August 10, 2015
STYLIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, BLOGGER + WRITER PIA JANE BIJKERK
“I have learnt to keep creating,” says Pia Jane Bijkerk. “That it’s the key to opening one’s heart and being set free.” The all-round creative, whose work covers the spectrum of styling, photography, writing and blogging, has created four lifestyle books since she was last featured on Daily Imprint. “It has been the most intense learning time of my life,” she says. Last year Pia also wrote and styled a monthly column for Country Style Magazine. She says, “It was based on my ethos of enhancing the everyday - seeing beauty and function in the most ordinary, as well as bringing more nature into our everyday lives.” In 2014, Pia also began recording and sharing her piano compositions online. One of her compositions All this, yes was used on a video featuring sculptor Harrie Fasher at the National Museum of Australia earlier this year. Now, Pia is focussed on writing her next book from her base in Sydney, pictured above.
After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at COFA, majoring in film and photography, Pia opened a homewares boutique, Indigo Artefacts, in Sydney in 1999. Two years later she opened a gourmet cafe, Indigo Teahouse. Her freelance career began in 2004 and she began contributing photography to magazines a few years later. Her books include Paris: Made by Hand, Amsterdam: Made by Hand - two cities were she lived and worked for several years - as well as My Heart Wanders and Little Treasures: Made by Hand.
The original interview (reproduced below) was published on 29 October 2008.
Today I wanted to showcase another blogger who inspires me - Pia Jane Bijkerk. "Enhance the everyday" is her motto. And I couldn't agree more. Pia does this through her work as a stylist, writer and photographer, a path she turned to after running a homewares store as well as a teahouse in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Now she divides her time between Paris, Amsterdam and Sydney.
Which five words best describe you? Passionate, candid, rambling, quiet, flawed.
What’s your proudest achievement? Any time that I am able to express myself clearly and succinctly I am a bit proud. It doesn't happen often.
Who inspires you? Right now I am totally inspired by my fellow bloggers and blog readers. I love blogging. In my humble opinion it's the best technological creation to date.
What are you passionate about? Life: mine and everyone else's.
What’s the best lesson you've learnt? To just get on with it.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Songwriter and musician Ani DiFranco who is able to not only express herself clearly and succinctly on a regular basis, but also has the ability of "getting on with it".
What’s next? My first book will be published next year, and I have a few fun projects in the making that include more writing, more photography, more travelling, more styling, more drawings, and more music.
What are you reading? Just finished reading Mary Shaffer's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and have just started reading Sean Condon's My 'Dam Life. The two books couldn't be further worlds apart, but both inspire and intrigue me equally.
images courtesy of pia jane bijkerk