Blog by Kristina Kasparian Veni Etiam Photography

Wishes for the New Year

30/12/2016

I prefer to think of them as ‘wishes’ rather than ‘resolutions’.

It feels more like something that comes from the heart than from the head. It also leaves more room for that awful thing we call unpredictability. Resolutions are beautiful but they are like plans, and we all know sometimes life gets in the way of our plans. Wishes are more like something we cast upon the stars and hope for. And hope is a beautiful sentiment to hold in the palm of your hand as you start a new year.

In thinking up my wishes and hopes for 2017, I tried a new strategy. After all, strategies sometimes make putting pen to paper less daunting, especially in cases where the pen is tapping into your innermost thoughts. I divided my blank page into three sections, each bearing a different title:

- What I love and wish to continue
- What I want more of
- What I want less of or need to let go of

I had a little bit of fear in me – the kind of anxiety that always plays in my chest in these transition periods, where pressure looms to set lofty goals that you are always a little afraid not to reach. A new year and a blank page – both bring about the same kind of slightly unsettling feeling. I took a sip of hot chocolate and set my pen to the page. From then, I lifted it only when I lifted my eyes, to look around me though only seeing what I wanted to write when I set the pen back down.

What I love and wish to continue in 2017. I love the life I have created for myself, the peace that my everyday space brings. My home is my sanctuary. It feels like a little haven that I am protective of, one that I hope will also protect me. I wish to feel true peace in small ounces, when I least expect to feel it, like when I make my morning cappuccino, watch the sunlight seep in, create something scrumptious in the kitchen, or tend to my quiet urban garden. I wish to continue with the conviction I had in 2016 that what comes first is what I crave to do and be, not in an entirely selfish way -- because often what I crave to do is to love and help others - but in a way that feels intrinsic and balanced. What I treasure and wish to carry over into the new year is love, connections, travel, generosity, music, creativity, productivity, ideas, laughter and daily inspiration.

Photo credit: Dallas Curow Photography

What I want more of in 2017. I want to breathe more deeply and more often. It sounds crazy, but so often I catch myself actually holding my breath when I am doing something physically or mentally exerting! I’d also like to smile more when I am alone. I smile plenty with others, but smiling in one’s own space is more representative of one’s peace and quietude and, who knows, it may even attract more of those good vibes. I’d like to be more confident more often – rather than feeling waves of confidence interspersed with self-doubt. I wish to feel more acceptance and patience in the face of high tides, open questions and twists of fate I don’t understand. I am already grateful for having identified these “resolutions”, and can feel myself consciously changing the word “want to” to “will”.

Photo credit: Dallas Curow Photography

What I want less of or need to let go of in 2017. I wish to let go more regularly of any negativity. I wish to stop myself before (or at least mid-way) through any unnecessary complaining or negative self-talk in 2017, and to feel truly trusting of my decisions, no matter the reactions of others or the little voice in my head that just likes to cause trouble. I want to let go of the fear of life’s unknowns that sometimes freezes my decisions or steals my peaceful sleep. In any way, big or small, I don’t want to do anything I don’t want to do, or be anything I don’t want to be.

Once these wishes were on paper, I felt bolder and braver. I wrote down a header called “goals”. These were goals for my life, my health and wellness, my scientific career and my business, in terms of milestones I wish to achieve but also feelings I want to have in all those areas. When looking at my seemingly chaotic list of goals interspersed with feelings, I suddenly realized something that I think it took me this whole year to come to terms with: that the success of a year is not only measurable in milestones, but also in feelings. Personal growth is hard to quantify and, quite frankly, even hard to notice. The sentence “that was the year I…” does not always need to end with a milestone, a trip, or an event that marked it, but can also be completed with a realization or a feeling – a tiny breakthrough in personal growth.

Before disconnecting the pen from the heart, I wrote down a last header: “My 3 words for 2017” – a strategy that was inspired by a lovely soul named Alex Beadon. Three words I wish my actions, decisions, thoughts and feelings to embody this year.

Abundance. Passion. Peace.

What doesn’t fit these themes, doesn’t fit my year.

I flipped to previous pages in my notebook and at what I had written in my 3 sections, in handwriting that had grown messier (thus more hurried and assertive) on each page. Those 3 words gracefully summarized all those wishes.

I put my pen down, satisfied and excited about the content of those pages, but still feeling that little bit of anxiety about a year that’s new and a ‘me’ that’s unwritten.

