The Ritual Master Hello friends, and welcome back to The Ritual of Reading.
Today I have a household task I have to tackle, and I’m taking you along. I got this statement cabinet to store all of the linens and porcelain that I’m collecting and having trouble fitting in other spaces. I currently have an overcrowded porcelain cabinet and I keep my table linens in the tiny drawers of my Ikea table. They’re always creased and I can never find what I want. So it was high time I upgraded the situation. I fell in love with the birds, and the old world vibes it gives to my living room. So now I have to iron some lovely fabrics and de-clutter the porcelain situation, and it seemed to me like a very 18th century, lady of the house occupation.
The perfect context to talk Jane Austen.
I first saw this tag over on Sandy’s YouTube channel, Ms Reads a lot, and thought it was such good fun. This is an original tag created by Shelly Swearingen and I’m very happy to join in. So here we go !
1) Jane Austen was an artist and writer. Give yourself a point if you’re an artist. Give yourself an extra point if you are a writer.
I am an artist and I am also a writer, so I guess that’s two points for me. I grew up in admiration of my mom’s art, but I somehow developed this strong self-criticism or perfectionism that made me avoid artistic expression for years, especially painting since that is her forte. But then I discovered photography when I turned 18. It was a safe spot since I couldn’t compare myself to her, and so I went all in. It felt very natural, maybe because I was finally expressing something that was in me all along, and with it, I started to unblock other limitations that I had imposed on myself. I was finally able to communicate all the emotions I felt so vividly, so I unleashed everything : writing, cooking, needlework, textile painting, some abstract drawing and lately, videography. I feel so incredibly free creating, and as it turns out, I also feel I have a precious thing in common with Jane. My mom has become my fellow artist, and our relationship has never been better.
2) Austen was born to a large family. She had a total of 7 siblings: one sister and six brothers. Give yourself a point if you have three or more siblings family.
0 points on this one since I’m an only child. I feel like saying this automatically brings judgment. There are a lot of sayings about being an only child : that you’re selfish, that you don’t know how to make friends, that you have a very individualistic personality. I think I was raised to respect others and to be curious, so I’ve never had trouble making friends, but I’ve never had trouble being on my own either. So I suppose balance is the only recipe, whether you’re a single child or have many siblings.
3) Austen did not enjoy her formal education. Give yourself a point if you did not care for school.
Bring me that point ! Unlike Jane Austen, I was priviledged enough to live in a time when women are encouraged to pursue whatever studies they fancy. I always had the choice, nothing was imposed on me, and I had pretty good results overall. But what I struggled with was the constant feeling of being evaluated. I found it profoundly degrading for my self esteem to be regularly judged and deemed good or not good enough. That made me lose something from the thrill of learning, but maybe I compensated by teaching myself other things. I do think all my education has been valuable overall because it gave me starters, clues to pursue the journey on my own. But I did not enjoy it.
4) Dark humor is woven throughout Austen’s writing. Give yourself a point if you have a grim sense of humor. You must share a dark joke in order to get this point.
I don’t think dark humor is my strong suit. I have moments when I crack pretty decent jokes, but it’s usually when I’m very tired and have no filter left. So no point for me on this one. Phew, this way I don’t have to share a joke, it was stressing me out🙂
5) Jane broke off two engagements and died a spinster. Give yourself a point if you are single.
Point. Broke off some stories of my own, learned what I did not want for myself, and found a joyful balance in my life just by living in the moment. Should I point out all the issues I have with the word “spinster” ? It would only give the impression I am not comfortable being one, so instead, let me acknowledge the beauty of the original term that denoted a person whose occupation was to spin fibers in order to make yarn. Such a beautiful occupation, don’t you think ?
6) Austen experienced low periods or spells of depression. Give yourself a point if you have struggled with mental health.
0 points here. I had my ups and downs, life wasn’t always easy, but I learned very early on how to switch into auto-protect mode when I felt things get rough. I had activities that comforted me, I eventually started reading some books that helped me stay afloat, and so I never went down the rabbit whole. I think I was lucky… but I also think part of that luck was having a strong support system at home as a child.
7) Jane moved away from her childhood home in her 20s. Give yourself a point if you’ve lived away from your childhood hometown or region.
1 point for me. I left my hometown and my region at 18 to go to college on the opposite side of the country, not because I didn’t have opportunities back home, but because I was fascinated by the capital city. And strangely, by its history more than its present. From then on, 3 years later I left the country and came to Paris for my Masters. Was supposed to stay for two years, ended up a French citizen.
8) Jane was not vain. Give yourself a point if you have very little interest in vanity.
Oh zero interest whatsoever. The way I feel has always been more interesting for me than the way I look, so I’m grabing this point joyfully.
9) Hair was of little concern to Austen. Give yourself a point if you cannot be bothered with your hair.
That’s very funny because my hair is on my top 5 struggles of all times. I genuinely have a bad relationship with my hair. I don’t like it very much, and I think the feeling is mutual. I’ve had long hair for most of my life, and 7 months ago I decided I had nothing to lose, so I went and traumatised a poor hairdresser and asked to chop it all off. Best decision I ever made ! So I definitely can’t be bothered with my hair, I feel like I deserve this point !
10) Austen expressed her distaste for hot weather. Give yourself a point if you dislike the heat.
I do not only dislike heat, I get physically ill when I have to live at high temperatures. Add in humidity and I’m a goner. At one point I used to live in a very small studio apartment during a heatwave, and spent my days at Ikea. Air conditioning, meatballs, and beds you can lie in. Give me extreme cold, I can always add on a layer. But that feeling of no escape from heat is simply too much for me. So I’m with Jane on this one.
And now, the grand total comes to… 8 points.
So according to Shelly’s grid, in another life Jane Austen and I could have been siblings or at least good friends. That sounds about right, and now I can even invite her for a proper cup of tea, knowing my tea towels are all ready. I think I’ll try it first, and see if it’s good enough for Jane…
I had a lovely time doing this video, thank you Shelly for creating it ! I’m not going to tag anyone in particular, but feel free to do this if it speaks to you.
My morning has been very Jane Austen inspired, with cosy household activities and a cottage vibe floating around. It’s just as she said : “Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.”
Until next time, enjoy your reading, and your rituals !
