There is a certain amount of artifice put into some Instagram accounts. I freely admit that I put thought into choosing what I will share and how I present my family. I want to be authentic, but I want my authentic to be beautiful. Like any story, there are parts told and others untold. I tell you about the hidden paths we walked on the weekend, the street art we found, the drawings Ro did or the flowers Sen arranged. I leave untold, for your imagination to elaborate, what my sink full of dishes looks like or what my daily struggles are.
When thinking about how I would introduce Danielle, I’ll be honest I had a hard time pinpointing what I love about her. Well, obviously, there’s her name. But more than having a lovely first name, Danielle takes beautiful photos and writes beautiful words. And, still, there is more… Following Danielle, known as @missverse on Instagram, you learn of her passion for mothering, her gift with words, her artful eye for composition, but you also come to know that she has really lived life. Not in the “party through your twenties” way or the travel-around-the-world way, but in ways where she struggled and was vulnerable. And rather than sharing only the ups in life, Danielle also shares the downs, the tough days, something that is certainly not easy to do. She doesn’t shy away from showing her vulnerability. As I have come to learn about myself, and I think Danielle knows it too, our struggles bring us closer to our core, to knowing what is most important in life, and ultimately to what is most beautiful.
I hope you will enjoy reading more about Danielle in my interview with her.
What part of the world do you live in?
I live in Northern New Jersey. Specifically, West Milford. It’s an area full of natural beauty, with many different hikes, lakes and rocks. There is so much scope for the imagination, as a favorite heroine of mine would say. We love it!
How many children do you have and how would you describe them?
I have two boys, Elliot and Asher. They are only fifteen months apart, so it’s easy for me to see the similarities and differences. Both are incredibly active! Elliot loves to tap dance, color and find treasures outside. He greets the sun every morning with an exuberant “sun up!” and is quick to let me know it’s time to sleep when the “sun down!” Elliot shows such huge joy over the simplest things and he has taught me so much. My love of natures has quadrupled because of him. When every “do you want to go for a walk?” is met with a loud “OH, YES! YAY!” there is no way you cannot be affected. Asher cuddles and cuddles but seems to balance it with an enormous amount of independence. Ever since he could talk, he’s been pointing out the sun, moon and stars to me. How appropriate, because these boys are all three of those things to me!
What are your core family values?
I’d say that Mary Oliver’s quote “pay attention, be astonished, tell about it” sums up our core values. Some may say that we live with too little of the practical, but I have experienced too much to ever quench awe. The joy we can feel over the simplest treasures IS our greatest treasure. BUT, to be a little more practical: our core values consist of getting outside every day, encouraging imagination and to always be kind. These values are not mainly for our kids, but important to my husband and I as well. The things we teach and encourage in our children are the things we encourage in ourselves.
How do you spend most of your days?
We spend a lot of time as a family. My husband and I are equally involved in our boys lives. We go on a lot of adventures or walks. (same thing!) My husband and I are both photographers, which means we tend to take a lot of photos. However, we do try to keep a balance to the photo-taking. It’s good to simply enjoy the moment as well! š
What is your favourite thing to do as a family?
I feel like I’m repeating myself, but we truly do take a lot of walks! Money has been tight and the great and wonderful outdoors has been our friend through it all. It doesn’t cost any money, especially since we don’t need to get in the car at all! We walk out our front door and into the woods.
What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about reading and writing: capturing the beautiful moments through images. I’m passionate about trees, lakes and leaves. I’m passionate about showing these things to my boys. We love to be create.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by so many things, but I’ll just tell about one here. š Poetry has inspired me the most. Whenever I have writer’s block or feel a little “bleh” a good poem will bring me out of the mood. Word have always done that for me and I truly hope I can teach my boys to appreciate all the words they can read.
When I crafted my questions for the inspiring mothers series I wanted to hear from women who inspired me about their interests, their passions, their inspirations and how they spend their days. The questions were no accident. I knew my intution about Danielle was right, when she said that she felt like she was repeating herself in answering the questions. Danielle has found a way to make her passions her everyday.
Please visit Danielle on Instagram and check out her website Young Love Media.
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