No one knows what the year will bring, what winds we’ll weather, what new places we’ll see, who we’ll meet and who we may lose, what we will achieve, what we will regret, how often we’ll feel pain, how often we’ll think to ourselves, “I am happy right now”. It’s a crazy process, Life. It pushes and pulls and hurts and heals. My biggest wish is to look back at the end of the year and to feel peaceful about the now and hopeful about the future.

And I wish the same for all of you!

Happy New Year, from my heart to yours.

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Adriatica - My Workspace

28/12/2016

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“Bloom where you are planted”. A known saying - one that I grew up hearing, mostly in my Mom’s voice, until eventually the voice in my head took to the happy habit of echoing hers.

It is possibly one of the reasons why I have a natural inclination to make any space “mine” – to give it my touch, a smidgen of magic, so that it inspires me in return and so that I could bloom.

The tiniest or darkest office space during my PhD years, the smallest Milanese studio where the cupboard for my clothes was actually larger than my kitchen, each room of each home I’ve had in Montreal – it has always been my mission for the space to reflect my mind, my loves, my mood and my story.

When my first Montreal apartment began to burst at the seams, I set out on a long search for a new space to call home. It would have to be home for Veni Etiam as well – as she expanded, my first palazzo was no longer apt for her burgeoning dreams and growing wings.

I dreamed of a room where I could write, create, daydream and be. A room where I could work on science and work on art, where I could leave a mess on my desk for a day or two, without it encumbering my dining space or being in the face of visitors. I dreamed of a space with wonderful light, with space for stock and bookshelves and mementos. After two years of searching for a new home I’d have a chance to love as much as my previous one, I found it… and with it, this space that had so much potential that it instantly won my heart.

I call it “Adriatica”, after my favorite Sea.

I dreamed up a décor that would be partly industrial, to reflect my current taste, and partly nautical, to reflect my love of the Sea and all things maritime.

The influence of the Sea

The color palette is maritime; I chose dark blue and light grey for the walls, and white for the brick. Many accents are turquoise and white. The shelves of the industrial bookcase look like rustic boats you would find in an Italian port town – boats whose colors have been lovingly eaten away by the saltwater and sun. Maritime accents picked up on travels fair well with memorabilia. My own favorite nautical photographs – Barcarolle, Malinconia, Pescatore, La Barca Blu, Adriatica and Plentzia – stare back at me and remind me to always follow the sea breeze and my dreams.

This room is actually an extension of the house and I refused to replace the original door. Instead, it was sanded (imperfectly) and painted (imperfectly) and I call it my old boat door.

Two halves co-exist

If you have read a little about me, you may know that my professional background is rooted in science. For many (long) years, I studied psychology, clinical linguistics and neuroscience. My research looks at how we acquire languages and how our brain changes as we learn and forget them. Fun fact: Veni Etiam was born while I was pursuing my PhD (and no, not necessarily out of procrastination!). I have always believed that both these halves – my scientific half and my creative half – co-exist in a way that one fuels the other. Both are needed to feel fully “me”. And so, my space needed to reflect just that, with a desk for each passion, and an inspiration wall across from an achievement wall. Of course, I don’t believe in lines and borders and mutual exclusivity, so one space spills into the other and I happily embrace that. The diplomas, for example, are interspersed with photography and maps of cities I lived in during my studies. My "thinking chair" is used for brainstorming and writing about both science and art.

The Inspiration Wall

Almost a year after having moved in, I started to dream up my inspiration wall – a gallery wall whose purpose was to recenter and inspire me every time my eyes land on it from either one of my desks. The perfect remedy for nostalgia, melancholy, writer’s block or self-doubt – a wall that reminds you of your favorite places, people and mottos. An ode to you, past, present and future.

Adriatica is a sense of self reflected in a space. It is also a work in progress – a collection that grows as I do. It is a true blessing to have this space, to spend time in it, to get to know its light, its seasons, its feel and its quirks.

We design our spaces as we design our lives. We are blessed to have choices, tastes and a creative vision. I wish for all of us that we feel at peace wherever we go, that we bring peace to whatever space we find ourselves in, that we are always ourselves, and that we are always grateful.

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What's in a name: Gli Olivi di Armando

20/12/2016

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There are some days in life that gain a special status -- days you just know, even while you are still in the midst of living them, will stand out as one of your core memories. Some of these days can be tied to major life milestones, while others can truly take you by surprise.

