About

The farm girl

I grew up on a 300-acre farm near a small town called Trout Creek. This town had a population of about 500 and was located in Northern Ontario, just south of North Bay.

There are memories of long hot summers; Supertramp’s 33 RPM vinyl record “Breakfast in America” rippled from sitting in the sun on our front veranda, and shimmering heat waves rising above the tall grass in our hayfields.

There are memories of long cold winters; a thin sheet of ice in the toilet bowl, a hardened pound of butter on the kitchen table, and grandma lighting a fire in the fireplace at 5 am.

I miss the farm. A lot. I believe a part of me never left Granite Hill.

The city girl & the professional

After moving to Toronto and living in the big city for 12 years, I moved west to Vancouver where I felt a little closer to nature.

Prior to the move and during the planning stages, I journalled every morning, writing about the people I would meet, how I would feel living there and the job I would have.

Within nine months and through a series of ‘interesting’ coincidences I made the big move; eased into a new job and a new apartment, with a new friend across the hall. It was an experience I reflect on with gratitude.

I worked in publishing and advertising as a production coordinator and a proofreader, before starting my own business. In 2008 I completed training with The Coaches Training Institute as a life coach, before choosing a niche where I would support writers and artists in clarifying and setting their goals; giving structure to the creative flow.

The girl

Writing has been a passion of mine since public school where my best friend and I pretended we were romance novelists in grade 5. I wrote poetry and short stories and kept dream journals of which I have about a half dozen.

My wicked sense of humour keeps me busy playing with puns and teasing people. Camping, hiking, photography, dancing, gardening, playing cards and doing word games are my distractions. So is blogging…

Let’s see, what else…

I like to explore.

One day I hope to see a tornado at a safe distance.

I dream of designing and building a log cabin.

My favourite actors are Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

I have big feet, a big ego and big dreams.

I’ve seen foals, calves, piglets and puppies being born. I’ve watched a chick hatch.

As a toddler, I drank milk while on my hands and knees with the goats in the barn when mom wasn’t looking.

I also drank turpentine and ate a dime.

I’m a type A personality and hate making mistakes! “Do knot rush a proofreader.”

However, I read this the other day… One good thing about being wrong, is the joy it brings to others. I STILL hate being wrong.

The blog

I blog about “rendering the space”; how we interact with our space and how we influence each other.

The space gets personal with us (in our personal and professional lives). It wants to be written. Drawn. Painted. Photographed. Spoken.

The space is defined and your project evolves to communicate your desired impact.

Shades of Crimson blogs about process. The start. The blocks. The exploration and discovery. The finish.

Read more about Rendering the Write Impact here.

I post once (sometimes twice a week); Sunday and/or Wednesday. First comments from new readers will go into moderation and will be visible after approval.

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