Sisterly Love

I’m blessed to have two amazing sisters who {unfortunately} live far away, so I find myself drawn to books and blogs on the subject. I love finding collaborative blogs where people who love each other are creating together.  This has lead me to two amazing, good energy blogs: Shootin’ Sisters and Soeurs du Jour. Both are blogs of two sisters living in different cities.

In early October, I interviewed the Soeurs du Jour {Margie & Kath} about their creative work and they were so gracious. I love the answers. I have enjoyed their blog for years now and was a little star-struck with their answers.  I’ve been saving them for a rainy day. Enjoy.

Teaworthy: Was writing and/or photography part of your home life growing up?

Kath: No.   Our Dad had a camera but the photos were mostly staged snaps in front of the fireplace.   But reading was important and encouraged.  I was always allowed to read an unlimited number of books and magazines.  There was never a restriction on reading and I think that feeds our writing, it certainly means that both of us are great spellers and even if we can’t necessarily write a great sentence, we sure appreciate a well-written one.

Our Mother was creative, she always made sure that arts & craft supplies were available.  She was always decorating, moving furniture, painting and wallpapering.  She sewed, knits, quilts and did mosaic tile work.   She is still like that at the age of 90, painting her walls and claiming she never has to climb up on anything to do it.

Teaworthy: How did you begin blogging together?

Kath: I think we had always been blogging together, we just didn’t have a blog, we have always shared our lives but when I moved away there was a period of adjustment.  I had a new marriage, my first at the age of 43, a new job, my first in 20 years, a new town and I went quiet and withdrew into my new life so I could find myself again..  I started a blog and wrote every day, margie was my only reader.  As time passed, we wanted to find a way to do something together while we were physically separated and toyed with the idea of writing a book, so we blogged some idea on a private blog I set up on my typeppad site.   That blog became the project and when we bought our cameras we decided to go public with soeursdujour, which incidentally had a spelling error because neither of us are bilingual!

Teaworthy: What is the mission of your blog?

Kath: We have very few ground rules I think.  Except to always be supportive and accepting of what the other does.  We did agree that we would refrain from going dirty with bad language and rude stories, I think we were aiming for something creative and tasteful.   We hoped that the blog would be a way for us to foster our foray into learning photography and be a place where we could hang out together since we couldn’t be at the same kitchen table.

Teaworthy: What are your goals for Soeurs du jour?  Where would you like to see it go?

Kath: Recently we have been discussing a project where we present something together, a diptych photo series, perhaps writing together.   Lately we have been jumping into each other’s posts and sometimes even editing and re-writing what the other has written.   There is definitely a feeling that we want to take it to a higher level.   It is becoming a much more organic process, less structural in terms of me one day, her the next.     We would love to see it grow and be a place where people like us can come and interact while we try new things and affirm the things that do work well for us as well as providing a glimpse into our relationship and our private lives.   I still think Margie’s post “flight of the soeurs” says it best – we jump and off bandwagons all the time, so who knows, so long as there is a band, a wagon and some friends we’ll be jumping on.

Teaworthy: Who is your dream reader … the one or kind of reader you are trying to reach?

Kath: Our dream readers are  definitely the readers we have now – talented, inspired, friendly, supportive and real, very real women living lives in a way that mirror our own or inspire us to new heights.   And funny, we love humour and the people who get ours.   It really is a sisterhood, although we do have a few male readers (Andy & Barry), I think we have a primarily female focused blog.

Teaworthy: What do you look for in blogs you read?

Kath: I love a blog that is updated every day.   Visual images, photographs that make me wish I had taken them, I am drawn to blogs with a story of a life where I can get a glimpse of the writer’s personality and not just from the about me section, but where I feel it is like a new friend, you learn a little bit more about them each time you visit.   I love it when the questions are answered, does she cook?  Does she struggle?  Is she healthy?   Authenticity is the word.   I look for blogs that are authentic, where someone who consistently makes beautiful art all of a sudden says, I can’t, it’s not working, something’s wrong, and then to be able to witness their process is very important.

Teaworthy: What are 3 things you can’t live without?

Kath: The obvious choices are my camera, computer & books, but on a practical level, I will say, earplugs, bread and a good toothbrush.  On a spiritual level I can’t live without my family, quiet times and the seasons, the change in seasons is very important to me.   I bet my sister can’t live without her hairdryer!

Teaworthy: What is your favorite time of day and why.

Kath: Bed time.   This is the only answer for me.   Whether it is night or morning, bed time and time spent in bed, sleeping, eating, dozing, meditating, reading, writing, surfing the net, journaling, and everything else that can be done in a bed make bed time my favourite time of day.   I love my bed.

Teaworthy: What makes you sit down and write.

Kath: The obligation and commitment to margie.   I used to blog every day when my only reader was margie, back before we started soeursdujour.   I  journal private writing a lot when I don’t feel well or if I’m ready for a change, I find it helps to focus me.

Teaworthy: Music Books or Art that changed your life?

Kath: One of my best friends once told me that I should always buy art if it moves me, that even if I can’t afford it, I will find a way to pay for it.   She said that you never want to regret not owning a piece of art that speaks to you.   I don’t own much art that I have purchased myself but what I have fills me with a feeling of indescribable joy.   I would love to create one piece of art that does that to me.   Almost every good book I read changes me in some way, a good book speaks to you and informs you about yourself.  As for titles?  I can’t pin one down.   I don’t have favourites, well, I do, I have a favourite of the day, something that I LOVE, but that changes with the wind.   I don’t listen to very much music.  I should, it is a habit I have never developed.  I love silence, sometimes even small levels of noise irritate and distract me, I am incredibly intolerant of background noise.

Teaworthy: Anything else?

Kath: Everyone is so important to us, we pepper our conversations with references to our readers, this community has become very important to us, more than we ever expected.  So of course, thank you for all the encouragement, it really does mean the world.  XO Kath

Follow their blog here.

Shootin’ Sisters, I would love to see your responses to these questions, too!