NICO at Home with Christen Peters
How did you enjoy creating the NICO at Home content?
I absolutely loved creating the NICO at Home content. My 2-year-old, Niko, and I got to snuggle and play, just the two of us. Being the youngest of three, I know he enjoys & treasures quality alone time with me.
What does self-care look like for you?
Recently, I have been trying to slow down to notice and appreciate the simple beauty of everyday life with my little family. I tend to move through my days with a checklist in hand and "productivity" on my mind. But over the past month or so, I've been practicing the art of observation as a means of self-care. Appreciating the joy of a warm cup of coffee while records spin and my kids dance in the living room. Marvelling over the artwork and trinkets my kids bring home from school instead of simply unpacking their bags and cleaning out their lunchboxes. Playing baseball with my son and the neighbourhood kids, even if that means embarrassing myself in front of a bunch of 8-year-olds by being struck out every single time. Lingering a few minutes to just stare at my kids after they fall asleep. I used to picture self-care as alone time. But more and more I'm realising that it's not just about alone time -- it's about soaking in these beautiful everyday moments and appreciating them, because I won't have them forever.
How does sustainability play a role in your daily routines?
One long-time passion of mine has been buying secondhand. Ever since I was in high school, my wardrobe has primarily been from thrift stores. This is something that I've joyfully passed on to my kids. They also love digging through treasures at the thrift store, finding so much joy in the hunt! We also compost, try to grow some of our own veggies, and choose reusable materials as much as possible. Always a work in progress, but we do our best with your daily routines.
Your photographic work is infused with feeling. What do you enjoy about working with that medium?
I've had a camera in my hands since I was about 15. I studied it throughout high school and got my degree in Commercial Photography. For me, there were never any other career options - photography has always been my chosen medium. I love that playing with light, composition and colour can create such different moods and tell a beautiful story without any words. I always strive to create artful, authentic and meaningful images for families, knowing that these images are part of their story and ultimately their legacy. Photos are such important pieces of our lives and I'm so honoured that I get to create them for a living.
How do you find balance in life with 3 small kids?
It's a constant juggle! My husband and I are both freelancers, which comes with its advantages with a young family. With both of us working from home, it gives us quite a bit of flexibility within our days. Some days I'm traveling to a client's home for a shoot, other days I'm working at home, sometimes I'm scouting locations or buying props for brand photoshoots - I love the variety but it can also feel hectic to have such variation in my day-to-day. One priority we have each evening is sitting down for dinner together. We joke that even if it's just 3 minutes that we're all actually at the table together, we feel like it's a win! Having that time together to connect and chat is something that balances our days so much.
What are you working on right now?
I always have a few personal projects going. I love creating photos for my clients but I keep my creative spark burning with personal projects. Currently, I'm working on a project called "Dream Days" where I document simple moments of my family with creative photo aspects -- slow shutter, light leaks, Polaroids, toy cameras, etc. It's an ongoing body of personal work that allows me to just play and have fun with film cameras. Another project I recently started is photographing the little trinkets my kids bring home from school. Usually it's hastily-pasted-together pom pom creations, "borrowed" matchbox cars, seashells, sticks. I love seeing what they deem important enough to put in their backpacks.