Two years ago, I traveled to Italy’s heel – Puglia and its Salento. I took my time discovering the gems of the region – the whitewashed old towns and cliffs lining the seas, fishing villages and beaches that were each worthy of time and attention, the countryside dotted with ancient olive trees, the hills and valleys and conical “Trulli” houses, fresh fish and pasta and conversations with locals that left you longing to stay… Each day was filled to the brim with exhilaration and inspiration, with my senses overloaded, heart overflowing, and stomach in a giddy knot (not to mention full of orecchiette).

Alberobello by Veni Etiam Photography

I don’t know if you can relate to this when you travel, but in dreaming up your itinerary, you sometimes find expectations emerging out of thin air about a place or another. There is often a “shining star” on your list – a place you can’t wait to see, a place you’re already somehow convinced you won’t want to leave. Whether this expectation was born out of intuition or out of reading and googling, it can be quite strong, and I think it is amusing how it can be validated or overturned once your feet and passport finally arrive there.

There were three towns that I was aching to see, and those three towns did steal my heart. But one place – a place that I can only roughly point to on a map, a place that is more between two towns than in a town itself, a place that wasn’t even in that “top three” of mine – unexpectedly filled me with life, dreams, peace and quietude in a way that had me speechless and moved to tears.

Gli Olivi di Armando by Veni Etiam Photography

It was a “masseria” – a manor farm – between Ostuni and Fasano. “Masserie” are typical in that region. When you drive along the state road in that stretch of the countryside, you see vast lands of olive trees interspersed with tall gates. Masserie are working farms that are still functional, but whose estates and stables have also been transformed into small restaurants or hotels run by the family who owns the land.

What was special about my time in the masseria was not about tourism, but rather, the exact opposite.

When I arrived at the masseria, I experienced the odd contradiction of feeling my senses completely flooded, while as a whole, I became tranquil and slow. The air smelled like earth – dry, hot earth. The sound of thousands of crickets was deafening. Under my feet, the earth crunched and cracked as I walked towards the main gate, small and insignificant next to giant olive trees, whose unmoving silver leaves cast the only spots of shade on the deep red land. They stood in rows, their trunks gnarled and bottling time, their silence almost audible.

I checked in and made my way to my refreshingly simple room. It was dark and cool; the shutters and curtains had done a fine job at hiding the room away from the sun’s reach. On the wall, familiar eyes looked back at me – a man in one of the photographs looked eerily similar to my grandfather. I smiled at the idea of feeling like I was in a family home. Through its details, the manor definitely told a beautiful story, but a visitor like me could only grasp a fraction of its history while slowly walking through, my fingers sliding along old books and white lace, my vocabulary falling dramatically short of names of all the iron tools that hung on the walls. Silence reigned over each of the rooms, though it did not dissuade you from going from one to the other.

I walked through the green fringe that separated the inside from the outside and sat in the courtyard for a while. A gardener was working. A cat was napping lazily. Marina came to see whether I wanted a small snack and a drink. We talked for a little while, our voices low against the backdrop of crickets, although there was no one to disturb. “Everyone is out at the sea or the nearby towns,” she said, “at dinner time it will be more lively”.

I spent the afternoon with nature. There were different spaces to explore, similar to the rooms in the house. I felt both blessed and envious that there was so much meaning around me – so much I didn’t know. I didn’t know about the olive trees, how long they’d stood there, what this place would be like at harvest time. I only noticed that the trees had names – like people – and that some of them seemed to have a more troubled past than others, their trunk split into two or bent almost to the ground. I didn’t know a thing about the earth – I only noticed that you could almost choke on its scent and that my shoes were dusted with red. I wasn’t sure in which direction the sea was, or whether the crickets would ever fall quiet. But knowing didn’t matter – only noticing and feeling did. I felt like a little girl, traipsing about, occasionally lifting my head to see a gardener’s kind eyes on mine, over a wall or through the trees.

Olive Groves by Veni Etiam Photography

Il Frantoio by Veni Etiam Photography

Before supper, I met some of the other guests. They told me about their days, in Lecce, in Alberobello, by the sea. While we talked, the tables were being set in the courtyard. The staff worked in the background as though they were mounting a theatre set between two acts. Before the curtains closed on Day and re-opened on Night, there was a gorgeous dusk to remember forever.

