Tonight, I am both moved by life and mad at life at the same time.

​Last Christmas, I met a lovely young woman at one of my holiday shows. She fell in love with one of my prints almost immediately. She held it in her lap for a long while, and I watched as it made her face come alive. Her presence in my booth really touched me. It did not matter that she was in a wheelchair. It did not matter that we had to use signs to communicate. All that mattered was that there was a connection, and she was happy.

This evening, the father wrote to me to tell me that she passed away this week, that the awful degenerative neurological disorder she suffered from had taken her away. He wrote to me to tell me that he had taken the photograph back from her room and that he would keep it, in memory of her. He thanked me for the photograph, and I was moved to tears.

​That day at the market, her presence had made me feel connection and purpose. We are so focused on numbers nowadays, but I had felt grateful that I could impact ONE life. Tonight, I am thinking of that one life, and am grateful to have been useful for a brief micromoment within it.

Here's to her, that stranger, that happy girl. Her favorite: "Bicicletta" ​

For more posts like this one, be sure to follow me on Instagram!

I sat down one day during this past year and wrote a short essay called "Wishes for a Near-Future Me" and it was such a powerful, cathartic exercise.

I've added this essay to my Etsy shop to better connect with you and inspire you to contemplate the ideal version of YOUR life and strive towards it. All proceeds go to my women's health initiative called Alba A New Dawn. 

​

My time in the Basque Country, which was not only the place where I met several key players in my field of scientific research but where I diligently experimented with my digital camera and pondered whether I could eventually sell my travel photography to inspire others.

That summer - and that place - in Germany, where it felt like the world was my oyster, where it felt like my soul was on fire. Alive, capable, passionate and absolutely happy.

Berlin, which was the hub of many impassioned moments, many decisions and many returns. 

Barbati, where, after a very difficult string of months - no, years - I finally shook myself to embrace mindfulness and inner peace. 

Venice - my soul city - in that precise moment where, for the first ever time, it rained on me. The spell, our pact, was suddenly broken and it was absolutely magical. Instead of reaching for my umbrella, I reached for my camera, a love-struck smile on my face.

Have a wonderful week!

From my heart to yours.

Version française

This is a raw, personal, heartfelt post - I hope you can read it to the end. 

Many – in fact, most – of you don’t know that for eighteen years, I have been a sufferer of severe endometriosis and other related health conditions - experiences that have changed me and my life forever.

Although I’m a writer at heart and have written about almost everything, this is something I’ve never put into words until now, not even in my own journals, and something I certainly did not imagine doing so publicly. But after nearly twenty years of this complex story, and after seeing so many other women struggling in similar ways, it is time now.

Unexpectedly and in almost one sitting, I have written my first real book – cover to cover – complete with things I’ve never written for a book, like a preface, an author’s note and acknowledgments. In it, a raw, candid, descriptive account of my personal journey - one that will surely resonate with many women and men around the world.

Why? And why now?

This March, I will be launching an inspiring new initiative called Alba – a new dawn.  The website will showcase – through photographs, words and products designed for the cause – women entrepreneurs who have been affected by endometriosis, female cancers, chronic pain and infertility.

My goal with Alba is to help us shift the dialogue on women’s health and achieve a brighter dawn with more pro-active, holistic, systematic approaches for all, as well as to raise funding for research.

​I have chosen to launch it in March in time for endometriosis awareness month and for Women's Day (March 8th).

The e-book is now available for pre-order through my Etsy shop.

By pre-ordering today, you will receive it in your inbox on its release date, March 8th. All proceeds from the book will go to starting up and maintaining the Alba project, which in turn will help many women find their voices and will collect funds for research on female cancers and endometriosis. Needless to say, you'd be donating to an important cause. 

Whether you have been directly touched by the challenges of endometriosis and related health conditions (such as chronic pain, female cancers and infertility) or whether you are curious to learn more about this misunderstood and complex illness from the outside in, the poignant and brutally honest passages in "It's Time." are intended to educate, empower, inspire and heal. 

