I was born and raised in a small Polish sea resort town called Sopot, on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea.
This image is a hand-printed lithographic postcard that I collaged as part of my friend Ola’s mail-art project. Ola makes these sea-inspired postcards and gives them to people to alter and send back to her from overseas.
The sea has always been a big part of my identity, as it often is for people who grew up along the coast. When I moved inland for college, I was surprised by how much I longed for the sea. That feeling didn’t let up for four years.
I would see the colors of the sea and the patterns of its currents in small things like scraps of paper and the insides of envelopes.
I filled my sketchbooks with compositions that reminded me of the horizon line between sea and sky.
I would arrange my family photos in a makeshift beach above my desk.
When I wrote to my family, I always included a greeting to the sea.
Every time I visit, I can’t resist taking a picture of it.
My phone is full of these generic crappy photos. I never look at them.
It doesn’t really matter how these snapshots look—their only purpose is to remind me that I can always return.
If I don’t have a camera with me, I take a mental picture.
I’m fascinated by how the sea is always changing, but constantly familiar.
If you come from a seaside town, I’m sure you understand. ♦
I can really relate to this! I live in FL on the water and was born and raised diving, fishing, and swimming in the ocean. When I went to school in the North East I really missed the warm waters and playing on the beach. It’s cool to think that though we live in such different places the sea is home to us both :) This was a beautiful collage
anaisabel13August 7th, 201412:33 AM
This is really, really beautiful! I love the horizon sketch on slide 5, especially.
AlyshaSAugust 7th, 201412:45 AM
Emma,
Thank you for another amazing series. I am from Vancouver, BC and I get a similar longing for the ocean — the salty smell and cool breeze. I also find that I am strangely drawn to the colours of the sea, like deep blues and white caps. I wonder how our environment affects how we are attracted to colours, smells, vibez, etc.
Yours,
Aly
ElizabeteAugust 7th, 20142:19 AM
Baltic Sea is beautiful.
I live by it too – in Riga, well actually the nearest beach is some 10km from my home, but it still feels pretty near.
Even if I can’t see the sea from my window, I think it would be hard to live inland. Maybe that’s why I plan to move to Vancouver for university next year.
Also, I always feel so happy when Rookie has those articles/diaries about places familiar to me, like the one about Jenny in Lithuania, now this about Baltic Sea.
Karolina WAugust 7th, 20142:52 AM
Siema, rodaczko! :D
This couldn’t be more relatable! I’ m from Gdansk and last year I moved to Poznan for university. Always missing the breeze! thanks for the amazing collage :)
shin oAugust 7th, 20144:24 AM
This is so beautiful. Both texts and pictures. ♒
AlicjaAugust 7th, 20144:54 AM
Hello from Poland :). When I was little, I spent every holidays with my parents by the Baltic Sea, good times…
ImanKAugust 7th, 20144:54 AM
I live in a small swedish town and I relate to this so much! The baltic sea is what I think of when I think of home<3
mangointheskyAugust 7th, 20145:49 AM
These are utterly beautiful and really inspiring- I especially loved 10!
PulsatillaAugust 7th, 20148:52 AM
Loved, loved, loved this.
I also have grown up/live by the sea and every time I go inland I get phantom pains, though it took me some time to understand that what I really missed was the sea.
JaninalooseAugust 7th, 20149:13 AM
I can relate so much. I live ten minutes away from the beach, and going there is always something I look forward to every time I come home. It’s such a familiar feeling and such a tradition that it’s surprising whenever anyone in town says they haven’t been to the beach for, say, a month.
padlizsanAugust 7th, 201411:46 AM
Emma, this is perfect! I’m not a visual artist, but the sea crops up again and again in my songs. At one point I wanted to squash that and find more variety; now I think it’s just a part of me, and a part of how I think about things that are important to me.
Apparently English has a beautiful word that means dweller by the sea: paralian. I can’t remember how I stumbled upon it, since I know I’ve never heard it in conversation. But it’s lovely nonetheless.
