my shop, my mind was suddenly on fire with ideas both for my dissertation and my art. I don’t believe in dichotomies, and I think that if we look around, nobody in our circle is all one thing or all another. For as long as I can remember, I have been fervently interested in multiple things. My B.Sc course-list included both Neuroscience and Venetian Art History! I could imagine my life going a whole bunch of different ways (and still can).

​I think we all have this in us, perhaps some of us more than others, and it’s more about following the drive to pursue those interests to see where they might lead, what we might learn, how we might impact others. That is what has led me to have an unconventional academic experience, where I was involved in so many different initiatives and living in multiple places. People, including myself, have not easily been able to fit me into a box, and I consider that both a great blessing and a great challenge, primarily because of expectations we are confronted with all the time. In academia, there are certain expectations of you and what your path should be, and the artistic community also has expectations of your approach to your craft. A track is often seen as a linear trajectory, and any deviation as unfocused or a waste of skill. But, truthfully, the only waste I see is a calling or opportunity not explored.

Yes, there are aspects of art and science that intersect for me, because both are infused with my interests, skills and experiences. Everything I have learned along the way gets transferred into whatever I am doing. I think there is as much room for creativity in science as there is room for a strategic approach in creative endeavors. I unexpectedly became fascinated by business and marketing over the last two years. In business, just like in science, I am organized, analytical and data-driven. My scientific training has helped my business planning, in determining what I wanted to offer, the problems I wanted to solve, the niche I wanted to carve and who my audience is. In both art and science, ideas come naturally for me, whereas the technical skills take more practice to master. In both, I have the same work ethic, and I value networking and training experiences because there is always more to learn.
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I am about to launch a second business that allows me to combine all these facets of me and all my scientific and creative skills. I hope it will work out because that would be a real dream.

​The biggest gift my art has brought me is the heartwarming and motivating feeling of having inspired others. I love witnessing shoppers’ reactions to my artwork in person, which is why I pack my schedule with as many local events as I can handle! Knowing that something that inspired me at the time has touched someone else and is now part of their everyday space is a special feeling. I love the connections I have made with clients through my work online or in person. I genuinely enjoy helping them put together a gallery wall for their home, knowing that together we are creating a space that will be their sanctuary and bring them joy. 

Thank you to Neale McDevitt from the McGill Reporter for this fun interview!

Last weekend, prioritizing fresh air and a slower pace was actually on the agenda. (Yes, sometimes it takes putting "relaxing" on the to-do list for it to become a priority. Not proud of that!)

It's been a remarkably warm and sunny autumn here in Montreal, and it makes me so eager to spend time outdoors, my face to the sun, soaking up the last warm rays before winter hits hard. I have tried to work outdoors as much as possible on tasks that don't require more than a brain, paper, a pen or a laptop!

This weekend, I wanted to get out a little bit further than the city, so I took two short daytrips to Ontario (Montreal to Cornwall along the river) and to the Eastern Townships in Quebec (Orford and Magog). The result was just as I had wanted: lots of sun, autumn colors, warm air, dazzling waterfronts and (the highlight) a horsebackriding adventure in the forests of Orford.

Doesn't it feel good when you see little reminders like this along the way? For me, the reminder to go slow, to be mindful, to make time for unwinding never goes unnoticed, because I have a natural tendency to pack my days to the brim. 

At Orford on Sunday, I became a little girl again. The little girl who was once obsessed with horses and who constantly saved up money to own a horse one day. I used to pretend that my bicycle was my horse, and would tie my skipping rope between the handlebars to use as reigns.

Oddly, I had only been horsebackriding once before Sunday, on a beach in Greece (not so bad, right?!), but it was more like a stroll than actually horse-riding. The afternoon ride in Orford was wonderful - in narrow forest paths covered in falling leaves, over streams, across deep ponds, through fields with old scraggly trees and along quiet country roads. We even picked up speed now and then, and in those moments, you really cannot think of much else other than the rhythm of the horse, the sound of its hooves and the scenery around you. 

Horses have a strangely calming effect on me, possibly because I consciously slow myself down and talk more softly, in order not to spook them. It's just the right therapy, then, to spend a sunny fall afternoon with horses in nature.

As I wrote on Instagram a couple of weeks ago, sometimes it's the simplest things that can be inspiring and soothing.

This week's photo inspiration is dedicated to the simple beauty of fresh laundry.

Around the world, there is something strangely poetic about hanging linen and how it changes the feel of an urban or rural landscape. It is familiar and comforting, as though it represents the blessing of having time on our side to tend to our life at home. Our senses are drawn to it - the mix of colors or the crispness of whites, the fresh scent and the gentle breeze that chases the dampness from the cloth. 

Here are 5 of the (many) laundry photographs I have snapped during my travels.

Have a wonderful week!

From my heart to yours.

Autumn is a season where scenery comes alive, even though theoretically it's doing the opposite! I have always had a special fondness for fall, and have been fortunate to live in a place where it is not difficult to find stunning views - whether I stroll about in my urban neighborhood or venture out further into the countryside and mountains. 

This Monday's photo inspiration contains some of my favorite autumn snapshots. 

Since I missed last Monday due to Canadian Thanksgiving, you get some bonus inspiration this week! ​

Have a wonderful week!

From my heart to yours.

The seasons are changing, and with it your projects, moods and color palette.

​Now and then, I love to share with you which pieces of the collection are the bestsellers of the season. It's always fun for me to discover which scenes and colors catch your eye more than others, and how this changes over time. Some of your favorites seem to be carved in stone (you'll surely recognize these "signature pieces" because they're my favorites too!), but others sometimes take me by surprise.

If any of these favorites inspired you, you could shop here or on Etsy, and as usual you have the option to choose between paper, canvas, metal, acrylic or wood as your finish of choice. Not sure about the options? Here is a handy visual summary! 

P.S. I hope we're connected on Instagram, 'cause that's where I share the most!

Much of the beauty of what surrounds us lies in the balance of opposites, in the metered interplay between what comes and goes -- sunrise, sunset, high tide, low tide, light and shadow.

This week's photo inspiration is dedicated to moments where both light and shadow had their part to play. Since I missed last week (as I spent Monday recovering from our Etsy Fait au Quebec Montreal show), you get five extra photos this week!

Have a wonderful week!

From my heart to yours.