Please follow @alba.a.new.dawn on Instagram and share this post as widely as possible, as we prepare for the launch of the initiative and the e-book!

If this resonates with you and you would like to find out about opportunities to become a member, affiliate or sponsor, please send me an e-mail to alba.a.new.dawn@gmail.com and I’ll walk you through how the initiative will work. All opportunities will also be detailed on the website when it is launched in two weeks.

This post, and this whole mission, comes from the most vulnerable, rawest part of me. I’m taking a deep breath and hoping you’ll join me on this journey. 

From my heart to yours,
Kristina

Three years ago, I had the crazy idea to put my favorite photographs from my travels onto a website, to see whether they might inspire someone.

Someone other than me.

I had a vision that was not perfectly formed, and no sense of entrepreneurship whatsoever. My goal was simply to share the snapshots that I had collected with the world, to hopefully evoke feeling through my photographic perspective, and to connect with people who loved what I loved -  places, color, details and the simple beauty of daily life.
​
I launched my online shop and my blog simultaneously, taking a deep breath and a great big leap, putting myself and my photography out there for the world to see. 

In blog posts, I started to share the moments and feelings behind my images, conveying what stopped me in my tracks, what I felt was a beautiful moment and a beautiful place.
​
I have always said that when I first launched my website and shop, I did not have a clue that what I was launching was (also) a business. I was a full-time PhD candidate in neurolinguistics; my head was immersed in science – theories, hypotheses, brain waves, syntax, statistics… But I’d always had a creative counterpart to this scientific soul – I had always been a writer, filling notebooks without the constraints of margins or lines, blogging for my university, dreaming up jobs that were unconventional for a tenure-track scientist. I had also always been a traveler, and even more so thanks to my scientific career. 

So, it seemed only natural that Veni Etiam existed on the side, coaxing me now and then to pay more attention to it, to help it grow beyond that initial circle of friends, colleagues and acquaintances who excitedly supported this inspiring endeavor.

I remember the first connections I made with strangers who discovered Veni Etiam. I carefully watched their reactions, carefully listened to the words they used to describe what they saw and what it made them feel. To me, it was my perspective, my experiences, my story. I knew my images by heart. I had given them each a title that meant something to me. To them, it was fresh, different, beautiful, colorful, inspiring. I remember feeling disbelief and belief all at once, that I could reach people in this way, that they saw value in what I created. They found themselves in the images, the perspective, the titles and the captions. They chose what represented them. They shared their own travel stories and bucket-list aspirations with me.

​Unexpectedly, the Etsy Montreal community took me under their wing. I don’t even remember how I first discovered the team, but the artisan community blew me away. There was so much to learn, and so much know-how to pass onto others. I volunteered my time for a year and eventually was recruited as one of the team leaders.

After graduating with my PhD, I devoted more time to Veni Etiam. The more time I spent on it, the more I fell in love with the journey.
​
I fell in love with creating something that comes from me but resonates with you, and am so touched when you say I helped you find something that inspires you daily or solves a hurdle in your decor. 

I fell in love with the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and all the different hats we wear – design, production, shop manager, marketing manager, sales rep, customer service rep, events rep, accountant, photographer… tasks with which to easily fill a 60-hour week!

I fell in love with the feeling that running my business gives me – the daily ingenuity, flexibility, connection, learning, decision-making, experimenting, risk-taking and re-assessing that comes with the territory, often pushing me outside of my comfort zone and sometimes causing me a heck of a ton of stress, but also allowing me to carve a life that is centered on creativity, connection and balance.  

This year, I have lofty goals for Veni Etiam and I know that there will also be many unexpected twists and turns along the way to make the story all the more interesting!

To all of you who have been on this journey since day one, I’m so grateful to have had you by my side! To those of you I met along the way – thank you so much for making a little room for me in your lives.

