Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Writer Capital "W": Intro to Lisa


Lisa aka EcoYogini

Hello! I am so honoured to have been asked to be a part of this sharing and supportive space.

Honestly, I was completely surprised by the concept. "Me? be part of a Writers' group?? But... I'm not a Writer capital W..." It's strange that I'd think this of myself, as with a bit of reflection I realized that at one point in my life I had wanted to be a Writer.

A Canadian, through and through, I grew up in a tiny lobster fishing village in Southern Nova Scotia (population 500, well 499 now). As a child I grew up a part of two very disparate cultures- Acadian (think "cajun" origins, with more French) and Anglophone. Attending a non-private/sorta selective Acadian elementary and highschool completely shaped the person I am today. Heritage and culture are so incredibly a part of who I am and family means everything.

I loved to write and sadly was an odd enough little person that the social trappings of school from primary to 12 were always difficult. As a result, I read and wrote. I remember writing a "book" complete with chapters and "art" in grade five about a trip to New Zealand (which I researched extensively using my encyclopedia... yep I was a nerd). Sadly that saga was not published...

After high school I moved to New Brunswick and quickly learned that English Lit was not for me. I also learned that my writing was terrible... and worked hard to perfect the whole "psychological" way of writing. I graduated with an Honours in Psychology and a minor in French and left my writing dreams firmly behind.


Afterwards I moved to Montreal and completed a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology. This city (and the subsequent crazy love quests and culture) inspired an outburst of creative songwriting. I wrote my favourite melodies and lyrics while alone in my tiny room on Rue Papineau. How I adored Montreal.


Cue a move to central British Columbia (the Okanagan) in which I got a "big girl's job" and I realized that I need the ocean. Two years of living surrounded by overpowering, claustrophobia inducing mountains and I am happily back in Nova Scotia. Breathing in the salty air and feeling the thick mist of the fog on my face. Love.



Along the way I realized that I should have been more of an activist and as a result, EcoYogini was created. I love yoga, although am not so great at it and have other spiritual leanings (Goddessian) and I feel very strongly about the environment. Lille from Woodstock Lily, found me here and since has been so completely supportive of some light of Writer in there that I cannot even begin to know where to thank her.


Lisa in a blog-post. :)


Many Blessings and hope I can nurture this fledgling Writer!

7 comments:

Sharnanigans said...

Hey Lisa - nice to meet you. Nova Scotia sounds beautiful , I would LOVE to go there.
Look forward to hearing more from you and nurturing the writer lurking within

Lillian Robinson said...

Hello Lisa. Lille does seem to lift up a world full of us. She is the reason I am here! I look forward to learning more about your life, and reading a bit of your work.

Lily

Alone in Holy Land said...

Nice to meet you Lisa.
Interesting biography...And it was a pleasure to read about Acadians, I love to learn new things.

Marilyn said...

Hi Lisa, I know that position you are sitting in...a pleasure to meet you. I think this time in the world is making people wake up to what they really should be doing with their lives and getting people to focus on the business of living their lives and not chasing dollar signs.

I look forward to reading more. Bring it on!

Eco Yogini said...

Thanks everyone! :)

Lille Diane said...

I feel like a Mama bird. I see a radiant spirit taking flight and making right all the things our planet needs to begin healing from our careless, ignorant ideas about "progress". Lisa, you are the new blood, the hippy of this century, and you have come into your own as a writer. Cluck, cluck, cluck....fly little bird, fly! One day your song will unite the planet into doing what is right~

Heather Conroy said...

I have been on an internet break and have come back to some more great writing and new faces on Writer's Rising. I have a Psychology degree as well and find academic writing very tedious. My blog started as a way of finding my voice which had been surpressed to a faint echo. It's nice to meet you here Lisa!