We had the good fortune of connecting with Aurora Joanna Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Aurora Joanna, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
There were times when I first started my trade that I was putting in 40-50hrs a week creating. Now that I’m a mother and expecting a second, I’m lucky if I can put in an hour a day. At times, I feel the silent pull from within calling me back to my art. Luckily I’m able to express myself through other mediums like cooking, dancing, and play with my child.
As an entrepreneur, often times, it feels like there won’t be progress if you’re not constantly putting energy into the vision. But as an artist, you’re very much in touch with the understanding that life isn’t always linear. Sometimes the inspiration is there, and sometimes it’s not. At other times, the need to feel financially stable can overwhelm one’s creative spark, completely putting the personal passion on the back burner. No matter which direction the pendulum swings, ultimately it’s when we find balance that we are the most at peace.
Each of these mini chapters and experiences I’m living in between my moments of creation are all contributing to a deeper knowing of self, deeper inspiration, and even more authentic artist expression. Every experience contributes to the next on some grander scale. Flowing through all of life’s chapters with balance has allowed me weave my passions and skills together in ways I never thought imaginable.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My macrame and my dance are both greatly influenced by my time spent down in Central and South America. I first traveled to Latin America after I graduated from Georgia State for French and Spanish in the fall of 2009. I had been studying languages pretty intensely and wanted nothing more than to just backpack and become submerged in another culture. Luckily, I had a strange aversion to traveling as just a tourist. I didn’t like the thought of only observing the culture from the outside. I needed to engage with the people, and learning a trade was the way for me. A lot of the artisans I learned from down south only spoke Spanish, so macrame was a great catalyst for conversation, to gain more fluency of the language, while also picking up an ancient trade.
I backpacked Latin America for about 11 months before heading back to the states with my new skillset making macrame jewelry. My jewelry pretty quickly brought me into the world of festivals, vending, and eventually performance art.
Being around so much music day in and day out, I fell in love with dance. It was a powerful outlet for me to connect both with my physical body and also with my inner Spiritual world. I got into performance art as a way to give back energetically to the festival experience.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a big fan of Downton Decatur and all it has to offer, from the wide range of restaurants, to the best boba spot in the city. I’m not much of a drinker at the moment since I’m pregnant, so Boba is my go to and Rebel Tea hits the spot every time! Las Brasas is a Peruvian restaurant serving rotisserie or fried chicken alongside traditional Peruvian side dishes and delicacies. Our favorite spot to eat out is probably Kafenio. We love a good gyro and just the overall lightness and clean meal feel of Mediterranean food, and Kafenio always delivers. My family loves a good game of bowling and Comet Bowling is always a fun time together! For family outings, we typically pack up and head to the hills for some raw nature and de stimulating from the city buzz. On our way north, we like to pass through Norcross, my hometown, and grab some authentic Mexican cuisine from El Indio. Our favorite river spot is out in Dawsonville and is called the “Edge of the world trail”.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes out to anyone that’s out there sharing or teaching their trade. It’s been by the grace of many other artists that I was given a chance to become a tradeswoman myself. From the countless macrame artisans traveling across Latin America, to the passionate dancers in the festival circuit and entertainment industry; I am far from self-taught, and there are so many other artists that shared a piece of their wisdom with me out of the goodness of their heart. It’s why I love to teach!
Website: https://Www.stringandhearts.com
Instagram: @stringandhearts @aurorajoanna
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BareBear
Other: HTTP://auroraamina.tumblr.com
Image Credits
Aurora Joanna
Zipporah Lomax