​To those of you who have just stumbled upon Veni Etiam, there’s so much to discover, so please stick around. You can follow this blog, and my daily posts on Instagram and Facebook. Heck, you can even become a VIP and be privy to newsletters and coupons!

To my fellow artists and entrepreneurs: I’m so honored to be among you, to learn along with you – often through you.

To anyone with big dreams and multiple passions that can seem (to others or to yourself) as irreconcilable: don’t doubt, just do.
​Only then can you really find yourself. ​

The last days of the year always prompt review and reflection. What did I do this year? How did it measure up to my expectations and hopes? What do I (dare to) wish for the year ahead?

​I alternate between thinking this kind of reflection is a necessary vs. a foolish exercise. Necessary because introspection and reflection are key to feeling aligned, valued and at peace with life, but foolish because it can sometimes put a heck of a lot of pressure on you when, really, January 1st is just a continuation of life as it was last week.

If you already followed me 12 months (and some 100 blog posts) ago, you might remember that I started 2017 off with 3 keywords as a theme for the year: abundance, passion and peace.

It was the first year where "feelings" really took center-stage in the vision I created for myself. After all, how you are feeling is the best measure of how you are really doing along your path, right?

I wished to be more mindful, more peaceful with my decisions and with life's curveballs, and more confident in my words, actions and personal policies. I focused my energy on achieving growth -- for my business, my career and my personal mindset. ​

I poured my passion, time and energy into Veni Etiam like never before. I made some bold decisions and ventured outside of my comfort zone more often than I stayed sheltered within it. I traveled to new places, absorbed them and photographed them with my heart wide open, and created new collections to channel part of their character. I applied the same sense of curiosity and appreciation for my own city, planning "staycations" to carve out time to experience and photograph it with different eyes. I participated in a ton of markets and shows where Veni Etiam was not known yet, forged new collaborations that felt aligned with my ethics and my vision, created exciting new products and met some stellar clients whose words of support have honestly stayed tacked on a billboard in my mind, fueling my passion and motivating me to keep creating. 

I poured my heart out in hundreds of blog posts and social media posts on Facebook and Instagram, striving to show you a personal side of me in each post, even though I feel quite vulnerable in doing so. I gave two interviews that I even feel shy to read over, and jam-packed my calendar with pop-ups, markets and shows so I could introduce you to my world in person. (Seriously, I felt like a travelling circus this year, but it was so worth it to interact with you offline! Thank you for coming by and for your loving reactions to Veni Etiam!).

For the first time in my life so far, I prioritized self-care, mindfulness, alignment and positivity as much as I humanly could. I realized this year how incredibly hand-in-hand mindset and abundance go. There is so much truth to principles of attraction and positivity, yet it is such a challenge to implement those good habits in our everyday frenzied existence. In my choices this year, I opted to make time for myself over social activities. I spent early mornings journalling, afternoons working from environments that inspired me, and evenings cooking and eating outdoors. I opted to be present and peaceful at home, to write, to exercise, to be accepting and to let go. These practices have reduced my anxiety and boosted my creativity. Despite some recurring challenges, my body and mind feel stronger and better able to cope with uncertainty, risk, fear and loss. 

​Because of these benefits, I made it a point to share these strategies and micromoments of wisdom with you this year, in posts focused on inspiration, balance and mindfulness.

In all my activities, I strove to let kindness, generosity and transparency guide all my interactions, while also paying closer attention to any energy unbalances - if what I put in was far greater than what came out of it, such that it cost me my peace, I learned to set new boundaries. I said no to what made me feel less valued. I said no to self-deprecation and doubt. I said no to worrying too far in advance. I said no to anything that perturbed my peace.

I continued to work with my team at Etsy Montreal to empower independent local businesses, doing part of the marketing and event photography for our shows, which are growing SO fast! I am also proud to have been an advocate for women's health on the sidelines, fighting daily for awareness and early detection of endometriosis and female cancers.

