{"id":48,"date":"2016-10-20T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T09:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/?p=48"},"modified":"2023-01-04T12:13:19","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T01:13:19","slug":"gina-knight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/?p=48","title":{"rendered":"Gina Knight \/\/ The Modern Bohemian Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"l4\"<\/a>Gina Knight is a nomad and brave and humble. Her life is simple, purposefully so. Creativity isn\u2019t a skill she\u2019s had to hone it\u2019s innately expressed. You see it in the makeshift aesthetic of her beach-side, Long Jetty home \u2014 the converted garage and outside laundry repurposed into a bespoke one bedroom studio with outdoor kitchen, a tee-pee in the backyard that doubles as her husband Cameron Knight\u2019s (aka Pepa Knight) music studio, the jars of colourful legumes a disorderly rainbow along the hardwood shelves. She lives genuinely\u2014 a modern bohemian life, unmanufactured. Seeing many parts of the world in her short years has had a profound influence on Gina\u2019s everyday choices and her effort to live more consciously and waste-free. We talked about her old life as an interior designer, what it\u2019s like to dumpster dive and her favourite fashion finds from far away lands.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"p1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photography: Jozef Oldfield<\/strong>
\nWords: Jessica Oldfield<\/strong><\/p>\n

JO: So I wanted to start with a few facts I know about you and get you to confirm whether they\u2019re true or not.<\/p>\n

GK: Okay.<\/p>\n

JO: You have dumpster dived.<\/p>\n

GK: True<\/p>\n

JO: You are the mother of a 2-year-old boy named Biko.<\/p>\n

GK: True<\/p>\n

JO: You are married to a musician.<\/p>\n

GK: Yes<\/p>\n

JO: You are a drummer in a band.<\/p>\n

GK: True.
\n\u2026I\u2019m sounding so cool. [laughs]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"l2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Striped Singlet Dress in Navy<\/em><\/a> \/\/ Children’s Stripe Harem Pant<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

JO: You use a hanky instead of tissues.<\/p>\n

GK: True. I have to use a hanky instead of tissues!<\/p>\n

JO: Why?<\/p>\n

GK: There\u2019d be too many!<\/p>\n

JO: You love to travel<\/p>\n

GK: Yes<\/p>\n

JO: You have lived in a tee-pee.<\/p>\n

GK: Yes. Slept in. It was our bedroom.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"l3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Striped Singlet Dress in Navy<\/em><\/a> \/\/ Children’s Stripe Harem Pant<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

JO: Now for those reading who don\u2019t know, can you explain what dumpster diving is.<\/p>\n

GK: It\u2019s pretty much going through bins, after hours, on bin night, when people put out there bins and getting the good food out of it that people were going to chuck out.<\/p>\n

JO: So packaged foods?<\/p>\n

GO: Not necessarily just packaged, fresh produce too that\u2019s still good but not good enough to sell. And it\u2019s stuff that\u2019s still in date, but might be quite close to the use by date. Or sometimes it might be passed the use by date but you can tell it\u2019s still okay.<\/p>\n

JO: What are some of the foods you\u2019ve found?<\/p>\n

GK: Lots of fruit and veg. Packets of things like tofu. I\u2019ve found some good raw desserts.<\/p>\n

JO: What do you like about dumpster diving?<\/p>\n

GK: Basically its fun. Like, it\u2019s really fun, \u2018Cause you feel a bit sneaky. But also, there\u2019s so much food waste and it\u2019s good for the environment to use it rather than it be wasted. And it\u2019s free. One of the other really cool things about dumpster diving is you\u2019re not really choosing what you get, you just end up with a bunch of stuff and it helps you be more creative with cooking because you\u2019re just using what you found in the bin.<\/p>\n

JO: So food and creativity are closely aligned for you?<\/p>\n

GK: Yeah definitely. I feel like that\u2019s where I get most of my creative skills out.<\/p>\n

JO: Aside from dumpster diving and using hankys, how else do you try to reduce waste?<\/p>\n

GK: We use cloth nappies for Biko, which has been great. I use a reusable menstrual cup. Then all the usual basics: not using plastic bags, buying food in bulk and using glass jars for refills. And even if I\u2019m at a supermarket, I try to choose options that are not in plastic. I guess just trying to be more aware in general.<\/p>\n

JO: Do you find this stuff challenging? Or did you initially?<\/p>\n

GK: Yeah definitely. I think at first it was overwhelming. I\u2019ve noticed that it\u2019s had to be a very gradual thing over the years. But now as I\u2019ve changed stuff over time it\u2019s really easy because it starts to become habitual\u2026and it becomes your life. And I think that\u2019s what you\u2019re seeing when you visit other countries. Particularly when we\u2019ve been to India I\u2019d think: \u201chow do they live like that?\u201d \u201cHow do you use a bucket toilet?\u201d But it\u2019s ingrained into their everyday. They\u2019re not having to change, they\u2019re just doing what they\u2019re doing, and once you are doing what you\u2019re doing, its just normal life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"l5\"<\/a>Embroidered Boho Dress in White<\/a> \/\/ Children’s Stripe Harem Pant<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

“I think at first it was overwhelming. I\u2019ve noticed that it\u2019s had to be a very gradual thing over the years. But now as I\u2019ve changed stuff over time it\u2019s really easy because it starts to become habitual”<\/p>\n

JO: India is quite a special place for you isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

GK: Yeah, India, out of all the countries I\u2019ve been to, is probably my favourite. We\u2019ve been there a few times now and there\u2019s just something about it.<\/p>\n

JO: Would you say it\u2019s influenced the way you live?<\/p>\n

GK: Yeah I think every country I go to influences the way I live, but India is a particularly inspiring place for me.<\/p>\n

