We met Linda online. Her multi-dimensional approach to work and her passion for living her true vision inspired us to have a closer conversation. Her writings, paintings, and ceramics, as she says, are ̈a way of connecting within and without. It’s about continually transmuting earth energy into those experiences and processes. ̈
Hello Linda, how are doing? Tell us a bit about yourself and the story of your
involvement in craft, writing, and painting?
Ever since I was little, I have felt odd and enjoyed closing myself in a little bubble where I could express myself, create and allow my imagination to run wild. Art and creativity have been my sanctuary and my saving grace. Aside from all creative processes, one of my favourite things about life is being a contemplator. To observe and absorb as much as possible, to receive input, inspiration, guidance, and later turn it into something tangible that is worth spreading. To me, this is just as natural as inhaling and exhaling, and just as necessary to survive.
Over the years I have spread this breath over many different creative practices. In my childhood, I wrote and drew stories. In my teenage years, I created emotional collages. In my early twenties, I found myself in a trance of doing intricate drawings and murals. I am grateful that my family nurtured that in me. It allowed me to grow into an adult that would
continue to live with creativity and that was not afraid of thinking outside the box.
I chose to live an unconventional life, which could allow me to continue drawing. To continue
painting. To continue writing. And then I noticed that little by little, these things weren’t separate from each other. They were becoming one and the same because I cultivated that breath and reached a point where I felt my true essence. I traveled a lot and still do, but since I have lived closer to my roots I have noticed how my inspiration came from nature, from connecting with her. From the depth and the place of surrender. That’s when it all started clicking for me - because I felt something even more magical. I often experience transcendental moments, where I feel that what I create doesn’t come from me, but it happens “through” me by a force that is beyond my control.
All I do today spreads into different means of expression - but it all comes from the same place: connecting with the divine on this earth and within me.
We love how you talk about your work, experiences, and processes. How did you arrive at a place of creating from within, and how important is it for you to create in this way?
It took years and years of creating, experimenting, being curious, getting lost - and then slowly undoing the layers. Silencing the noise. Simplifying and getting to the core. It was a long process that brought me to a very raw and vulnerable place. Like being left naked.
But it’s from there that I could really allow myself to receive - and I felt like my receiving was
coming from very deep within. That part of me which is so stripped of anything, it is almost not mine - but like my soul, it belongs to the universe and it is up to such this higher force to “speak through” it.
It is primordial to know how to create from this place. It is necessary because it is the only way to birth work that has meaning and truth. The world around us will keep changing, but what lies within us is immortal.
My vision for this book is to be a mind-opening read, bringing nourishment and grounding - especially in a time where the world feels disconnected.
You’ve recently launched a book. Why did you choose to explore the elements of
nature (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ether) ?
In the last couple of years, my life has been in much closeness to nature. I came to really
observe the ways of mountains, of rivers, of strong winds and sunlight, and notice how they were all representing elemental forces: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Like people, they each have their character, their energy, their behaviour. But many of us are not quite familiar with them - and especially, we might not even realize how these energies actually reside within each and every one of us.
The elements are truly fascinating allies, that can help us understand the fabric of who we are
and feel a deeper connection and balance with all that lies within and all that lies without. They are divine forces that we can all connect to, regardless of our background or our religion. They are our universal teachers in nature.
For me, they have been fascinating to study, to contemplate - a huge and sacred source of
guidance and ritual. It is this inspiration - that led me to write my book Ousìa. It is a guide to
connecting with the elements, connecting art, ritual, and observation.
My vision for this book is to be a mind-opening read, bringing nourishment and grounding -
especially in a time where the world feels disconnected.
I know you are currently living in Crete and that you’ve been traveling a lot before moving back home to Greece. How important is the sense of place to your work?
Place affects my work, simply because the air, the thoughts, the sounds, the energies of each
place vary and always bring very different input. As a nomadic spirit, I have had the chance to travel and experiment with these sensations and what each place would make me feel.
At first, I was a little numb to it (because my biggest priority was to see and do as much as
possible)- but when I slowed down and really let a place talk to me, I could interpret it much
clearer. I often notice that cities overwhelm and drain the life force out of me. I can sense when a place has good vibration and why the people in it do too. I can feel when the land and the earth is being respected. That feeds right into me.
Every place and every landscape has its character and language. Japan taught me the beauty
in simplicity. The desert allowed me to transform and shed layers, like a snake. And this island I live in, which has been inhabited for over 4000 years by my ancestors who used to worship the great Mother Goddess - brings me grounding and a deep, magical sense of connection that I have never felt anywhere.
In our work, we seek to cherish the natural elements and to create from a place of love, but it’s not easy. I know that you have a similar philosophy in bringing to life your creations. Can you tell us how did you embrace this philosophy?
If we want to create from a place of love (and we really really want to, not just because it’s
trendy!) - then we must connect to our hearts and our essence. We, humans, tend to spend too much time in our minds and in the illusion of our ego. What if we were nobody? What if there was no outcome to reach? Would we still do what we do?
Our ego always has a way of messing things up, because that is what makes us human. We are not perfect and it is there to teach us lessons. But when we feel disconnected from our purpose it’s good to practice dissolving into oneness. So that we can receive not from our minds but our hearts.
Would you like to share with our community the importance of the rituals to you? What role do they play in your life?
Rituals bring sacredness to everyday life. We can all be the artists, the poets, the priestesses
that create them, and bring them to existence. Anything can be a ritual, as long as we do it with intention. They are an important aspect of life, as they can help us feel more present - not just in our minds but in the divine field that connects all living beings. Through rituals, we can tap into that field. To create endings and beginnings. To clear and renew the energy. To cherish this magical journey we are given.
How important is it for you to wear garments that are made with nature and people in mind? I know that you’re involved in plant dyeing as well, so I guess you understand what this alternative means?
I feel that in the times we live in, it is essential to minimize our impact on the Earth. We can do this by shifting the paradigm together and uniting in a human approach to solve this issue. That said, the real paradigm shift will have to happen through heart, not mind - and with nothing but pure honesty.
Every business owner and creator has to be 100% responsible for their actions and transparent about them, as more and more of us will want to know what we are supporting.
I have this optimistic vision that we will unlearn capitalism and consumerism, to go back to the values of our ancestors and the ways of small artisans: where our garments are toxic-free, and our materials are locally sourced, where we use natural methods, such as natural dyes - which are amazing indeed, where we know who made our clothes and that they are fairly paid, where clothes are made to last, and when needed we fix them instead of throwing them away.
So how do you think we can start creating from within and together planting the
seeds for the future generation?
By connecting to our essence. Shifting our energy from mind to heart. Letting go of the
outcomes and illusions of our ego and focus our attention on being of service. We are all one.
Photography by @artofeuphoria. You can connect with Linda here.