This year was nothing and everything I expected. It took me on a ride of experimentation, self-discovery and growth in every realm. Of course, it was not all shiny and perfect. There were also tears, fears, deaths, frustrations, days spent in bed, rejections, difficult conversations and difficult choices. Not to mention my beloved watch broke twice and I killed more plants this year than I ever have...

But, all in all, it was a good year.

I am carrying forward so many of these lessons and feelings that I want to amplify even further in 2018, and so much gratitude for all those encounters and experiences that made my heart feel full of passion and optimism.

This year, I wish to pour even more energy and passion into making my (many) dreams and projects reality. I wish to work even harder on maintaining that delicate balance and inner peace on as many days of the year as I possibly can. At the brink of this new year, I wish for magnetism - a beautiful pulse that attracts amazing connections and experiences my way so that I can be as creative, generous, energetic, passionate and kind as I feel like I'm meant to be in this life.

My dear followers, THANK YOU for a tremendous 2017 and for keeping me motivated and excited for what 2018 has in store. 

Leave me a comment below to tell me your 3 keywords for 2018. If you could conjure up a phenomenal year for yourself, what would it look like? I'd love to hear from you.

From my heart to yours.

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This year was such a jam-packed whirlwind of new experiences, achievements, travels and growth, it is no wonder that I'm actually having trouble remembering all its details!

As I do every year, I've been using the holidays to wind down and reflect on what I did, felt and let go of this year. Once I've looked back, I begin to look forward. I dream up the year ahead with wishes, hopes and adjustments that stem from my reflections of the current year. I'll share these with you in a personal post very soon, along with my process of organizing my thoughts when I chart out my look-backs and look-forwards, should you wish to do something similar for your personal or business goals. 

One of my goals at the end of 2016 was to write more - not only to grow Veni Etiam and my audience, but also as an act of mindfulness and self-care. I wrote over 100 blog posts this year (holy cow!) and spent a ton of time journaling and writing travel stories. 

Today's post is a throwback to my favorite blog posts of 2017. These posts span a range of topics but are dear to my heart because they took Veni Etiam - and me - in a new direction. Click on the post(s) that interest you most to see them in a separate window.

To my readers who have been following along for a while now - thank you so much for staying connected! I appreciate you SO MUCH and can't wait to share more of my world with you in 2018.

Last week, I was interviewed by designers Marianne and Brigitte from Tandem & Co. The original interview was conducted in French and can be found in all its glory on their blog! This is the most comprehensive and candid interview I have done so far, and it was such a wonderful experience that I wanted to share it with my English readers as well.

So, read on, if you're interested in my story, in the driving forces behind my art, its mission and my own personal home decor style!

​The questions are those asked (in French) by Marianne and Brigitte. 

​I transform my local and international travel photography into wall art and home decor accessories. My mission is to inspire, transport and uplift you, and help you find a piece of art for your space that represents who you are, where you have been and where you dream of going. Veni Etiam is a celebration of the places, colors, moods, nostalgia and dreams that make us the unique individuals we are. 

​It is so hard to choose, because everything I have created through Veni Etiam represents a part of my journey as a person, as a photographer, as a writer (even as a scientist!), and each photograph is special in its own way. In fact, it is my slogan that everything is “from my heart to yours”. But one particular creation that represents me, my most profound inspirations and my brand is a photograph called “Barcarolle”. It is a photograph of a lone boat, anchored at an Italian port, waiting for its time to sail. Not only does this image summarize my greatest loves - the sea and Italy - it is also special because it represents how differently we may all see the very same scene. While I feel this scene is powerful and full of promise, others have told me the boat looks lonely, melancholy. What strikes a chord in each of us differs. I love this photograph best on acrylic, because the colors and the depth of the image just come to life on that medium. I have it hanging at the center of my gallery wall in my home office, as a representation of what Veni Etiam is to me. 

