Interview with Early Riser Companion Author Elizabeth Antonia
The Post Supply connected with Elizabeth Antonia to hear about her path of creating the Early Riser Companion, listening to the call of the universe, living on a tiny island and experiencing reverence for our time in a body and on this Earth.
This is our favorite book to gift to parents of the young, to remind us that we are the creators of magic in our child's life and in ours.
We hope you enjoy learning more about Elizabeth, her journey and what's next for her! Check out @elizabethantonia__ and @earlyrisercompanion on instagram for a peak inside the Early Riser life and follow the link here for our full interview!
The Early Riser Companion came into both our lives and changed our perspective of how one could live one's life and how one could model living in enchantment and wonder in the lives of the young. This book has stuck with us so profoundly over the years and we find it resonates on with so many in our communities. To be able to write a book that changes lives there must have been something deeply profound happening within you at this time, a true connecting to the universe and a deep well of wisdom. Can you describe for us the writing process and birthing of The Early Riser Companion and how it came to be?
My girls are almost four years apart and when Elodie was almost five and Francesca almost one, the idea for Early Riser hit me like a fever dream. I had already been exposed to many ideas of parenting and motherhood by that point but no book focused on the energetics behind this special, fleeting time. Rather than focus on an entire book, I would tune in to emerging themes and engage some of my favorite artists and photographers to help me realize the vision for each one. I love to collaborate which is probably why my professional career up until this point has been centered around creative direction. There is magic when you harness an idea and get a resounding yes from the universe! At the end of the day, the message of Early Riser (to me) is for each human to remember how precious they are in this finite timeline. We are given a body which is in itself a miracle. And then we are offered a chance to shepherd a child through their years, I can’t think of anything more mystical than that.
I would also add that during those years I lost a few friends to accidents and cancer and my mother passed away as well. Deep grief offers us an opportunity to show up or numb out. I chose to show up and walk through immense pain. It also made me less concerned with what others think of me so I wrote my little heart out! It means the world to me to know that it is in homes of kindred spirits all around the world.
A line that runs through your text, your images and the fiber of the book is connecting with nature. Can you describe the value you have found in the life you have sought to create for your family living more in tune with the Earth's rhythms?
We can get swept away by this man made world but the only true constant is nature. The sun WILL rise and fall, the tide WILL ebb and flow, it’s elemental and our own bodies mirror this in such a special way. Each in breath, each out breath. We are made from the same elements and the earth’s stability relies on the balance of its air, water, land, and life systems just as our health relies on our many internal systems.
I wrote Early Riser just before the pandemic. Things shutting down made me aware of how much our lives revolved around consumption. It offered a way to ween off a lot of things that were pleasurable but also quite wasteful. During this time we decided to move to a small island. Every place on this earth holds it’s own divine spirit and I love being surrounded and separated from the mainland by water. It was very confronting at first but in time I have grown to appreciate having to wait for things, the ways in which I am more resourceful, taking my trash to the dump myself, working as a collective on a farm in an inter-generational community. It’s been a natural progression to turn towards nature and deprogram myself from unhealthy tendencies. My motto during the pandemic became “Nature always wins.”
How has being an "Early Riser" changed for you since writing this book. What did it mean to you then and what does it mean now? And what is next for you on your journey and for those following along?
Well, I am still not an early riser. Ha! My girls are much older now, eleven and fifteen. So while the 5 am wake ups no longer apply they have been replaced with new hard things. In the beginning I just wanted to have a practice that reminded me to stay open to the wonder of the moment they are in.
While home is more important than ever, my girls are individuating and turn to their peers and outside activities more and more. I have learned to ride the waves of emotions that come along with seeing them struggle as they adjust to the outside world. They are here for their own experience and sometimes the best I can do is just offer a listening ear. I used to be able to “fix” so much more. Every year is humbling and so precious. With more eye rolls and free agency these days, Early Riser still serves to remind me that cultivating the pause is just as important for my growth now as when they were very small.
It’s funny how things work. The same week that Early Riser went to print I was offered a job as Global Creative Director of Ergobaby. I enjoyed this for almost four years and accomplished so much while I was there. The hours on Zoom combined with commuting to LA once a month caught up with me and I realized that I was on a treadmill I might never get off. I hit the proverbial glass ceiling and new a change needed to happen. I have been taking courses on herbalism and aromatherapy and (also the harmonium!) This chapter of my life is focused on bringing more natural solutions into our homes and creating workshops and resources that explore these topics. We can go into a Sephora or down a cleaning aisle at Target and see clearly that chemicals are a billion dollar industry. As a society we too readily reach for prescriptions and over-the-counter meds instead of addressing root issues.
We are naturally seeking relief from heavy pollution in the air, water, the soil and I believe people are drawn to ways in which we can simplify our homes and limit the toxins and chemicals we are bombarded with daily.
There is an Egyptian Proverb that means a lot to me as I have lost so many vibrant women to cancer, many of them young mothers! “Health is a golden crown, placed on the brow of the healthy that only the sick can see.”
Creating a sanctuary of home is so much more than helping parents cultivate their own family rhythms. It’s examining what we take into our bodies and our spirits. The ultimate goal is for the next generation to be fluent in these practices. I am inspired by a vision of our children knowing what oil to reach for if they have a headache or what nourishing herb they can use rather than an energy drink. I feel so much clarity and alignment right now.
My other project which is still in an undetermined format called Early Riser’s Book of Hours. I am inspired by the little books of devotion that were popular in the Middle Ages and featured gorgeously illuminated texts. The history of the books is fascinating and I have spent hours researching them. I am lit up even writing this cursory description so it definitely has the spark that ran through Early Riser. I have often thought what would be in my Book of Hours. We shall see but so far mine will revolve around the hours of the day and explore the themes of nature, devotion and consciousness. It’s all exciting!