Somewhere in heaven, my parents are dancing a flamenco, clapping their hands and punctuating their staccato feet drum with an OLÉ!!!! As much as I have a hard time looking in the mirror and self affirming that I am a beautiful, strong and smart girl (childhood scars), I also lack perspective when it comes to my work. I always say to my photographer Marc Fowler that I cannot “see” my work until it has been captured as a still. After that, I cannot “feel” the value of it until I see it through the lens of an editorial, or “hear” that the work has been well received and understood until other people’s words have defined it. Such is the interior life of someone who cares a bit too much. To see my work juxtaposed with the work of design giants around the world and to somehow level up to their heels is as much a head rush as it is a head scratcher. I live in a small, mostly governmental town in Canada, which is truly not known for design in any capacity. I returned here from a lifetime away in Miami, New York and Paris. I got stuck here through challenging life circumstances. At one point, it pressingly dawned on me that I would have to pick up design to make a living as I had abroad.. only this time in a place that lacked primary sources, visible trades, and more importantly palpable understanding of what value I could possibly bring. It has been magical seeing design talent rise and be fostered at home now. A whole generation of new, energetic and gifted designers have emerged, supported by an industry of incredibly well-crafted wares. To be supported by my peers has been one of the side effects of living in a small town that I have cherished the most. Where there is room for one, there is room for all. ELLE Spain chose to post one of my favorite shots of this kitchen. To see it come alive on a page once more is an affirmation that it still stands the test of time while holding its fresh originality. To my starving inner-child I would say: “ You lead from the heart, you nourished your brain, you put two feet forward and went off to the market. It took time, it took guts, but your wonky self-belief did trump your self-doubt and made everything right in the day.”
