THE EARTH DIARY: SUSTAINABLE & SLOW LIVING ENTWINED WITH CREATIVITY WITH MEG
June 2020 - Posted by The Sisterhood of Sustainability
Meg caught our eye because of the beautiful way that she portrays her slow and sustainable lifestyle. She is a constant source of inspiration for us and we're in awe of her creativity and captivating personality. Meg has recently shared her journey with us and we're so excited to be able to share all of the beautiful details with you...
ABOUT MEG RYAN
Meg's journey started long before she realised but she feels that it was only recently actualised. Growing up home schooled on the family farm, Meg and her brothers were encouraged to dream and to live a life they loved whilst being fearless in what set their hearts on fire! Meg believes that lifestyle and those early years played a big part in shaping her. For it was in these years that she really connected with nature and spent her days barefoot, with sun kissed cheeks playing tree houses, lego and in the sandpit with her brothers.
When asked to share her journey with us, Meg declared "As the saying goes ‘you are what you eat,’ I also believe ‘you are how you feel.’ That your emotions are so powerful, that our thoughts influence each action in such a beautiful way. To me each person has a galaxy within them, an imagination ready to explode and the potential to fulfil any dream!" We love her passion for life and the beautiful vision that she has for each and every person."
SUSTAINABILITY & ETHICALITY
It is this raw tie to the land that ignited Meg's love of sustainability and her passion to live ethically. Sometimes one can be unsure of a path’s origin, but it is her belief that she grew up being taught about the importance of renewable living. Trips to the op shop, growing their own food and learning to respect the cycle of the seasons. For we do not live on this planet, but in it - amongst the wildlife, the flora and the shifting weather patterns. This is why Meg believes that sustainability is so imperative to the way she lives, because she was born into a family that honoured our place on earth.
Today Meg sees mindset as the biggest tool in living sustainably. To be able to imagine the impact of each individual choice and to always strive to do better. She currently buys fresh local produce, eats consciously and uses 100% renewable energy. She stated that "these are small steps, but they are constantly implemented in our everyday lives. In the future I dream of living off grid, filtering our own water and growing our own food."
She and her partner, Rod (@roderick_macgregor) are currently working towards this dream, to live completely independently, only relying on the resources found in nature. This is what she believes slow living is all about. To be alive in the moment, present and understand the impacts of your actions. Aware of ones behaviour, learning to rest, to be and to feel. As humans we have lost the ability to be in the moment, in the energy of that minute and discern our own emotions. While on the road my Meg and Rod began to feel again, to connect with the now instead of tomorrow and with this awakening came a contentment. Peace. For as the wise Winnie the Pooh says “Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present.”
- - - A NOTE FROM MEG - - -
"I truly believe that people meet and things happen for a reason! Good or bad to teach us of our worth and help us on our exploration. For that is what life is, a road to explore, to enjoy the drive and excitedly live the now. Wherever you are on this road, reflect on your progress, the steps big or small that got you here and celebrate you. You are one kick ass individual and the potential you hold within you is bottomless!"
LIVING A CREATIVE LIFESTYLE
Armed with this altered state of mind Meg and Rod began to imagine the lifestyle they wanted to lead, to create a sanctuary, a space that was theirs. Life on the road was not always easy, but it taught them what they were able to live with and what was not necessary. A life of less with more adventure is what they (and we) dream of! Full of experiences, over things and to consciously choose what lifestyle to pursue and focus on making that a reality. Meg exclaimed that "It was this acknowledgment of our lifestyle that saw me begin to actualise our true potential. That anything is possible and to dream bigger."
Living with purpose is a choice, one which saw both Meg and Rod to take the plunge to initially travel and then start their own photography business. Due to this, no one day is alike, and Meg spends some planning shoots for clients, others editing and in-between it all spending time outdoors. Her creative lifestyle is all about consciously connecting, working alongside like-minded people and using imagery as a way to tell their story. Her partner Rod is the photographer and she is constantly inspired by his expertise and ability to create a mood when capturing a scene. Before each shoot Meg gets to know each brand, gathering information to best describe the spirit of their narrative and breathe an energy into each product.
Alongside this, Jane (founder of Slow journal) invited Meg to join her path and to work by her side in creating a sustainable community of like-minded people. This role has allowed her to meet so many beautiful people - individuals who care so deeply for our world and mindfully make decisions in accordance. This is Meg's most cherished aspect of SLOW, and she becomes so inspired by the people behind each business, actively learning about each person and the steps they have taken to be where they are now.
I would love to share with you my favourite quote. “And when you want something, ALL the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” (The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho)
PIECES OF INSPIRATION
Nature has always been Meg's biggest inspiration, much like our designs are inspired by beautiful pieces of nature! Playing in the rolling hills of home, to photographing long romantic grass in boarding school, creating natural dyes in uni, right through to todays visual storytelling, Meg's journey has been entwined with wild, untamed nature and adventures all along. For if you sit long enough, still enough Meg believes you can almost hear and see mother nature talking. The gentle sigh in the trees, buzz of a bee, sweet pollen on the air, each whispering to the other, softly.
These memories pull her outside, to escape the confines of societal living. To explore more, uncover places she has never seen and to experience the raw emotions which flood in with each. For no other feeling compares to being somewhere uncivilised, just you, all the while nature pulsing around you. Once your feet start to wander there is no going back, this feeling grips you, encouraging you go further, become more in touch with yourself and actively participate in life!
To give you a beautiful insight into the creativity and beauty that flows through Meg and her lifestyle, she shared these inspiring words with us "Today was a soft day, a day made for watching sunbeams dance across the deck, birds flit across the sky and to gaze down at beetles trundling with slow ambition. I hope more than anything that if you are reading this that you find the time to let nature submerge you, to sink into the heady scents and listen to the rhythm of her heartbeat."
We're in awe of Meg and her incredible passion and feel so honoured to be able to share her journey and beautiful words with you. To learn more about her sustainable and ethical journey or to discover the beauty of her creativity, head over to Instagram and follow her beautiful account.
The Earth Diary blog series was created to highlight the importance of reducing your environmental impact, adopting a slow and sustainable lifestyle and appreciating the small moments in every day.
We’ve chosen beautiful women from within the creative and earth friendly community whom we believe have something inspiring and empowering to share with you and have dedicated each of these blog posts to these amazing women, their stories and their beautiful photos.