interview: leah piken kolidas

Good Monday morning, my dears! I hope your weekend was as perfect as it could be.
I am beyond excited to bring you our very first interview on Pecannoot this morning, with the extremely talented and lovely Leah Piken Kolidas, of Creative Everyday fame. Her answers to my questions are so thoughtful, so read on for a big jolt of inspiration and abundance!


1. Tell us a bit about yourself. (What's your favorite color? What can't you live without? What do you do all day? What's your favorite way to relax? Share whatever random bits you'd like!)

I'm a 32 year old artist living with my four fuzzy cats and my husband near Boston, Massachusetts.

My favorite color is blue. I can remember in kindergarten announcing that blue was my favorite color when all the other little girls seemed to like pink best. I didn't want anyone to assume that my favorite color was pink just because I was a girl!

My favorite way to relax is to snuggle up with a good book, a cup of cocoa, and a purring cat. Listening to Jim Dale reading the Harry Potter series is also wonderfully relaxing. And I like to doodle. It eases my mind. Oh, and bubble baths, they're wonderful for relaxing too. I live in an older home with a small tub that's not big enough for me to stretch out in (which is sad, considering I'm only 5' 1/2" tall), but someday I'd like to own a big bath tub. In the meantime, just being near water relaxes me. There's a river that I like to walk to and sit by when the weather is nice.

2. What is abundance to you?

Abundance to me is feeling grateful for all that I have and just loving it up. When I look at my life, I feel incredibly abundant. It's not just about money or things, it's about attitude.


3. What are 5 things you are grateful for right now, in this moment?

In this moment, I'm feeling grateful for iced tea with lemon and an orange straw, my kitty Emma in a tight kitty ball sleeping in my studio, being asked to do this interview, the hubster quietly napping in the other room, and the super cute momma goose I saw sitting on a nest while walking today.

4. What is your favorite part of your day?

My favorite part of the day is whenever I'm laughing loudly.


5. What is one huge, crazy-seeming goal that you dream about accomplishing?

Well, I'd like to write a book about being creative every day! But that's not so incredibly crazy. One huge-crazy-seeming goal I have is owning a creativity center where I get to play with like-minded souls, have a gorgeous studio space, lead workshops, and have a hot tub where we conduct meetings.

6. Do you have any irrational fears/worries that you'd love to let go of?

I'd love to let go of the irrational fear that I'm somehow not good enough. It's a pesky gremlin-based fear.


7. Do you have any tricks for turning a bad mood into a good mood?

If it's just a lightly bad mood, I find a walk is helpful, watching or reading something funny can help, laughing with friends, or doing some dancing around the room usually helps me. If it's a really bad mood, sometimes I just need to give it some space, make some art that reflects where I'm at, vent in my journal, or just go to bed!

8. What daily practices do you follow, if any, to stay focused on positivity and abundance in your life? (Journaling, meditating, drawing, visualization, reading, etc.)

I draw everyday in some way, sometimes it's just doodles, and it seems to help release any negativity I'm holding onto. I also keep track of the things I'm grateful for. I just started using a new iphone app that helps you keep track of the things you're grateful for which is a fun way to do it.


9. Do you have a favorite quote or author that help you remember to live and think abundantly?

Here's a great quote from author SARK, from her book Living Juicy:
"Invent your world; surround yourself with people, color, sounds and work that nourish you."

SARK's books definitely help me to live abundantly.

10. Can you share some books or blogs with us that you think Pecannoot readers might love?

Oh there are so many great things to check out. Here are a few to start:

- Patti Digh, author of the 37 days blog and the book Life is a Verb
- Pema Chodron
- Mary Oliver's poetry
- Andrea Scher's Superhero Journal (and her necklaces too!)
- Jamie Ridler is leading a book group through Keri Smith's Wreck this Journal in June!! So fun! - The lovely Goddess Leonie,
- Jennifer Lee's super cool Right-Brain Business Plan
- And all the wonderful people participating in the Creative Every Day Challenge (listed in my sidebar!)

*huge thanks to leah for gracing us with her inspiring way of being!*