The Monday Media Diet with Connie Matisse

Connie Matisse (CM) runs a company we like: East Fork. We connected via the ever-excellent Lean Luxe Slack and she graciously agreed to share what is capturing her attention. Have a great week. -Colin (CJN)

Tell us about yourself.

I'm the CEO at East Fork. I used to call us a pottery company but now I have to say that we're a manufacturing company or else people get confused. I'm from Los Angeles and so are my parents and grandparents, but I live in Flat Rock, North Carolina; I still feel like a deserter. I have 2 children, Vita (6) and Lucia (4). I work with my husband, Alex Matisse, our Founder and Chairman of the Board and that's a real trip.

Describe your media diet. 

For about a year I've consumed, pretty exclusively, Instagram accounts devoted to abolition & liberation, futuristic fashion, 90's celebrity fashion, & astrology memes. If I pick up a book, 90% of the time it's fiction—"literature" if you will. And I listen to The Daily on my morning commute if I'm not listening to Nirvana really loud and feeling angsty. I'm not trying to brag about how out of touch with the news I am right now, it just is what it is. It hasn't always been this way and I hope it won't stay this way for long :( My workweek is an unfortunate string of 7-hour back-to-backs, every day by Friday afternoons, and then it's the transitioning to parenting/feeding children/bedtime, then my brain's in a puddle and what I need to do is stare blankly into the woods.

What’s the last great book you read?

I just finished Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan and both her fabulous, fast reads; but I think the last book I read that I was really blown away by was My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.  

What are you reading now?

I'm re-reading Lolita for the one-millionth time. I read it every time I'm going through a *sad* time. I don't know why. It's just really familiar and helps me feel grounded. Probably should bring that up with my therapist.

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

If I pick up a print publication I run in a little circle around my house to try to find a place to hide from kids. Then I scream things like "Mom just needs 10 minutes alone, go play by yourself!" They don't, so I try to present to them a tempting activity that they might partake in for a few minutes.  They aren't interested. I make them a snack plate so I can read while they're chewing.  They smear Boursin on the print copy of my favorite publication.  I use the publication to start a campfire for marshmallow roasting. 

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

Everyone should read everything ever written by Adrienne Maree Brown, starting with Emergent Strategy.

What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? 

I truly don't know which apps count as famous/non-famous! And I maybe wouldn't say I have much love for any of the apps, except for maybe the CHANI and Pattern astrology apps, but I sometimes need to chill on checking those.  They're too accurate!

Plane or train?

I don't live anywhere a train would be all that useful. Honestly, I love flying. I get really bent out of shape when people complain so much about air travel. It's like, first, it's a choice. Very rarely are you being forced onto a plane. Second, you're flying through the air at almost 600 miles an hour in an armchair and someone else is driving. How convenient! So what if you have to take off your shoes. If it weren't for now being absolutely grossed out having to sit next to and share air with strangers, and for the atrocious carbon footprint, I'd fly all the time.

What is one place everyone should visit? 

I don't know if I believe that there's 1 place that makes sense for everyone to visit—we're all so different! Lately, I've been yearning to be in Montana, with absolutely no one to talk to and nothing to do.

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into. 

I'm not a rabbit hole type of person.  Now I'm curious to explore what that's about.  But if I ever just need to waste time on the internet, I go to @bug_girl_69 Instagram feed.  They re-posts absolutely the most ludicrous TikToks.  Makes me fall in love with humans and how deranged, smart, beautiful, and weirdo they all are.

Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) & Connie (CM) 

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