I have a few memories in life in which the world seems to stop spinning & in which I know without the shadow of any doubt that the moment will have big meaning as time marches on. The moment when I met my friend Maria Devereux is one such moment. Smiling, kind, & bursting with contagiously creative energy, Maria is a #KindnessWarrior to her core.
As a woman who lives, breathes, & works in creative industries - Maria leads with head, heart, & soul.
How wonderful life is while she is in the world...
Please enjoy Maria's Kindness Warrior Q & A below. I know I have!
Q & A with Maria Devereux
What three words best describe you?
Creative. Resilient. Empathetic.
Oh and 3b would be Tenacious.
Why those three words?
Creativity is my passion.
I feel lucky to have found a way to spend my days creating, inventing and imagining impossible things.
Resilient. I have found my strength and for that, I’m forever grateful.
Empathetic. I feel for others so deeply that I share in their pain, their joy or their need to go a little bananas!
Tenacious. I love nothing more than being part of something amazing - an idea, a community or project so once I’m excited, I’ll stop at nothing to make it happen.
What did you want to be as a kid?
An interior designer. Four out of eight of my cousins have design degrees so I guess it’s in our blood.
I was quite young when my first cousin became an interior designer, so he inspired me to do the same.
Tell me about compassion & how it shows up for you daily.
Showing compassion for others comes much more easily to me than showing compassion for myself. That’s something I have to continually work on and part of that is sticking to my daily meditation practice. Which funnily enough, is something I didn’t do today but I’m going to give myself a break. We all slip up...right?
Who inspires you most in your daily life?
I get inspiration from the creative energy that surrounds me. That might be my husband painstakingly crafting his new song, my son designing cardboard cat houses like they are architectural monuments or the amazing humans I get to hang with every day at work.
Name a moment in your life when you were courageous!
The moment I bravely accepted the horrific consequences of ending a relationship to put my own health and wellbeing first. And actually, typing this took a considerable amount of courage too.
What does kindness look like/mean to you & how does this manifest in your daily life?
Kindness to me is equal parts activism and compassion. It’s not a soft, fluffy concept.
I believe it takes strength to be kind.
What motivates you to do what you do?
I get the most incredible sensation when I land on a brilliant idea. WOW, there’s actually nothing like that adrenaline rush of excitement so that motivates me to keep imagining impossible things.
When are you happiest?
When I’m singing or at a live gig.
Live music instantly takes me to my happy place.
We’ve all got a zinger of a power song what’s yours?
Great segway!
Journey - Don’t Stop Believin’.
Introvert or Extrovert?
Extrovert. I get my energy from other people and from singing to a room full of strangers.
What’s one thing we could all do to change the world for the better?
Be kind to each other and our planet.
Name a deal-breaker for you.
Dishonesty.
When did you last sing out loud? (Also, what were you singing?)
An hour ago. I was singing backup vocals for my husband’s latest song - or at least attempting to.
What’s your biggest hope for the world in 2020?
A massive shift in our collective values and the focus of our energy towards less materialistic things.
What’s your biggest fear for the world in 2020?
Ironically it’s fear! I worry the fear born out of this global pandemic will breed more hate in the world.
You get one super-power, what is it?
Teleportation. I’d do anything to be able to visit my friends and family overseas at the click of a button.
To find out more about amazing Maria, check her online here:
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