Through blogging and Instagramming, I’ve been introduced to an amazing Virtual Sisterhood of Creative Ladies.

The Oh Creative Lady series is your chance to meet these incredible, kind-hearted, inspiring <insert ALL the happy, positive adjectives HERE> women.

The Oh Creative Lady series has been one of my 2016 blogging highlights. I truly hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. I’ve loved gaining insights into the creative lives of others and being inspired by their thoughts and advice. Most of the ladies featured are friends from the online world. It seems only fitting that the last Oh Creative Lady for 2016 features a friend who I met online but who I was lucky enough to meet offline this year. Cathy from Peregrination Gourmande and I met through an online blogging course. We discovered we had many mutual interests…. a passion for picture books that culminates each month in our Picture Books du Monde link-up, a love of French pastry (she cooks it, I eat it) and a serious case of wanderlust. She came to visit Australia twice this year and it was glorious to hang out with this generous, warm and thoughtful creature. Introducing Cathy.

I am… Cathy. I am French and live in a little town on the Loire Valley, 300 km from Paris. I share my everyday life with my family: one husband (yes, one is enough!), two kids (one preteen girl and a little gingerboy) and a dog (a black pug called Little Vador because… well it’s obvious! )

It is hard to define what I do.. my everyday job is psychologist. But I’m an eternal learner and I passed my degree in French patisserie (bakery) a couple of years ago. I’m also a wannabe photographer. And a world traveller.

I find inspiration… from my travels. I’m always more creative while travelling but I guess it’s just because time is different then.

I also get inspired by art exhibitions. I love to go to Paris and have a visit to some museums and galleries. I then crack my budget at the shop museum where I buy lots of books about arts and lots of picture books for my kids.

I am excited about … As I’m not able to focus, I work on many projects at the same time and usually get stuck at some point. Until I finally decide to be more organised!

I’m working on a book for children with hearing impairment as I work with them in my job. Through this project I want to show to these kids and their parents that there is always a way to overcome.

I have a fine art photography project about women coping after a long and scary disease: cancer. I would like to make a book of those photographs with some text from those fantastic ladies.

I also have another very exciting project: a home renovation in a little village, on a little island in Croatia. I can’t wait to start this one and share about it on my blog.

I’m working hard to develop my photography skills, slowly trying to get out of my comfort zone.

When I’m in a creative slump, I… try to have a rest. It’s usually this time when I’m too tired to let the creative process take me somewhere. Read a good book (I’m into Swedish crime books for the moment). And go out for a walk or a ride. Usually it gets better after a few days. But I have to say, sometimes self doubt is taking over me. Then I usually need my husband to kick my ass and put my ideas straight!

I found that cooking and baking are a very good way to stop thinking and be back on the track. The only problem after that… is that I have to face a sugar high haha!

I’m really proud of… the moment when my dad told me that my pics are getting better than his. He is not the kind to give a compliment if he doesn’t truly mean it. I’ve always liked his pictures from my childhood. I started to learn photography with his cameras on films and I have to say, it took me years to be the photographer that I am today. I’m proud of that even if I’m kind of a perfectionist for that part of my life and never totally happy with my work.

Someone once told me… Stop looking at other people work, stop comparing, just do what you need to do! Take pictures, keep training and practising.

Best advice ever!

My advice to you is … We are the meanest critic on our own work. Just be gentle with yourself. And keep working.

You can find me at …

My blog for food lovers, explorers and travelers, photography aficionados. Peregrination Gourmande means gourmet wanderings

My Instagram account

My Facebook page

Thank you to all the Oh Creative Ladies that have been a part of this series in 2016!
I can’t wait to introduce you to even more Creative Ladies in 2017.
Shannon xx