The PoArtMo Anthology Series: Interview with Cendrine Marrouat

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our PoArtMo Anthology Series, which celebrates the artists whose work appears in The Auroras & Blossoms PoArtMo Anthology: Volume 4.

Today’s guest is Cendrine Marrouat, who is a co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms. She contributed several poems and flashku to our anthology.

Auroras & Blossoms: Tell us all about the inspiration behind your pieces.

Cendrine Marrouat: My goal has always been to inspire whoever reads me or looks at my visual art. To me, being an artist transcends creation. I want to share important life lessons so others are encouraged to question their own outlook.

All the vardhaku in this volume come from an unfinished project based on nature and the seasons. My other poems talk about the importance of self-love. Finally, my flashku, which are short forms of flash fiction inspired by images, freeze a moment in time in order to deliver a stirring message.

A&B: How does a poem, story or creative piece of art begin for you? Does it start with an image, a form or a particular theme?

CM: As a multidisciplinary artist, I find this question difficult to answer. When I take photos, I hear words in my mind. When I write, I see images. And when I paint or work on a digital piece, it is a mixture of both.

The only constant in my artistic life has been the need for finding a title before starting any project.

A&B: What is your own artistic background?

CM: English is not my mother tongue, but I am a former English major. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in English-to-French translation. My linguistic training has played a major role in shaping my style and teaching me how to write in an impactful manner.

However, when it comes to photography, digital art, and painting, I am completely self-taught. I watch tutorials and ask questions, but mostly learn through practice. I love going with the flow!

A&B: Does your work have any specific themes or social commentary we should identify with?

CM: As a writer who seeks to inspire people, the recurrent themes in my work revolve around the importance of self-love and mental well-being. I have released several books that deal with topics like death, suicide, and depression. I want to normalize challenging conversations.

My photography and paintings mostly focus on nature and details that we tend to overlook. Finally, my work with fractals is geared towards our connection with the universe.

A&B: Tell us the most positive and uplifting advice you have been given while working as a creative person.

CM: “Welcome imperfections and embrace mistakes” and “If you do your absolute best, you will never fail”. 🙂

Bio:

Cendrine Marrouat is a French-born Canadian photographer, poet, digital artist, and the multi-genre author of 40+ books. In 2019, she co-founded Auroras & Blossoms and PoArtMo with David Ellis. She is also the (co-)creator of several literary forms and a type of digital image.

Cendrine writes both in French and English and has worked in many different fields in her 20-year career, including translation, language instruction, journalism, art reviews, and social media.

Website: https://creativeramblings.com

Cendrine, thank you for answering our questions and supporting Auroras & Blossoms! We know that people will love your work as much as we do!