JO: Is it the simplicity of their lives that inspires you?<\/p>\n

GK: Yes, I\u2019m very attracted to simple living. And living waste-free as much as possible. I think Cameron and I have both chosen to live life a bit more simple so we can do the things we love. I like travelling and I love the beach and gardening and a lot of the things that do take a lot of time. Cameron has always worked a few days a week whilst doing his music and I\u2019m working a few days a week too, but I think it\u2019s all about balancing it. \u2018Cause you still need to pay the bills.<\/p>\n

JO: What does an unbalanced life look like for you?<\/p>\n

GK: I guess just a feeling that something\u2019s not quite right. If you\u2019re not feeling good it can be an indicator that your life\u2019s a bit out of balance in some way. I guess work, particularly, is where the balancing act is hard and sometimes I think I\u2019d like to not work at all.<\/p>\n

JO: How has becoming a mum affected your creativity?<\/p>\n

GK: Every change in life affects where your creativity comes from. Years ago I was an interior designer, so that\u2019s where most of my creative energy was going into, plus cooking. But since having Biko I haven\u2019t had as much time to cook. But now things like dressing him are a creative outlet for me. I guess now, it\u2019s the things I do with Biko that I put creativity into, rather than the things I do for myself.<\/p>\n

JO: Well he\u2019s a super stylish kid. Can you describe your style?<\/p>\n

GK: It\u2019s probably a mixture of a few things. I really like vintage, second-hand clothes. I love doing clothes swaps with friends so a lot of my stuff is second hand, but I do like mixing it with some new stuff, which might be plain basics, or something bohemian-inspired. I like finding unique clothing when I\u2019m travelling that\u2019s been handmade.<\/p>\n

JO: What\u2019s a favourite find?<\/p>\n

GK: In Morocco I got a really beautiful, old Berber necklace. I really love that. I also got a great pair of boots in Morocco that are made from a patterned Berber rug.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"p2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Elke Pleated Bodice Maxi<\/a> \/\/ Children’s Stripe Harem Pant<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

“If you\u2019re not feeling good it can be an indicator that your life\u2019s a bit out of balance in some way. I guess work, particularly, is where the balancing act is hard and sometimes I think I\u2019d like to not work at all.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

JO: They sound incredible.
\n\u2026So why did you stop interior design work?<\/p>\n

GK: It just wasn\u2019t feeling right. I\u2019ve never actually wanted to work, but I thought I had to do something, before I had kids and became a housewife. [laughs]
\nSo I studied interior design because I am really interested in it and I love it, but I just don\u2019t really like doing it as a job. I found it really restricting, you can\u2019t just do what you want. You have to do what your boss wants, or if you work for yourself, you have to do what the client wants, so it never really feels like your work.<\/p>\n

JO: What motivates you?<\/p>\n

GK: I really like to do a big trip every year. Going somewhere I\u2019ve never been and spending a really good amount of time, like a month, away. I feel like that really helps me have something to work towards and look forward to and then while I\u2019m away its really nice to be out of your life, looking back on it, reassessing things and being reinspired. I\u2019ve found that\u2019s a really healthy thing for me and I would like to keep doing that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"l6\"Embroidered Boho Dress in White<\/a> \/\/ Children’s Stripe Harem Pant<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

JO: It\u2019s such a good thing to do I think. You can put travel off for a long time, \u2018cause you\u2019re just thinking about booking it. But you really do just have to not overthink it, book it and go.<\/p>\n

GK: Yeah and I\u2019ve noticed since having Biko it is harder to plan a trip. Or harder to get your head around a trip. But the last trip we did, we just booked it and didn\u2019t even think too much about it and we went and it was so good. And I\u2019m so glad we did do it, because you can just keep going with the everyday stuff and not get around to it.<\/p>\n

JO: What\u2019s it like travelling with a two-year-old?<\/p>\n

GK: It\u2019s really good. Biko has a great time. I think because he\u2019s doing something different every day he\u2019s always very entertained and exhausted by every night. He can watch movies now. So there was a lot to distract him with if we were on a plane, we can just put a movie on. It\u2019s a bit easier now then when he was one.<\/p>\n

JO: I feel like there\u2019s a lot of fears, maybe fear of the unknown, fed into mothers about travelling with their children, which is a shame, \u2018cause it can really stop you from having a memorable experience.<\/p>\n

GK: Yeah I don\u2019t know what the fear is. I\u2019m confused by it still. It\u2019s probably just the fear that other people give you. Like when we had our trip booked to Morocco when Biko was nearly one, so many people were saying \u201cwhat are you doing taking a baby to Morocco, its so unsafe\u201d and even though we knew it was safe, what those people said started to get into our heads and started to make us think: \u201cam I irresponsible?\u201d But then just going and doing it was amazing. It gave us a lot of confidence. We got back and said: \u201cthat was so easy and so fun.\u201d And now we have the confidence to take him anywhere in the world. It was good to just do that and be reminded not to let other people\u2019s fears make you doubt yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Gina Knight is a nomad and brave and humble. Her life is simple, purposefully so. Creativity isn\u2019t a skill she\u2019s had to hone it\u2019s innately expressed. You see it in the makeshift aesthetic of her beach-side, Long Jetty home \u2014 the converted garage and outside laundry repurposed into a bespoke one bedroom studio with outdoor kitchen, a tee-pee in the backyard that doubles as her husband Cameron Knight\u2019s (aka Pepa Knight) music studio, the jars of colourful<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":52,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,18],"tags":[2,4,5],"class_list":["post-48","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bohemian-women","category-sunrise","tag-bohemiantraders","tag-bohemianwomen","tag-sunrise"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5226,"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48\/revisions\/5226"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/52"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journal.bohemiantraders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}