In Conversation with Marianne Roussety
Meet Marianne, an artist and mother, who lives in Byron Bay with her husband Ben — a photographer and creative director — their daughter Zaya, and a little boy due in September.
In this journal we speak to Marianne about the art of slowing down, learning to let go of busyness, and the ways in which she finds rest in her last trimester.
Photos by @raynjermain
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your family?
My name is Marianne and I am a mother and artist, my husband Ben is a photographer and creative director and our daughter is Zaya. We are lucky to call the Byron Bay Area our home and to raise our little tribe here. Our little boy is due in September and we are so excited to meet him soon.
What’s a small moment from this year that you want to remember forever?
My daughter being so aware about her little brother and talking about how she is so excited to become a big sister to teach him things, play with him. The way she speaks of him is the sweetest thing ever and it melts my heart to know that he will have such a nurturing big sister.
You are a creative woman, how do you weave your creative practices into motherhood? And what are you creating at the moment?
This one has been a tricky one. I’ve tried to do both, but running a creative business on your own whilst being pregnant and wrangling a toddler isn’t an easy task. I’ve had to surrender to putting my creative endeavors aside and just fully focus on motherhood and being present with my little girl before her brother arrives. I know my time to be creative will come back sometime in postpartum and I look forward to it. It’s been really lovely to not pressure myself to be creative in the same ways I have been before.
What does rest look like for you right now in your last trimester with a toddler?
Proper rest looks like a 1-2 hour nap in the middle of the afternoon when my husband is home, it’s the best haha! Otherwise, sitting down with a cup of freshly made matcha whilst my daughter plays peacefully.
What’s one thing you’re actively trying to let go of in this season of life?
I have been trying to let go of expectations. It seems this pregnancy has been a big teacher for me in terms of letting go of the need to be busy and to work on my business/be successful. I felt so much resistance at first but my body showed me pretty quickly that I could burn myself out if I didn’t slow down and just surrender to putting my business aside while I am growing our second child. It has actually felt liberating and I have felt so present in myself and with my family.
What’s one practice you believe a mother should consider postpartum?
To ask for support! Whether it be from friends, family or community around, I felt like having support in postpartum made life so much easier
What’s something about breastfeeding that surprised you - something that you are more mindful of as a second-time mum to be?
To be honest, Zaya and I had a wonderful breastfeeding journey straight from birth, which we were very lucky. I didn’t do much research or anything before the birth but did hope it would be a smooth journey for us, which lasted for a beautiful 15 months. The only thing that surprised me, was that because I was quite depleted after a year of breastfeeding and tending to a little human, I sometimes got anxiety when she would latch, which wasn’t fun! This time around I will make sure to stay on top of my nutrients intake, so I don’t struggle with those feelings again.
You're Mauritian/Canadian, Ben is Australian, and the two of you met in Portugal — quite the international love story. What was it that eventually led you both to put roots down in Byron Bay?
After we met in Portugal, we made plans for me to move to Australia with Ben. Not long after, we bought a van and we did a beautiful road trip along the east coast of Australia. We stopped in Byron Bay because we needed to replenish our bank accounts, so we found jobs and we found a beautiful community of people that eventually became some of our best friends. We fell in love with the land and the vibes so we knew we had to find a way to lay some roots here, which we did a year later.
Tell us about your creative practice — what have you been making this last year, and how did you find your way to it? What does 'artist' mean to you day-to-day, separate from motherhood?
I haven’t created much at all this year, it’s actually been so nice to detach from the need to be productive and just surrender to this pregnancy and grow our second child without any external pressure. To me being an artist encompasses a few things such as creating in any mediums, whether it be pottery, painting, creating jewellery or designing something, but also to live in art. To notice beauty in the everyday things, the light, nature and more.
Can you tell us one piece of advice or lesson in life that you want to pass onto your daughter?
That your worth is not something you have to earn, it already lives within you.
Marianne wears three looks all in size Small / 8:
Look 01: Leakproof Milk Cami + G-String in White Pointelle.
Look 02: Milk Label Leakproof Milk Bralette + High Brief in Cocoa
Look 03: Leakproof Milk Cami + Sleep shorts in White Pointelle.
