EVERYTHING is creative. Even Eating!

This week I spoke to Katherine Comina, owner of new blog site and Instagram influence Rhythm and Green. With a growing trend – and dare I say, a need – for sustainable lifestyle choices right now, Katherine’s seasonal eating and vegan friendly corner of the internet is well timed and well created. As a vegan, seasonal eater with a passion for all things sustainable, it may seem odd that we – creatively constipated – are walking a slightly different path, but rest assured, we have our reasons. I knew Katherine since long before she started Rhythm and Green and indeed watched her while she was building not only a website and an Instagram account, but she was building a brand. Already in just a few short weeks she has found her feet. In creating her empire, she has implemented her writing, taught herself photography and takes to the kitchen almost everyday to try and test recipes before blogging them out to her growing following. Now no one can say that does not take creativity! (Among immense other talents of course.)

As well as visiting www.rhythmandgreen.com and following her Instagram @rhythmandgreen, Katherine’s insights to a world of sustainable life choices are an absolute must read. Whether you’re a keen cook or could burn water by accident, this is a creative mission that is important to us all:

As a vegan yourself, do you find there are many hurdles due to the stigma around the word?

Going vegan was probably the best decision I ever made. I remember when I first decided to commit to doing ‘Veganuary’ back in 2019 I was so excited. But I was also prepared (even a little concerned) about the backlash I might get from family and friends. In the end, there was none but the word ‘vegan’ is almost taboo for some people. I know that when I first made the transition a lot of my friends asked me “will you be offended if I order the chicken?” when we went out for a meal. But not all vegans are going to give you a lecture or force their opinions on you – myself included. I value myself on encouragement rather than oppression.  I think that’s the main hurdle, at least for me – getting over the initial judgement. Even inside the vegan community, if you’re not 100% vegan 100% of the time, you’re often lectured about how you’re “not a proper vegan”. But going vegan is really hard for some people and it shouldn’t be about the labelling – that’s the second hurdle. Labelling yourself is like getting on a bus that only goes to one destination and once you’re on, it can be difficult to get off. We shouldn’t be letting our veganism define us completely. Lastly, I think it can be hard for other people to cater for your dietary needs, and we need to become more patient  and understanding with that. Some people might not know a thing about veganism and feel completely out of their depth when it comes to cooking something for you. As someone who eats vegan, I think it’s vital to be patient in those situations and educate rather than lecture (patience would be my third hurdle, with yourself as well as others – don’t beat yourself up for that one slice of pizza).

What is the most positive impact you can hope for while starting up Rhythm and Green?

I created Rhythm and Green with aims to provide a gentle corner of the internet for people who are interested in living more simply, more sustainably, and more seasonally. But, stemming from that, I wanted my reader’s to then go out and voice what they had learnt from these resources. Raising awareness is ultimately our main focus at Rhythm and Green – we want to speak up about the importance of conscious consumerism, seasonal eating, and sustainable rhythms but also voice louder that YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOO. We are all about small and incremental changes. In the book ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, it is stated that “habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Getting 1% better each day counts for a lot in the long-run.” – you can apply this methodology to the core values of Rhythm and Green as well: by changing our everyday habits to greener and more mindful ones, we can live with greater intention and better sustainability. In the end, our most positive impact is going to be what each of our reader’s takes away and acts upon, and that’s going to be different for each individual person.

You post almost every day between your different sites. From the growing of the produce in your allotment to the food it becomes in the kitchen. Is there a part of your creative process you enjoy the most?

I love everything about what I do. My work is so rewarding and so fulfilling, and I enjoy each activity differently – the fun of creating new food in the kitchen, the flare of taking and editing photographs, the sheer joy of writing a blog post, putting everything together and publishing it live online… there’s no greater feeling than stretching at the end of the day and seeing all that you’ve created. I love everything about what I do. But if I had to pick one process, my favourite would be the cooking. I love being in the kitchen, I’m a proper foodie and for me, the kitchen really is my canvas. Taking food from our garden and turning it into something not only delicious but beautiful, that settles everything in for me. I don’t think I would enjoy my job so much if I didn’t have the opportunity to create so much in the kitchen, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

What would be your top tip for someone wanting to live more sustainably?

My top tip for someone wanting to live more sustainably would be to take it one step at a time. Whether it’s the jump to veganism or just trying to reduce your everyday waste, my advice would be to start small and work your way up. Focus on the next step and not the entire staircase. Because, honestly, the idea of going 100% vegan or being completely sustainable in your everyday life is daunting and it can seem impossible when you’re just starting out. But by simple, incremental changes, you soon get further than you initially think you will. I started my vegan journey with a single month of veganism, and now I’ve created a business from it. I had no idea I would be doing this when I first made the dietary change, because you only need to look at the next step in front of you. Life gets so much better when you realise that you don’t have to go at the same pace as everybody else.

And finally, do you have a favorite meal/why that one?

My favourite meal is hands down, no doubt about it – lasagne. My blood is Italian, and I relate to Garfield on too many levels for my favourite meal not to be lasagne. It lights a little fire in the belly on a cold winter’s evening, puts a smile on your face at the end of a bad day, lights up the dark skies of January. I am extremely passionate about my lasagne and going vegan hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the sheer beauty of the dish either – I make a vegan one instead and IT IS DIVINE. Lasagne any day.

So there we are! I genuinely believe we all have something to learn from Rhythm and Green. Give her a follow, show some support and let’s wish her all the best.

And don’t forget to stay tuned. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of Rhythm and Green as both them and Creatively Constipated grow.