This week's featured Love Everywhere ambassador is wildly talented photographer and world traveller, Jennifer DeBarros, from the lovely city of Spokane, Washington. I am so pleased to bring her feature to our blog this week because she is a total gem of a human, read on below and I'm sure you'll agree!
What is your favorite thing about living in your city/what do there?
Not a lot of people are familiar with Spokane, WA but it’s truly a hidden gem. I moved here when I was 7 attended grade school and high school here and at 18 I was ready to get the heck out of here. I called Seattle and San Francisco home for a bit, but 3 years ago I decided to move back to be closer with older family members and spend more time with them. And all of the sudden the little town that I was so ready to leave quickly became my favorite city. What I love about Spokane is the way the community is ready to help and come together as a group for any situation. From creating new artistic events from scratch to participating and volunteering in fundraisers for local organizations, this city may not be known worldwide but the people who live here and decide to be an active participant in our city love it here! Supporting local really takes on a new meaning in Spokane and although we aren’t the biggest most popular city in Washington, we care a lot about the community and support local anyway possible. As a local artist and photographer, the sense of community and networking that comes from Spokane is priceless. I am able to be living out my dream career in my hometown because Spokanites support other Spokanites!
If you were a color, which one would you be?
Without a doubt I would be the color teal. I am madly obsessed with the color and anyone who has stepped into my apartment will see that. From throw pillows, art, pots and pans, towels, dishes, rugs, etc… anytime I see the color I gravitate to it and feel a strong need to add it to my collection of teal goodies. It just makes me so immensely happy and I can’t truly explain why or how much I love that color. My dream is to someday own a teal VW bus and drive it around the US. Here’s to hoping!
Do you have any hobbies?
I always say art is my career, passion and hobby. It has made me who I am! But aside from my appreciation of art I am wildly into traveling. The goal is to see the whole world someday and this year I’ve been lucky enough to see a great chunk of it. There is nothing more exhilarating than being plopped down in the middle of a foreign city, camera in hand and beginning to try and process all that you are seeing. I love the new smells, the way the air feels different and the excitement of trying to speak a new language. I went to China when I was 18 and I loved how it felt like I was in a different world. After that I vowed to take a trip whenever I had the funds saved up. When I travel I love experiencing something so drastically different from my day-to-day life, something so foreign that it seems like it couldn’t even be real life. It’s such a thrill to me!
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I am a crazy plant lady! I have over 20 potted plants in my tiny apartment and I see no end to this obsession. I am a total sucker for greenhouses and the garden centers of Home Depot and Lowes, they are my happy place and whenever I pass one I have to go in. I usually always come out with a new plant but am starting to run out of room. I love seeing each of them grow and blossom. While I don’t have the pleasure of having a garden of my own yet, I know one day I will just be bursting with joy to take care of a whole yard and garden.
What’s your favorite quote?
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” ― Roald Dahl
This quote speaks volumes to me. It expresses the way I see the world, always wide eyed and with wonder. I feel that’s what led to be a photographer, my constant desire to find beauty in the simplest of things, to find the magic in the ordinary because it exists and we often give it no regard.
Favorite season and why?
I am a sucker for all 4 seasons and that is why I adore living in the Pacific Northwest, we get to experience them all. But if I had to choose only one I would have to pick fall. I know spring is the rebirth of the year, with everything blooming and coming back to life. But there is something about fall that I find invigorating. Fall seems like a rebirth to me, the way the world is dusting it’s self off and riding itself of the unnecessary baggage the year may have brought. Fall air is always crisp and gives me a sense of a fresh beginning. And we can’t forget the vibrant colors of the trees loosing their leaves I find it just stunning!
Why did you want to be an LE Ambassador?
What instantly drew me to the project of Love Everywhere is my belief that sharing kindness with anyone, stranger or friend will always make a significant impact. Little pieces of random kindness have made all the difference in my life, and I know I am not alone. I feel that sometimes we all get caught up in the grandiose gesturers of the world and begin thinking if we aren’t doing something big are we even making a difference? But I truly feel that the most genuine joy is making small connections, with strangers or friends, in the simplest of ways. The small pieces of kindness always add up to something much larger than ourselves. That is why the project Share Love Everywhere strikes a special cord in my heart, we are all connecting by putting love into the world and realizing little words with great purpose make all the difference. To make someone feel loved is to make them happy to be who they are and if I can do that through the power of kind words, that makes my heart full.
