All Images: Voula Monoholias
In a new weekly series, photographer Voula Monoholias goes behind the curtain to see where and how creatives live.
This week, Monoholias is invited into the home of Sonya JF Barnett, Madame of The Keyhole Sessions and sex positivity advocate, and Aaron Barnett, a TV and film writer and producer.
Favourite “at-home cocktail hour” recipe:
Sonya: As Aaron mentioned about the Muscat {called Emeri}. I also am now a fan of gin drinks, mainly the Tom Collins.
Aaron: Lately we both rather fancy this Australian pink muscato (the name escapes me at the moment) with a splash of Lillet Rouge. If we have none on hand, gin and soda with a squeeze of lemon (gin is pretty much a staple).
How do you share your creative space with an eight-year-old without compromising adult style and creativity?
Sonya: We make sure that although we have a child, we ourselves don’t get lost in the shuffle. Much of our adult interests have stayed intact, and we want to make sure that our son is brought up in an environment rich in art and music. Due to the nature of my work, I’m often bringing home nude drawings. I’m not ashamed of healthy sexuality, and I don’t want my son to be, either. We want a lot of our space to be communal, and full of interesting things that will spawn conversation. We also think that someone who’s young can appreciate listening to Prodigy more than listening to Raffi. It’s win/win.
What also helps is that we gave our son one of the biggest bedrooms so he can have his own space to do with what he pleases. It’s full of posters and books and LEGO, and while I like rooms being clean and tidy, I’m not so much a stickler with his room.
Aaron: Funnily, I find a lot of inspiration from kid-like things such as comics and videogames so there are a lot of images from those kinds of things pinned to the boards above my desk. A lot of the writing I have done has been for kids animated series so the fact that I am living with a member of the target audience has been creatively serendipitous (not to mention, my street cred with the 4th Grade crowd is through the roof). That being said there are also art books, paintings and photos featuring nudes around the house. While we would never leave anything sexually explicit out, we don’t feel the need to hide artful images that contain nudity. It has been very important for us to raise our son in an environment where sexuality and the human body have no shame, embarrassment or judgment attached to it. And to be honest he’s rarely fussed about those kind of pictures anyhow. I get more questions about images of monsters or aliens than I do about naked ladies.
Best neighbourhood bar?
Sonya: We tend to venture a little past the limits of our neighbourhood. Places like L’ouvrier & Cocktail Bar on Dundas, as well as Cold Tea are where you’ll usually find me.
Aaron: None. I love my neighborhood but the bars are shit. Sadly, the 905-ers who truck in every weekend keep them in business (and stuck in the 90s). When I want to drink I travel further afield. L’Ouvrier, Cocktail Bar, Red Light and 3 Speed are my main faves.
Best thing about working from home?
Sonya: Opening a bottle of bubbly whenever we feel like it.
Aaron: Pants are optional.
Advice to anyone who is going to freelance or work from home:
Sonya: Make sure you socialize outside the home often or you go stir crazy; other adult interaction is key. Also: headphones.
Aaron: Find something that gets you out of the house for at least an hour a day. Preferably something involving physical activity. For me it’s the gym. I struggle with procrastination and focus issues at the best of times. Without my workout to clear through the stress and associated bullshit, I would be screwed.
Favourite at-home pass time?
Sonya: Napping when I want; setting my own schedules. I’m not a fan of routine.
Aaron: Twitter. I’m not a huge social media guy (very proud of the fact that I still don’t have a Facebook account) but holy shit do I love Twitter. Seriously, it’s like crack to me.
Most fun you’ve ever had at home?
Sonya: Weekend, late-night chill-outs on the shag rug in the sitting room – what most people would have as a Dining Room, we switched it for something more comfortable that we actually use. It’s a great way to check in with each other. Even though we work side by side, we often get involved in our own worlds, so that check in is important.
Aaron: One of our favourite things to do, once our son is down for the night, is to crash out in our sitting room, have a drink, listen to music and talk until the wee hours. I know it may sound corny, but we really are best friends so spending time together is usually our preferred activity.
Recommended reading?
Sonya: One of my favourites is Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Heavy and grim, but it’s a great way to switch gears, and take me completely out of the ‘every-day’. Early Chuck Palahniuk is also quite good.
Aaron: I’m a big fan of pulp and hard-boiled detective fiction. Most things in the Hard Case crime series I’ve enjoyed including Choke Hold by Christa Faust, which I’m reading at the moment. Robert B. Parker has always been a favourite as well.
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Voula Monoholias is a contributing photographer for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter @voulavous.
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