We recently had the pleasure of connecting with a woman we admire very much, Yasmine Ganley from Anyonegirl, we learnt a little about how she connects with her young family at home, her diverse career and favoured objects in her home.
INTERVIEW:
You have a young family - do you have any daily rituals or special things you do to connect with each other?
Well, in the middle of our second lockdown we seem to be seeing a lot of each other! Looking back on the last few months, juggling a six-month-old baby and an energetic three-year-old, is a blur of tiny limbs on my lap, but a few moments still punctuate our day: we always have a little dance party after breakfast, usually led by Emily - hands still sticky with honey - come spin me round Mummy! Then we do what we need to to get out the door and go for a walk in the sun, even if the air is still cool. Fresh air is essential. We like to light candles at dinnertime, it sets a nice focus around the table and seems to slow us all down a bit before bedtime.
Yasmine's lounge room featuring Nodi Noughts Weave in Charcoal
I’ve always admired how bold and brave you were with sharing your raw and honest images with your daughter for Mother Muse Mag - what was the drive behind this?
Thank you! Greta had an idea to film a mother walking with her child in water — water being the first sensation we experience in the womb — and so we did it. The images weren't created for anything specifically, we just wanted to mark the moment, and connect as mother and daughter skin to skin in the sun and the sea. As for the nudity, I didn't really think about it, I guess I was overwhelmed with pride in what my body had just achieved, what it could create, and how it managed to keep working and moving. A miraculous machine - all mothers should be proud of what their bodies can endure, and I guess I wanted to celebrate that, even at the expense of my own.
You’re a woman of many talents with writing, curating, photography and creating unique narratives with your story telling - why did you start Anyone Girl?
Thank you! Anyonegirl.com started ten years ago as a digital space to all of my freelance work, like a portfolio. I would fill in the gaps with musings, things and people I liked. Eventually that sort of curation took over, and now it serves as a platform for creatives who want to explore ideas, devoid of any commercial aspect. I feel most proud of the community that exists around anyonegirl. It seems that everyone involved is supportive of everyone else, and I'm glad to provide a safe space for this to happen.
The WAIST publication, stemmed from anyonegirl.com, was realized for a few reasons: I was beginning to feel frustrated and bored of the kind of messages female magazines were pitching to their audiences. It felt stale and lazy, and just full of negativity. I wanted to give something to women that made them feel good about themselves, to feel empowered, but also safe to feel vulnerable, and to know that there were other women out there feeling the same. I wanted to open conversations up about intuition and instinct in a way that was visually appealing and thoughtful. I work with designer Natasha Mead who does a beautiful job of creating a visual language for the journal. We're currently working on the fifth issue. It’s absolutely beautiful, my most favourite one yet.
Most important object in your home and why?
Thank you! Anyonegirl.com started ten years ago as a digital space to all of my freelance work, like a portfolio. I would fill in the gaps with musings, things and people I liked. Eventually that sort of curation took over, and now it serves as a platform for creatives who want to explore ideas, devoid of any commercial aspect. I feel most proud of the community that exists around anyonegirl. It seems that everyone involved is supportive of everyone else, and I'm glad to provide a safe space for this to happen.
The WAIST publication, stemmed from anyonegirl.com, was realized for a few reasons: I was beginning to feel frustrated and bored of the kind of messages female magazines were pitching to their audiences. It felt stale and lazy, and just full of negativity. I wanted to give something to women that made them feel good about themselves, to feel empowered, but also safe to feel vulnerable, and to know that there were other women out there feeling the same. I wanted to open conversations up about intuition and instinct in a way that was visually appealing and thoughtful. I work with designer Natasha Mead who does a beautiful job of creating a visual language for the journal. We're currently working on the fifth issue. It’s absolutely beautiful, my most favourite one yet.
Most important object in your home and why?
Maybe our bookshelf, it houses our record collection, which gets a good workout on the weekends, and all of our collected books and zines. Emily and I are working our way through Georgia O'Keeffe and her Houses book, which shows images of the painter's homes & studios, and the paintings she made there. It's really fun to hear what questions and comments Emily has about her work. Her favourite is Ladder to the Moon.
Favourite time of day at home and why?
Around 11am when the sun spills over the wall and the dining table. We have all seemed to have settled into our rhythm by that point in the day. I like to brew my second cup of tea at this time too.
A peaceful moment in Yasmine's kitchen, with the sun hitting our textured samples used to help select the right rug for her home.
