“People love to be inspired,” said Canadian author and photographer Cendrine Marrouat. “They enjoy beautiful words and photography together.” Cendrine cites this human desire as inspiration for her latest book Life’s Little Things: The Quotes. She asked readers of her popular blog to choose twenty-five images in her photography collection. Once she’d collected the fan favorites, she then wrote words of wisdom for each. “In this day and age, there is too much negativity. Life’s Little Things: The Quotes is food for the soul.” Read on to discover why Cendrine calls her work an invitation to refocus on what truly matters.

  1. Life’s Little Things: The Quotes is your tenth book! Tell us about why this is a stepping stone for you?

I have been an author for a little over a decade now. And releasing 10 books in three genres in such a short amount of time is an achievement. I love celebrating every little victory. When I got started, not many people believed in me and supported my efforts. I had to listen to quite a few lectures from others. While they certainly meant well, it motivated me to prove them wrong. The number is a testimony to the power of passion and persistence. I will never be able to please the whole world or avoid naysayers. But getting out of my comfort zone has brought me joy and a sense of fulfillment.

  1. What does your writing process look like?

I think that it looks like a mixture between inconsistent and organized. Lol I have always been a very slow writer. It takes me days to write something that somebody else would complete in an hour or rsz_lifes_little_things_covertwo. My way of “combatting” the problem has been to embrace it and take advantage of every burst of inspiration. The best spot for me to start projects is unusual — my bathroom. When I take showers, titles and ideas pop up in my mind all the time! Afterwards, I prepare a document with the main outlines. Then, the fun begins…

…or rather, what I call “going with the flow.” Because as much as I try following my outlines, I always end up taking detours. It is not a big deal for me. But people find my writing process quite baffling.

3. As an artist, you’re not limited to writing – what other types of art do you do? How did you get started? And how do you combine different types of art?

I am a poet and photographer who specializes in nature, black-and-white and closeup images. Poetry and photography are a match made in heaven. They are very easy to pair. One of the reasons is that both art forms require a similar ability to read meanings between the lines. It is the same with theatre, actually.  Photography became a passion a few years ago. I had taken photos before, but I had no idea of what I was doing. In 2010, I decided to use one of my images on the cover of my fifth poetry collection, titled Five Years and Counting. A Journey into the Mind of Soul Poetry. When looking at it, people wondered if I was a professional photographer. I was even offered money to give up my rights on it. Of course, I refused. But it boosted my self-confidence and encouraged me to look into photography as a career path. I educated myself on the basics, practiced a lot, and looked at what talented photographers were doing. Then, I started sharing my images online. I have been selling prints since 2014. I also have three photography books out.

4. Where does your inspiration to create come from?

Life and personal experiences. You can learn great lessons from little things. Even the most negative situations are often the prelude to personal discovery. I love sharing that through my work.

5. How do you reconnect with yourself and nature?

 To quote Khalil Gibran, my favorite author: “Your daily life is your temple and your religion. Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.” I find reconnecting with myself an easy process. It can happen anywhere and anytime. A great conversation with a like-minded person, listening to my favorite music, reading an inspirational book, etc. Everything is an excuse for introspection. I am also lucky to live in a city that has many parks and forests. Every week, I spend a few hours in nature. I always feel alive, happy and recharged afterwards.

Keep up with Cendrine!

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