I saw the old Fiat pull up. A man in a white hat and a jacket stood next to it, chatting, the sun hitting him with the same golden rays as him olive kingdom. I joined the small circle. We all spoke Italian. Armando was about to give us a small tour. We walked around the land that I had explored alone earlier. Armando explained a few things about the earth, the trees, the air, the sea, the house, the family, the oil and the food. And like that, I knew what I hadn’t known earlier. To be honest, what I remember the most was still the feeling - especially when Armando said that this estate came to him and his wife during a time where they were searching for their path in life. “We travelled long and far,” he said with an amused smile at the corner of his lips, “and the treasure we found was in our own backyard”. He told us about their dream, the risks, the challenges and the blessing of that journey. Armando’s passion and commitment to his homeland shone through his storytelling. It was not about tourism, but rather, the exact opposite. It was about home, one’s native land, and roots that go as deep as those of the ancient olive trees.

When we came back to the courtyard, the light had changed and the stage was set. I peered over one of the tables and saw my last name handwritten on a name card.

How does your food and wine taste under the night sky, when you are feeling deeply connected to the place and the people who produce what you are eating and drinking?

You feel as though you want to savor every bite and every sip, for as long as you can. You feel your mind tell you that this day surely ranks among your top three in life so far. You feel your heart tell you to listen carefully. You feel inspired to have big dreams and to go where they may lead. You just feel.

And so, Gli Olivi di Armando is named after a man who inspired me and his olive trees.

***
Bring it home to you on canvas, metal, acrylic, wood or fine-art paper.

Gli Olivi di Armando by Veni Etiam Photography. Fine-art print on Hahnemuele photo rag

Or try it on our brand new “Full Circle” metal rount-cut.

Gli Olivi di Armando by Veni Etiam Photography. Brushed aluminum (metal) disk.

From my heart to yours.

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Coming soon in shop: New creations

8/12/2016

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Staying true to Veni Etiam's core themes of travel, nostalgia and of the home as a sanctuary representing a person's inspirations and dreams, exciting new product lines are sneaking into the collection just in time for the new year.

These new, lovingly designed creations will be unveiled in Montreal this weekend (December 10-11th) at the Etsy Holiday Market.

Wood coasters

Now wood prints are not only available for your wall, but also for your table! You may choose between two black and white collections: the Montreal series (Biosphere, MTL, One Way or Another, Winter on the Plateau) and the International series (Cobblestone, In Galleria, Lincoln Park, London Rain). Each square coaster measures 4.25 x 4.25 inches and is made of water-resistant birch plywood with slip-proof cork corners on the bottom. The natural hues and grain of the wood come through, making the images darker and moodier, enhancing their artistic feel. Coasters will be added to my Etsy shop next week ($40 CAD), so consider favoriting my shop to keep an eye out!

Round cut aluminum wall art

Aluminum prints will soon be available in a round cut! Stay tuned for the launch of the "Full Circle" collection. Just like square and rectangular formats, these brushed aluminum prints come with a floater backing (wooden frame with a wire) so that they pop off the wall in a sleek, modern way. They are ready to hang with a single nail. No fuss, just daily inspiration! If there is a print from the aluminum collection that you have been eyeing and would like to custom order it in a round cut, just drop me a line. Featured here is "Winter on the Plateau" in 12x12 inches ($99 CAD). It will accompany me to the Etsy Holiday Market this weekend if you'd like to see it in person.

Pencil cases

The travel writer in me just had to venture into this project! Pencil cases (which are actually large enough to hold other items, if you have no use for pens and pencils) with some of your favorite travel scenes, from Montreal, to Venice, to the sea, to urban life and nature. These soft, sturdy cases (9x4 inches) are made to resist fading with use. They are zippered and lined with canvas. Keep an eye on my Etsy shop after this weekend to order your favorite ($25 CAD).

I can't wait to share these new product lines with you and find out how you feel about them! They are all 100% made in Canada and 100% from my heart to yours.

For more news and special offers, join the VIP list! And are we friends on Instagram?

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9 Travel Tips for the New Year

7/12/2016

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As the year winds to a close, you may have travel plans on the horizon or you are already dreaming up a destination for 2017.

This week, I was giving some travel advice to a friend of mine who never really yearned to travel and has now caught an insatiable travel bug. This unexpectedly led me to reflect on the way I travel and on some of my own favorite tips that developed over the course of my travels. I try to consciously apply these, no matter the trip – near or far, long or short, solo or with others.