​I haven't always been a photographer. Rather, I always dreamt of being a writer and was professionally trained to be a researcher in neuroscience. My first camera was a graduation gift from my parents. I had finished my Bachelor of Science at McGill and I was moving to Europe to pursue my Master’s in three different countries. Through my studies, my work and my passion for world cultures, I traveled and traveled, not only while I lived in Europe, but during and after my doctorate. Those pivotal years enabled me to write my heart out and to fall in love with a new form of storytelling and collecting -- photography.

​In 2012, I began to get more serious about photography, becoming more experimental and artistic in my approach. I also started wishing to create postcards out of my photographs so I could mail them home when I travelled. Then a new dream formed: I wanted my photos to be "those free photos that come with a frame, and mine would be so beautiful that people would not want to replace the photo n the frame". Little did I expect that in 2015, I would decide to open an online shop selling wall art. What drove me to launch my business was the passion for stories, for travel, for that special way a place can play on your heartstrings, and for the feeling that your home is your sanctuary and it should contain your personal collection of objects and art that reflects and inspires you daily. 

​I think part of what sets me apart is my shop’s combination of three principles: wanderlust, innovation and inspiration. My shop has an international spirit. Although the majority of Montreal and Quebec shops carry my local photography in fine-art prints of small sizes, what sets Veni Etiam apart is that there are actually hundreds of images to choose from - from various corners of the world - and everything can be customized on canvas, aluminum, acrylic, wood or paper, in the size of the client’s choice. Another important aspect is that every piece has a story. Each piece has a title and a description, and the stories are told on my blog and on Instagram - the two platforms I use most for storytelling. What sets Veni Etiam apart, I think, is that there is truly something for every decor, mood, memory or dream.

F, other! My workspace is an unconventional mix of two personalities, two passions and two life journeys. On one side, my scientific space - a massive bookshelf, a desk, my diplomas, daunting texts about statistics and brain imaging. On the other side, my creative space - a gallery wall, an art desk, tools and supplies, colorful post-its for every idea and goal that springs to life. Both are my sacred zones, and I sometimes can’t believe that both can co-exist.

​I am inspired by inspiration. By its existence and our search of it. I look for it everywhere, in the simplest daily details. Practicing photography has been an exercise of mindfulness. It has changed the way I view the world. There are many elements that inspire my style of photography. I love color, reflections, lines, textures, the beauty that can be found in the most ordinary sights and all things maritime. I love the richness of markets, the wonder of raindrops, the magic of changing light, the moods of urban scenes. I love symmetry, asymmetry, motion and stillness. I love to capture fleeting moments, because it makes me feel like I can cheat time once in a while. Venice and the sea are my deepest inspirations. I feel happiest and most inspired when I pause to take notice, when I feel gratitude, when I laugh with loved-ones, cook, drink, write, share, inspire and help others.

​It happens often that I feel depleted, because there are always competing ideas and tasks, and I am always trying to pack my life to the brim. There are also moments of doubt that can paralyze you, at the worst possible time, of course. I usually take a step back. I try to take the pressure off myself. I sit in the sun (even in the winter) with only a notebook on my lap and a pencil that is waiting to break the ice. If I rest, get some distance and fresh air, and if I write only for myself without judgment, it helps enormously to restore creativity in all areas.

​'Veni Etiam' is a Latin phrase, meaning "return again". I chose this name as I have left many anchors in the world, and returning is an important part of me - for each time you return, you discover new hidden gems, new angles, new perspectives, and new beauty. No place is ever the same (and neither are you), and this is at once beautiful and tragic. 'Veni Etiam' is also a phrase used by 16th century Italian poet to describe Venice and her effect on one's heart. As Venice is my deepest inspiration, this is my tribute to Her. 

​I work in a way as much as possible not to create waste. I print on demand. I recycle whenever possible. I do things electronically whenever possible. 

​Home decorating is one of my favorite activities. What a blessing to create our life, to build our nest and to fill it with elements that represent our personalities, our loves and our life journeys. I love it when tastes change and when there is no one coherent theme or style in a house, because that is what our life journey is actually like.  

