Paola Merrill is a Puerto Rican American living in rural Washington state. An artist, writer, and videographer, Paola created the YouTube channel TheCottageFairy in 2020 and has spent the last five years making videos celebrating the nature of the Cascade mountain region. She speaks on topics related to lifestyle preferences, living as a Highly Sensitive Person, and artistic interests.
Paola’s childhood penchant for fairies and all things whimsical and her vibrant imagination are reflected in all that she does, and we’re very excited to share our latest interview where she shares advice on maintaining balance as an artist and mother, her sources of creative inspiration, and much more.
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- The Cottage Fairy Companion book
- TheCottageFairy YouTube channel
- The Cottage Fairy Shop – Art & Poetry
You’ve recently published a book of poetry, Poems for Gentle Souls. Could you share with us a bit about this collection and what inspired it?
This collection is inspired by my love of the natural landscape of NE Washington state, part. It is a climate of extremes, with cold snowy winters and hot dry summers. The flora and fauna of the region need to withstand a lot in order to survive, and yet every spring the hills bloom in shades of purple and yellow. The resilience and beauty of the environment here is a source of inspiration and healing. My poems are directly inspired by the wilderness. As with my videos, everything I do is partly an attempt to get readers and viewers to encounter nature via a creative lens and see value in the pursuit of protecting our precious wild lands.
For anyone unfamiliar, you’re also a talented watercolor artist. How did your exploration of this medium begin?
I have been painting since I was a child. I have always been attracted to the way that water and pigment interact in such unpredictable ways when it comes to watercolor. I knew I didn’t want to paint with plastic-based paints, so I wanted to hone my skills in a medium that had nature in mind. I am also an anglophile and studied how difficult it was for women to gain access to a variety of mediums and opportunities in the art world throughout the centuries. Due to societal restrictions, many only felt comfortable using watercolors as a mode of expression. I now see painting with watercolors to be a homage to the women of the past who quietly honed their skills despite societal restrictions, steadily fighting for more acceptance and agency as artists.
To this day I enjoy the process of mixing colors, sourcing my water from lakes and rivers in order to give my paintings a ‘local’ touch, and letting my own fantastical dreams inspire my paintings.
What advice would you give aspiring artists who want to begin sharing their work with the world?
Personally, as someone who grew up with very little internet access, I think it can be helpful to not over-consume social media. While imitation is a key part of learning, giving yourself time away from online artistic influences can also give you space and time to discover your own unique style.
That being said, the internet can be a powerful tool to share your work with a wider audience. Balance is key, which is easier said than done. I personally stay unplugged the majority of my day and find the time spent in silence and mindfulness is key to inspiring my artistic interests and honing my own skills. The mental health benefits are also great.
You also run a YouTube channel and post videos to Patreon as The Cottage Fairy. What inspired you to begin creating videos?
Both practical circumstances and fanciful dreams came together to create my channel in 2020. I was partially laid off and needed to find work, but I also dreamed of working as an artist. I saw how creative people were in the storytelling niche of youtube. I wanted to tell stories that felt magical and represented my own personality (which has always existed with one foot in reality and one foot in wonderland). I also wanted to find a community of people who also felt overwhelmed by everything going on in the world, people that were seeking escapism and solace and that wanted to step into fairyland along with me and find temporary respite. To this day I think that staying informed and involved is crucial to build a better world, but we also need to dream and create and find moments of peace to enjoy. One cannot exist without the other if we want to stay healthy and thrive.
You’re an artist, videographer, poet, and you’ve recently become a mother (congratulations, by the way!). What advice would you give for someone trying to juggle multiple interests and responsibilities at once?
Thank you! Honestly, I am in the process of learning how to do that and do not yet feel like I have much to share. I have always been someone easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which is a natural part of being a sensitive person, and so juggling too many things can leave me burned out. I suppose I would just suggest that no one hold themselves to anyone else’s standards but their own. In a world overwhelmed with Capitalist messaging related to efficiency and productivity, we can offer a new way of being that isn’t about quantity of tasks completed, but quality.
As creatives we draw inspiration from so many sources – what would you say are your greatest sources of creative inspiration?
So many. I am a voracious reader, and I love fantasy and fairytale books. Anything that feels weird and magical and strange – I have always been attracted to stories that question our own perceptions and the limits of our imaginations. Many artists have inspired me throughout my life. However, I would say the most inspiration I get is from spending time in silence (preferably outdoors). In a world where technology has made it easy for us to be stimulated nearly all the time, it can feel like entertaining ourselves with nothing but our own minds and souls can be an underappreciated art form. But there is so much richness there to discover.
What are your goals for your creative practice moving forward? Are there any particular projects that you’re excited to bring to life?
At this time, my only goal is the day-to-day re-forming of my identity as a mother. So much has changed, and many of the goals I once had seem quite inconsequential when there is a small life-form looking to you for guidance and wisdom. I am slowly transforming into someone new, no doubt with new ideas and projects that I may see to fruition someday (or not, who knows). I am glad I do not feel an urgent need to prove myself somehow, only to exist for the time being.
Recently, I have discovered the joy of working with clay and have been sculpting some creations in my free time. I look forward to experimenting.
It’s a Hyacinth Review tradition to ask: which books would you consider to be your top 5 favorites, at least for the moment?
That is so hard. It is an ever changing list, but I will list five of many favorites.
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
- Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
- The Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine Aaron
Finally, what media/music/miscellany have you been loving lately?
I have been enjoying watching old cartoons with my little one. Little Bear, Beatrix Potter Tales, The Wind and the Willows, Between the Lions, etc. The shows back then were very slowly (sometimes even a bit boring, in the best way). It reminded me how important it is to embrace slowness as a child, and as an adult. In a loud world, let yourself be bored, and you may find something you didn’t know you were seeking.
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