Social networks are truly amazing! They bring us wonderful surprises. You can suddenly connect with people on the other side of the planet who have similar concerns. You might never have met them if it weren’t for social networks! So, to celebrate the little things that make us happy, we talked to Tess, from Australia. @TessGuinery
Hello Tess, if you had to define yourself, how would you do it?
If I had to define myself, I would say I am a seeker of beauty, navigating life through the lens of creativity. As a multidisciplinary artist, I find deep purpose in marrying words, movement, and emotions to explore and express the depths of the human experience. My heart is moved and prompted daily to create work that resonates on a deeply personal level, capturing both the intricacies of individual stories and the beautiful truths that connect us all.
My journey has been shaped by a natural sense of nomadism and the rich travel experiences that have accompanied it. This innate yearning for new experiences continually invites me to embrace new places and diverse ways of living, thinking, being—fueling my openness to growth and beauty.
My ever-curious nature is dedicated to discovering and sharing artistry in every moment, celebrating the meaning and beauty found in all the places I’ve called home and the details of my every day.
If you had to choose one small daily thing that makes you happy with the kids, what would it be?
If I had to choose one small daily thing that brings me joy with my kids, it would be our relaxed breakfast routine. We’re not fans of rushing, so we take our time each morning with coffee brewing, music playing, and a weekly rotating carousel of delicious breakfasts; choices like French toast or eggs or pancakes with all the extras. These slow, easy mornings are our thing.
How have your daughters helped you in the development of your creativity?
John O’Donohue’s words resonate deeply with me: “When you regain a sense of your life as a journey of discovery, you return to rhythm with yourself.” My daughters have been instrumental in helping me embrace this rhythm. They’ve shown me how to find beauty in the ebb and flow of daily life, even as the time I once had for uninterrupted artistic exploration has evolved into something new.
The small, everyday moments with them—their laughter, their tears, the little joys and challenges—have all become a larger part of my creative process. What might seem like constraints have actually become catalysts to fresh ideas and approaches, revealing new paths for my art that I might never have discovered otherwise.
My daughters have taught me that creativity isn’t just about carving out long stretches of time for artistic pursuits. Instead, it’s about weaving creativity into the details of our everyday experiences. They help me see and celebrate the artistry in the here and now, reminding me that the process of living and creating are beautifully connected. Their influence keeps me grounded in the present moment, helping me capture and cherish the beauty in our shared experiences.
Here’s a poem that best describes it:
“It’s another year
of one hundred seasons.
An undefinable,
hot-hearted thing
pushing its way to the front
is the mother in me.
My two hands
upon most days
begging to be many
humbly holding hearts and water masses,
overflowing like surging rivers—
there is almost always
never enough cups and bowls in the house to catch the overflow
in all this wonderful madness…
…and even though
the water pours and overflows,
over
and
over,
day
after
day
and my thirsts are only just quenched,
I see,
hands
oh how you have expanded,
heart,
you too.
There are not many mountains
that have shown me both
how magnificent
and horrible I can be,
like the mountains
that are the mother
in me.
And I’m still trying to figure out
how it is
that the days are so
lush
and
long
but time,
a mile a minute.
Their tears,
my greatest lessons.
My own fears,
the eager becomings
of prayers whispered
and howling confessions—
for me,
for them,
for the longer lines of our lineage.
Burning up the nights
under thick shades of blue
silence has its way with me—
To stay up too late,
a homage,
to know it will.
And I want to write,
when time says I can’t,
And when I can,
I can’t
and the tension in this
mysteriously owns the antidote
to one hundred million
hard to define un-saids…
… My daughters
oh how they show me the curly roads to words,
even when I don’t have time
to
write
them
all
down”.