Hihi, it's me. My husband knows I love anything to do with decor projects and that I often have a vision for a space, so he lets me have fun with it, sometimes reeling me in with his opinions. But, ironically, for wall art, he's the one with the final say! 

Hmm, I would say it's the guest room (the spare room). It's a beautiful, big room with an almost floor-to-ceiling window that opens up onto the back terrace. It's a lovely space - we added nice mouldings and we love the light of the room and the colors we chose for its walls. But two challenges actually result in the room currently being vacant. For one, which is very typical of our "Plateau" neighborhood in Montreal where the land is kind of marshy and continuously shifting, there is quite a noticeable slant in the room! The structure is solid but the slant kind of limits our options for furnishing it. The second challenge, and in truth the main one, is that health issues have caused troubles in the fertility area and have left us at a crossroads over the fate of this room. I am becoming increasingly outspoken about this because I know it's the reality of many couples who have to navigate these circumstances as well as others' expectations or judgments. Whether this room becomes a guest room for our visiting friends or a kids' room, it is a room full of hope that we can't wait to design and furnish.

​There isn’t really a unique style running through the whole place. The bedroom is more traditional in an Italian style, with Tuscan yellow walls and wood furniture. The living room has a lot of bamboo and some antique elements that my family brought with them from Egypt when they emigrated to Canada. The dining room is a mix of industrial and Italian wood furniture. My atelier is what I like to call “maritime industrial” and the laundry room is airy, functional but with a Burano (Venice) theme in its color palette and the art on the walls.

In general, my favorite color is pink. I also really like purple. But this doesn't necessarily translate into my decor. I really like certain shades of yellow on walls because of the way it catches the sun, but I also really like dark blue. I don't have a favorite color for decor. 

I love home decor projects. I love undertaking them and especially like it when a project is actually more long-term because this gives us the chance to develop our relationship with a space - to get to know its lights, its moods, its seasons - and to find original objects over time (rather than all at once) that represent our evolution.

I would say the kitchen and my home office / workshop have been my favorite decor projects and rooms I am proud of. The kitchen is both modern and rustic. I love the open concept, the blue island, the exposed brick wall, the fact that everything is within arm's reach and that the space allows me to display art among everyday objects. In the summer, I spend most of my time in this room and going in and out of the adjoining patio. The kitchen is the center of the condo and of our daily life. We love to entertain and to cook - even for ourselves, even on weeknights - so it's really the most important room in the house. I am also really proud of my workshop because everything has its place and everything has its story. The energy is special in there, creative. I can close the old door (that I couldn't bring myself to replace because it's just too full of charm) and I could spend hours in there without even noticing how much time has passed.

Not realizing that by putting a shelf unit in the wall in the spare room (the room with the slant) that we would immediately see that the shelf, the mouldings, the floor and the ceiling are not parallel to one another! It can be kind of dizzying if you stare for too long...

It has to be my leather "thinking chair" in the office. I fell in love with this chair and I think I spent about 6 months visiting it at the store. I couldn't justify the purchase, it was SO expensive. In the end, I don't remember if I finally caved because I wanted it so badly, or if it finally went on sale. I'm not a patient person, so waiting 6 months for it was my limit! I love it. It's so comfortable, and I placed it just under the smaller window in my studio, in my little reading nook. My kitten is definitely not allowed in my office, not only because I don't want any of her fur close to my photographs or packaging, but also because I don't want her claws anywhere near my precious chair!

​My coffee maker, my bathtub and my Sonos speakers. 

Marilou (from "3 fois par jour"). It's clear that she inspires millions of quebecers, but what inspires me profoundly is her voice, her way of writing, of observing, of storytelling (in both French and English), and the way her personality shines through everything she does through her art and business.

A dream bed frame from Anthropologie, a big screen TV that would like a discrete framed art piece when turned off, a reading bench integrated into the windowsill and a rooftop terrace.

