Interview with Danielle LaPorte

Posted on 29. Jan, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Interview, Musings & Inspiration
4 comments

The brilliant Danielle LaPorte (of Style Statement fame) offered to interview fellow bloggers and readers of her new blog, White Hot Truth.
The idea is that each blogger agrees in turn to interview his or her own readers who are interested, and so on. So if you would like me to interview you, please take a look at the rules below and leave me a comment here.

THE INTERVIEW RULES
* leave me a comment saying: “interview me”
* all comments will be published
* I will e-mail you five questions of my choice
* you can then answer the questions on your blog {with a link back to my blog}
* you should also post these rules, along with an offer to interview anyone else who e-mails you wanting to be interviewed
* anyone who asks to be interviewed should be sent 5 questions to answer on their blog
* it would be nice if the questions were individualized for each blogger

And without further ado, 5 Q’s from White Hot Truth for Emmanuelle:

1. What is your form of genius?

Reframing: I am really good at helping people see a different perspective or unexpected opportunity. I love opening up new possibilities.

I am also very adept at researching, sorting through and interpreting large amounts of information, be it practical or conceptual.

2. What do you want more of?

Humour;

Inspiration;

Focus;

Raw-milk cheeses.

Now that I think of it, more shoulder rubs would be nice too.

3. In your opinion, what was David Bowie’s best phase?

Wait, you mean David Bowie has gone through several phases? No one ever tells me anything…

[What’s with the Bowie references all over the place lately, by the way? Is the Flight of the Conchords song single-handedly causing a revival?]

Back to the original question: Music-wise, he definitely was on top of his game in the early seventies, so I would have to pick the Ziggy Stardust phase.
Mind you, as a composer/performer/actor/chameleon, he was amazingly prolific in the eighties too, culminating in the feathered-haired and glittery gloriousness that is Labyrinth… so I guess it is a tie between Ziggy and the Goblin King.

4. Who inspires you and why?

– Pharaoh Hatshepsut, an amazingly strong woman who was also an excellent diplomat. Her reign brought peace, prosperity and stability to Egypt.

– Hildegard von Bingen, for being such a multi-talented author, herbalist, linguist, composer and mystic (among other things). I cannot read about her, or listen to her music, without feeling the urge to get up and go do something meaningful with my life!

– Felines in general, and cats in particular, for their grace, their independence and their ability to combine deep relaxation with constant alertness.

5. What are 3 books that rocked your world?

Only three? Oh that is a tough one for a bookworm like myself!

– Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome
Yes I know, purple prose and all that. Yet I have always found this book hilarious. I first read it in French when I was a little girl and I must have re-read it close to 15 times since!

– Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Another book that I first read in French as a child. I remember being mesmerized by the way Kipling played with words and sounds and alliterations and repetitions… my first exposure to a writer who had a very distinct voice and who was not afraid to use it.

– The Search for Omm Sety by Jonathan Cott
A fascinating biography that poses more questions than it answers. Dorothy Eady, aka Omm Sety, bridged the gap between modern and ancient Egypt. She chose to leave everything behind and moved from England to a tiny hamlet in Upper Egypt, in order to spend the rest of her life near her beloved Temple of Abydos. Her story never fails to inspire me as a coach, especially when I work with clients who feel stuck and are doubting their own dreams.

and a bonus Q, just for you:
what advice do you give most often?

Hmm. You know, I try to refrain from giving too much advice. I am more of the “listen deeply and make it easier for people to listen to their own wisdom” school of thought. After all, each one of us is the expert at living his or her own life and I can only speak for myself!

In my coaching, I will often suggest “Sit with this for a while and see what comes up”. Life is not just about constantly doing and/or analyzing stuff. Sometimes it is good to just notice what is going on inside and simply allow it to be there, without rushing to “fix” it.

I will take an insightful question over a piece of advice any day. Much more powerful.

Your turn now! Please leave a comment if you would like me to interview you next.

Emmanuelle