Here are 9 travel tips from me to you:

1. Don’t do too much research.
If you’re a planner like me, you’ll want to make the most out of your trip, especially if it’s a big one. While there’s something to be said about reading up on a place, its sights, its history and its culture, procrastinating some of the education until you’re standing on the land does have its benefits. Let yourself be surprised! Your eyes don’t want to take what is in front of them for granted as though you’re standing in a YouTube video or in a Google image.

2. Leave some breathing room.
If you’re planning an itinerary yourself, it’s always difficult to make decisions in advance. How long should you spend in a town? Where do you choose to stop along the way? What excursions do you commit to in advance? It is one of the most annoying and beautiful aspects of planned travel – annoying because each decision made in advance can feel like a shot in the dark, but beautiful because of the opportunity for overturned expectations. Leave yourself enough wiggle room in your itinerary, as you may unexpectedly fall in love with a place or spontaneously stumble upon something you would be sad to leave too soon.

3. Untether yourself from the world you left behind.
Easier said than done, but quite possibly THE game-changer for your peace of mind. If you can’t completely disconnect from email or social media, then make an honest effort to set limits. Check it once a day. Unsubscribe from a whole bunch of “noise” before you go. Disable notifications. Set an auto-responder that buys you some time. Refrain from keeping completely up to date with your news feeds and inboxes. Think about it: do you want all those people on vacation with you? Your mental space is precious – be selective with it!

4. Speak to locals.
Don’t be shy to speak to the people whose country you are a guest in. Make time in your itinerary for conversations and connections. Everyone sees the sights you will see, but chance encounters can make you see things in a new light. Locals are also the best people to ask for recommendations on where to eat. Sometimes, they may even walk you to a bar or a restaurant to make sure that you find it!

5. Tend to your needs.
Know yourself and do what is best for you. When I travel, I make time for seeing and enjoying, but I also know I need to make time for photographing and documenting. I am a slow photographer. I hate the feeling of someone waiting for me while I compose a shot, while I wait for a wave to hit a cliff, an S-bahn to pass, people to clear the scene, or while I shift angles trying to catch a reflection in a puddle or a window. I am also a sentimental writer, which means that for the direct line to flow from my heart to my pen, I often have to be alone. I make sure that my travel companion(s) know that I need some time to tend to these needs, otherwise I’ll feel constrained. Get to know your own style of travel and shamelessly tend to your needs.

6. Venture outside of your comfort zone at least once.
Doing something that you wouldn’t normally do has a strangely exhilarating, confident-boosting effect. You are capable, multi-faceted and alive – don’t deny yourself anything simply to play it safe. Life is too short for that.

7. Be in the moment – let your senses take over.
Mindfulness is a challenge in an era of hyperconnectivity. I would believe it if you told me the Earth has been spinning faster on its axis. Letting go of the rush and being present is a feat – an exercise worth practicing in an unfamiliar environment. Shutting your analytical mind off will let your senses take over. It will also shut down the complaint department, making you quieter and much less tense. Take time to notice things – really, truly notice things. What you see at the market, how the language sounds, how the light is, how the sea feels. When I was little, my Mom used to urge me to “make a memory” – take a picture with my mind.

8. Keep a bullet point journal of observations, anecdotes and feelings.
It can feel like a daunting task to write in a travel journal, to feel like you have to narrate your journey. Even for a writer like me. I actually prefer to write in bullet points most of the time – observations with no particular order, snippets of conversations, words that have a nice ring to them, funny experiences that make good travel anecdotes to tell, names of places and wines to remember. Often, the bullet points become full paragraphs. That’s when I know the pressure is off.

9. Bring something home.
Start your own collection of “imports” from your travels. Make a point to find something beautiful and local to bring home, to remind you of that piece of you that felt so alive and happy there.

Let me know

Which one of these 9 tips resonates with you? Got a tip that’s not mentioned here?

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Wishes for the New Year

Adriatica - My Workspace

What's in a name: Gli Olivi di Armando

Coming soon in shop: New creations

Wood coasters

Round cut aluminum wall art

Pencil cases

9 Travel Tips for the New Year

Let me know

Kristina Kasparian

Categories

Previous posts

Upcoming events

Special offers

Wishes for the New Year

Adriatica - My Workspace

What's in a name: Gli Olivi di Armando

Coming soon in shop: New creations

Wood coasters

Round cut aluminum wall art

Pencil cases

9 Travel Tips for the New Year

Let me know

﻿Kristina Kasparian﻿

Categories

Previous posts

Upcoming events

Special offers

Kristina Kasparian