ESTHER

Good Morning, an interview with Esther

I’m quite certain Esther and I became Instagram friends before IRL friends. The typical modern-day friendship of this generation. We’d only met a couple of times but sitting down for black sesame lattes at Tandem Coffee (a delicious caffeine-free option FYI), felt like sitting down with an old friend. She has an air of lightness and sincerity.

Esther is the talented blogger, content creator and crafter behind This Wild Heart, which started as a hobby and blossomed into so much more. She is someone who makes the balancing act look easy. A daytime job, a husband, web courses by evening, and the nightshift on This Wild Heart. I admire the steady footing she naturally possesses.

I feel inclined to say that Esther, myself — many of us are working the nightshift on our dreams. In fact, so much of what this Good Morning series is about, are these inspiring women whom I feel kinship and community with, who are going for what they want and taking care of themselves in the process. We are so incredibly fortunate to be able to do this as many women are not. It’s so important that we don’t take this for granted. I remind myself of this often.

Read about Esther’s morning rituals, no phone zones and her commitment to slow living amidst the movement of her life.

Who are you right now?

I’m totally into simple living right now. I’m trying to pay attention to the simple, little things in life, and am enjoying creating/learning many different things at the moment to help find what I truly what to focus my time on.

What is your favourite quality in yourself?

I like to think that I have a good sense of humour. Laughter really can change your outlook on so many things.

Do you have any morning rituals?

Coffee. coffee. coffee. If you know me (or have visited my instafeed), you’d know that I am a caffeine addict. I will usually make myself a cup of coffee before heading out the door every morning.

Does the quality of your morning set the tone for the rest of your day?

Definitely. My weekdays always feel rushed from the moment I wake up. Weekends are slower, and more enjoyable days.

How are your weekday mornings different from your weekend mornings?

My mornings really differ from weekends and week days. Like most people, weekday mornings are rushed, the most I’ll do is make myself a coffee and a piece of toast at work. Weekends however are slower mornings, with time to sleep in, and time to prepare and enjoy good meals and good company.

Let’s talk food. What does a typical breakfast look like?

Typically, weekday breakfasts are rushed and put together in the office (i.e yogurt and granola, toast and jam). However, weekends are put together with more thought. My favourite is trying new recipes to consume together with my husband. I’m enjoying the process of learning what foods we enjoy and experimenting with different flavours. Brunching out has become more of a luxury for us and allows us to enjoy dining out when we can.

Quality of food is so important but so is quality of mind. How do you feed your mind? (ex. any words you live by or remind yourself of when you’re having limiting thoughts?)

I enjoy taking time to learn new things that range from sewing, diy-ing, and even taking academic courses. It’s important to feed your mind with new and fresh ideas and in return I believe you also will feed your soul. My favourite quote is “All good things are wild and free.” – Henry David Thoreau. I love this quote because it’s just so simple that sometimes the best things are really nothing.

Describe your relationship to food. Do your emotions affect what or how you eat?

Food really is comfort. The types of foods I eat really depend on my schedule and how busy life gets. That’s why believe that eating well can be done as long as your mind is set on taking time to slow down.

How do you take care of your mind, body and spirit?

For my mind, I like to take time to learn new things and create. For my body, I take time to work out during the week at the gym, and for the spirit, I’m Christian and take time once a week to meet some gals for our life group.

You are a great representation of our “slash-generation” – banker by day/photographer and blogger by night. How have you made this work?

Honestly, it’s all about figuring out what works best for you. I have a schedule and like to separate the two as much as I can. The two don’t really relate to each other so it makes it much easier to do. I work 9-5 Monday to Friday and that allows me to be able to create on the weekends.

How did This Wild Heart come about? What is it about working on TWH that you love most?

It ultimately started from my Instagram account. I would post mostly mundane every day photos like my breakfast, or a morning walk or weekend adventures. Fortunately, Instagram featured me as a suggested user and it brought more traction to the account. Last year, I decided I wanted to share more than a photo by expressing my passion for things like DIY-ing projects, or simply things that sparked my interests. I love being able to be free to create my own content and share it with others through more than a simple photo.

Do you take time to consciously unplug from social media? If so how.

Dinner time is the time. It sounds short but honestly, it’s a really enjoyable time. My husband and I have a “no phone” rule during our dinners. You spend the entire day separately, working and rushing through the day, that dinner time becomes almost like a ritual to us. The art of conversation is a beautiful thing!

What is the best piece of advice you can give someone working the night shift on their dreams?

Happiness is success. In successful people, it’s not that success gave them happiness, I believe that happiness drove them to that success. So even when you are in the midst of whatever it is you’re working on to “make it,” don’t forget why you’re doing it and take time for yourself once in a while to feed your mind, body and soul.

Describe mornings with one word.

Refreshing