Writing and publishing a book (or two, or three) is my biggest dream.

Ice cream, marzipan and NERD candies!

Probably in front of my computer, because I am usually most productive until 7pm.

To take a quick jaunt somewhere, probably to Italy. Ciao!

Original creations that we can't easily find elsewhere, in mainstream stores. Products that are created with care and feeling. It means supporting makers who are trying to make a living out of their truest passions. It means supporting our local economy and helping it thrive. It means having a strong sense of community.

I hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as I enjoyed giving it! If you're proficient in French, you can read the full interview in its original language here over on the Tandem & Co Design Magazine and Blog. 

Now that you know more about me, how 'bout you connect by leaving a comment below? What was your favorite part of this interview? What resonated with you? What surprised you? Your turn...

On this rainy Montreal morning, my interview with the duo of designers Marianne and Brigitte from Tandem & Co is live on their design blog in its original French version. This is the most candid interview I have done so far. In it, I share with you the driving forces behind my art, its mission and all that inspires me. In addition, you'll get to see glimpses of my own daily space and hear about some of my personal dreams.

Don't miss this candid interview! 

An English version will be up on my blog soon!

And, if you sign up as a member of the Tandem & Co "Tribu Créative" (scroll to the bottom of the article on their blog), you get a special VIP coupon to use in my Etsy shop this month. Sign up before November 5th so you won't miss out on their newsletter with the coupon code!

A huge thank you to Marianne and Brigitte for their generosity and their vision of showcasing artists in our local community.

En ce matin pluvieuse à Montréal, mon entrevue avec l'équipe design de Tandem & Co ​est maintenant sur leur blog de design! ​C'est l'entrevue la plus candide que j'ai faite à date! Marianne et Brigitte m'ont fait parler de mon art et de mes inspirations les plus profondes et j'ai partagé aussi mon espace quotidien et mes rêves personnels avec vous!

Ne manquez pas cette entrevue candide! 

Restez à l'affût: une version anglaise viendra bientôt sur mon blog !

​De plus, si vous rejoignez la "Tribu Créative" (voir la fin de l'article sur leur blog), vous recevrez un coupon promo applicable sur tous les produits dans ma boutique Etsy. Devenez membre de la Tribu Créative avant le 5 novembre pour recevoir leur infolettre et le code promo!

Un gros merci ​à Marianne & Brigitte pour leur vision et leur générosité envers les artistes de notre communauté.

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!

Entrepreneurship, like anything in life, involves a lot of trial and error. It starts with passion, curiosity, motivation and a vision. It requires a leap of faith, jumping into the void, experimenting, listening, adjusting. It takes a lot of patience and perhaps a little bit of luck. It is rewarding, empowering, liberating, frustrating, discouraging, maddening, inspiring, head-consuming, doubt-provoking and exciting. Entrepreneurship is sometimes a crazy journey - a path that curves through unexpected but beautiful territory, a collection of several rights and many wrongs. 

When I launched my travel art shop two years ago, I initially didn't realize that I was launching a business. I was a full-time scientist and had never ventured into entrepreneurship in any form. I learned by doing and by being.

Just be you. That is when you can be most consistent, most unique and most magnetic. No one else is you, so no one else can quite offer what you offer. In the sometimes overwhelming face of competition, learn to shift your focus back onto you and who YOU are in how you live and what you create. There is a place for everyone. It seems silly but it sometimes take quite some mental training to hold onto this principle in the business world. 

We are story-tellers. We gather, we tell, we live by sharing and consuming stories. It's only natural, then, that stories help people connect with you and what you offer through your business. Stories allow your voice and your personality to shine through and touch people in a way that makes them want to keep you in their life - whether you are half a block or half a world away from them. 

