Badass Women
"I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don't call me lucky. Call me a badass."
-Shonda RhImes
This project is my attempt to capture a glimpse into the lives of the beautiful, talented, and endlessly unique women in my community.
Kate is one of these amazing women who always looks athletic and chic. She is equally ready to hit up a kickboxing class or go out for a glass of wine. She is quick to include others and has a long list of volunteerism.
Kate paints beautiful landscapes, sews aprons, and on top of it all is a fantastic mother. She recently received a St. Paul neighborhood honor roll award for her work on the Summit Hill Community Garden as well as Summit Hill MOMS club.
Sometimes life is about Plan B. Kate has embraced this next chapter of her life with such grace, honesty, and fierceness. I can't wait to see what she chooses to do next.
Kate Pearce & Trygve
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
Summit Hill. Lived on or near Grand Ave since 2003
WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES IN LIFE?
daughter, sister, artist, mother, marketer, organizer, volunteer and now, event consultant!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD GO TO?
Love Summit Hill and Grand/Victoria, but I also love getting out to Linden Hills, lower town St. Paul, Stillwater, Northfield. Any place with sidewalk patios for people watching!
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE QUOTES OR PHRASES?
"The grass is greener where you water it."
"Rejoice in life every single day. Do not wait until it is past in discovering it was good! Do not place your happiness in the days to come."
WHAT DOES BALANCE MEAN TO YOU?
This was a hard one! Balanced for me is not saying "yes" to everything that comes my way. Learning to take on projects, jobs, or relationships because I want to, not because I should. It's taken years to shed a few commitments that my heart wasn't in, and slowly I find the pace is a little more sane. You just can't do it all. Balanced for me also means not feeling guilt when I spend time & attention on myself. Realizing how important self-care is and how that looks for me personally. Since getting divorced, self-care has become a big deal, but balance in my life has changed tremendously. All of the sudden I have half the week to myself, and between you and me, it's kind of awesome. I do miss giving myself to someone else as a partner in life, but it's also been fun to see what/how I choose to spend my time completely independently.
TIME TO BRAG...WHAT DO YOU KICK BUTT AT?
OH fart. I'm good at organizing a project or event, especially one that involves people. Pulling people in, getting 'em motivated, delegating roles, keeping it moving. I love thinking about social gatherings, how to bring people together.
I'm also good at giving gifts, or thoughtful gestures. I love when I know someone well enough to think of the perfect ways to appreciate them or give a unique gift they will love. Personalizing it as much as possible. And I love helping other people do this for the people in their lives.
YOU HAVE MANY ROLES IN LIFE. HOW DO YOU MAKE SPACE FOR YOURSELF, YOUR PASSIONS AND INTERESTS?
Well, like I said above - I have half my week to myself these days! It looked very different before staying up most nights until 12/1am. I think my personal interests are actually really satisfied in many of the roles I have - so that's a win-win.
WHAT CHALLENGES YOU?
This is a hard one too… you can think about this in a couple different ways. I could say, reading a long recipe challenges me… or running more than 3 miles. But I think you also mean, what motivates me? Deadlines motivate me. A good reputation motivates me - I care a lot about what others think. A sale motivates me. Being a good example for my son.
I think this is one that constantly changes and has shifted in big ways for me in the last year… I'm still figuring it out. :)
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR SON TO LEARN FROM YOU?
I would love for my son to learn how to appreciate little joys, make family/friend relationships absolutely #1, eat well, love outdoors, treat others with kindness.
WHAT DOES A GREAT DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
If I could sleep past 7:30am, some time for coffee & stretching, breakfast with kiddo, work a few hours (whatever the work du jour is - but it's MY stuff, not playing race cars), afternoon jog or walk in the sunshine, dinner with kiddo + friends. A glass of wine in there or G&T just puts icing on the cake. Oh and some cake would be great too. :)-
WHAT DO YOU MAKE SPACE FOR ON A REGULAR BASIS? WHAT DO YOU DO THAT HELPS LIFE GO A BIT MORE SMOOTHLY?
I make space for my kiddo. To sit down for breakfast and/or dinner with him. To sing to him in the morning, read to him at night, to look him in the eyes to let him know I'm listening. Sit & color or pretend I'm a race car. It's not all day everyday, it's not perfect, but I try to make that space for him everyday.