Okay, is it just me or are About Me sections kind of funny and oddly self-indulgent? Deciding what we want to say about ourselves is a challenge. I love interviews though, so I figured we should handle it from that perspective.
If I were reading this, I would want to know 5 things:
- Just a couple of things about Karine.
- What’s Karine about? What does she stand for?
- What does Karine write about?
- Why does she share?
- Is this gonna help me in any way?
- Is she qualified?
1: Just a couple of things about me:
Easy-peazy! (not)
I was born in Windsor Mills, Quebec in the seventies and lived in the Beauce for the older half of my childhood. I moved to Montreal for design school.
I had a less than spectacular academic career in elementary and high school only to discover in Cegep (college in Quebec) that I had a few undiscovered learning issues that I had been working with through my education. I mention this because it’s an important part of my narrative.
Sidenote: If you know a child or teen who doesn’t feel like they are good at at least something, be someone who can show them they are good at something!
Education is one of the subjects I am the most passionate about. I feel that ongoing learning through life is magnificent and essential. We GET to keep learning. In sharp contrast to the way I saw it as a child, I find that we GET to devour so much learning and grow tremendously which feels amazing.
Fast forward out of school and I became a designer. After a while, I found there was something missing to the field and looked around at changing what I would be doing with my career. I still love design.
Through a series of events, I found myself seeking wellness advice in the wellness practice of Ayurveda through consultations, books and taking classes in both Ayurveda and Yoga. And, I found myself closer to where I felt I belonged. Inner, outer and spiritual wellness fit with me and the love affair was in full-swing.
If we rewind back to when I was a child, I was fascinated with books on etiquette and ways to do things. In particular, ways to have a great home. Home is probably an equal obsession to me than education and wellness!
Yes, I am an illustrator. Yes, I love to cook and bake. Yes, I watch the Golden Girls more than anyone else probably (almost every day since 1985).
But with all that, I’m basically just me. Simply.
I cannot confirm the exact quote from Michelangelo since I didn’t hear it from him myself and he probably said it in Italian. But you get the idea.
2: What am I about?
I’m all about living well. But I suppose everyone is. I try to approach life by making each day great. I figure that celebrating each day is a great way to go.
Sure, I like food that’s as close to the source as possible, cooking from scratch, making things by hand, learning, bla bla bla… But above all, I figure we’re better off living our own life and making it something we love. I feel deeply about how we are living on this Earth together and making it as good as we can, and keep trying. I love everything local and durable.
I speak a lot about making ourselves a priority in our own lives and I truly believe we have this life to make something good with it and to really live it. As a kid, I heard “Make a place better than when you got there” and I really took that to heart.
3: What do I write about?
Frankly (well, always frankly), I write about what I’d want to read. Over the past decade +, I’ve been reading about the human body, wellness, lifestyle, motivation, and all sorts of books about making our life amazing. I just wish I could read more.
I write about the subjects that I wish I could read that day. Simple things like being appreciated, feeling foggy, making changes…
Ayurveda, Adulting and countless authors and speakers have profoundly impacted my message.
4: Why do I share about all this?
Why not? I’ve been so fortunate in my life for the stories I’ve heard, the quotes I’ve read, the memoirs I’ve read. The people who shared of themselves made my world so much better, richer and more alive. I am humbled, grateful and amazed.
My words may not be what everyone needs, but maybe, they will be what someone needs. I once heard that we need to say what needs to be said and not to leave things unsaid.
“Being true to ourself (yes, our-self), knowing who we are and what we’re made of is probably my favorite thing in life.”
-me
So, how did a designer become an Ayurvedic Consultant?
Simple: I wanted something better for myself. Designing is cool, and I still like designing, in fact, I can’t really help it and I design all the time. One day, I learned about Ayurveda through the wonder of going down the rabbit’s hole of Googling. I studied it fiercely and learned about a whole new way of taking care of ourselves. It also taught me to keep learning and growing is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.
I’m basically a plaid-wearing, kitchen-dancing, poutine-eating chick in Montreal, Quebec.
“To keep learning and growing is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.”
-me
Stay true,
Karine