When we first create our businesses, we base ourselves on our vision, our talents, our training and our values. It's really key to welcome - and to use - feedback in order to fine-tune our offerings for our target audience. Be attentive to how others' react to your work and how they describe your business. If you sell physical products like I do, this is what is so great about being present at pop-up shops or shows. Who are you connecting with? What words are they consistently using? What products spark conversation in them, with you or the person shopping with them? If you mostly sell online, consider sending a short survey to your customers or offer them an incentive to leave you a review. Listen to the traits they focus on when describing you, and amplify those traits in your how you create and present your work. 

This is now fact. Whether we like it or not, this is how we roll now. Social media with a strategy is vital to getting our message out there, interacting with our target market and telling our story. Without a strategy, social media is ineffective at best and actually hurtful to the brand at worst. It can suck up a huge amount of time, energy and motivation, so it takes thinking, planning and consistent execution. I would tell my past-self not to put off joining the social media stage. But, I would also tell my past-self to have a strategy and to do it thoughtfully, without spreading myself thin over all the channels without compelling content. 

Some of us might really hate putting ourselves out there online. It's one thing to put together a website or Etsy shop with descriptions about ourselves, our story, our business and our work, but the worst part is that once it is all out there, we still have to repeat it! It took me a while to realize that not everyone would know the text on my website by heart (ha ha!) and shoppers landing on my Etsy shop would probably not always read the product descriptions, let alone any of the introduction texts! Business coaches also encourage you to repeat yourself now and then. It's important that people who just stumble upon you have a clear sense of what you are all about. You'll notice that even your Facebook friends (who follow your personal page and regularly see your shares from your business page) may take time to become familiar with you and buy from you!

Trust yourself, what you offer, what your brand is all about and what your price-point is. It's easy to feel imposture syndrome now and then, not only when you are just starting out. But, at the end of the day, trusting in your value will attract others to trust in your value. You are doing this because you believe in its mission. When something happens to shake that belief up, don't let it derail you. 

You may not be an expert in ALL the facets related to your work, your craft and your business. That is okay. You don't have to wait until you are an expert in everything in order to be successful. You can (and should) invest in yourself to develop those areas that are further outside of your comfort zone, but it does not have to be all or nothing.

It's good to say no. Did I just say that? It took me so long to learn this, in all areas of my life! If something is not sitting well in your gut, it probably means it is not aligned with your core self, your current priorities, your values or your vision for your brand. Ask yourself: Is this something that will be brand affirming? Does it take me in a direction I'd be happy with? Does it fit with my goals? Do I have time for it without burning out or compromising my other priorities? It's totally fine when the answer to any one of these questions is NO. You have your reasons and, although you could express them as a justification, you don't really need to justify your choices.

We are constantly learning. That is the beauty (and curse) of life! Train yourself to look at every circumstance, success and failure as constructive, as fluid and as a blessing. Adjusting as you go along is part of the process. Feeling proud of little milestones - even negative ones - is also important. 

Invest in your professional development. Create opportunities for learning. It is daunting but necessary to take up opportunities that are outside of our comfort zone and that involve a certain degree of risk. There cannot be growth without risk. When you don't risk anything, you get too comfortable. If you take a risk to invest in yourself financially or with respect to your time-commitment, you naturally strive to succeed and not fail. It helps to add a little extra fire up your butt! 

It's important not to pack your plate so much that you don't create empty spaces for assessment, reflection and re-alignment. It's important to carve out the time to revisit some approaches and practices - even the content on your website. It's one of my business resolutions for the new year, as my personality has always been the go-go-go type. I want to create space for myself to go on a mini hiatus and reflect in a systematic way on what worked, what worked less and where to go from here. 

If you're curious, this post belongs to the theme #WiseWordsWednesday, part of the Etsy Montreal Social Media Challenge. The artists who are participating as vendors in the annual Etsy Fait au Quebec (Made in Canada) market are encouraged to share behind the scenes posts as they prepare for the show. Follow along with all of us on Instagram with the main hashtags #etsyfaitauquebecmtl and #etsymtl.