Rose Lichter-MarckAugust 7th, 201412:54 PM
This is me, too. <3
pizzafaceAugust 7th, 20144:21 PM
Rookie website peeps, a have an idea. maybe you should make the eye candy images smaller, so that you don’t have to scroll down all the time to see the rest of the picture, so that you just have the full thing on your screen.
And when you click it, you get a bigger version!
What ya think? Because I think it’s a pity that you can’t see the whole picture directly. Thanks!
Celia LoAugust 7th, 20146:05 PM
this is really really pretty <3<3<3
SiLKAugust 10th, 20146:12 AM
One of my favourite posts <3
NiaAugust 12th, 20146:52 AM
This is so beautiful Emma! Thank you
AliceSAugust 12th, 20147:09 AM
I spent all my life in the same house and the sea is just 5 minutes down the street. I’ve finished my third year at university a month ago. I don’t like go to be beach, especially in summer, I avoid it. So when I moved I didn’t aspect to miss it. But I did. In Italy actually you are never really far away from the sea, but if you don’t see it, if you don’t taste his smell everyday, it’s like being in another world.
elektraheartAugust 13th, 20143:32 AM
WOW –love all of them!
Shriya SamavaiAugust 18th, 20145:13 PM
Emma this is some of my favorite work by you. Really inspiring!
blilyanAugust 23rd, 20146:11 AM
i almost teared up reading this … i really love it
VagabondZombieSeptember 1st, 20143:00 PM
I’ve always dreamed of living by the sea. One time, my family and I went on a vacation in an island and it was pretty awesome. It just seems so serene and peaceful. Like all my troubles in the world have been washed away.
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22 Comments
I can really relate to this! I live in FL on the water and was born and raised diving, fishing, and swimming in the ocean. When I went to school in the North East I really missed the warm waters and playing on the beach. It’s cool to think that though we live in such different places the sea is home to us both :) This was a beautiful collage
This is really, really beautiful! I love the horizon sketch on slide 5, especially.
Emma,
Thank you for another amazing series. I am from Vancouver, BC and I get a similar longing for the ocean — the salty smell and cool breeze. I also find that I am strangely drawn to the colours of the sea, like deep blues and white caps. I wonder how our environment affects how we are attracted to colours, smells, vibez, etc.
Yours,
Aly
Baltic Sea is beautiful.
I live by it too – in Riga, well actually the nearest beach is some 10km from my home, but it still feels pretty near.
Even if I can’t see the sea from my window, I think it would be hard to live inland. Maybe that’s why I plan to move to Vancouver for university next year.
Also, I always feel so happy when Rookie has those articles/diaries about places familiar to me, like the one about Jenny in Lithuania, now this about Baltic Sea.
Siema, rodaczko! :D
This couldn’t be more relatable! I’ m from Gdansk and last year I moved to Poznan for university. Always missing the breeze! thanks for the amazing collage :)
This is so beautiful. Both texts and pictures. ♒
Hello from Poland :). When I was little, I spent every holidays with my parents by the Baltic Sea, good times…
I live in a small swedish town and I relate to this so much! The baltic sea is what I think of when I think of home<3
These are utterly beautiful and really inspiring- I especially loved 10!
Loved, loved, loved this.
I also have grown up/live by the sea and every time I go inland I get phantom pains, though it took me some time to understand that what I really missed was the sea.
I can relate so much. I live ten minutes away from the beach, and going there is always something I look forward to every time I come home. It’s such a familiar feeling and such a tradition that it’s surprising whenever anyone in town says they haven’t been to the beach for, say, a month.
Emma, this is perfect! I’m not a visual artist, but the sea crops up again and again in my songs. At one point I wanted to squash that and find more variety; now I think it’s just a part of me, and a part of how I think about things that are important to me.
Apparently English has a beautiful word that means dweller by the sea: paralian. I can’t remember how I stumbled upon it, since I know I’ve never heard it in conversation. But it’s lovely nonetheless.
This is me, too. <3
Rookie website peeps, a have an idea. maybe you should make the eye candy images smaller, so that you don’t have to scroll down all the time to see the rest of the picture, so that you just have the full thing on your screen.
And when you click it, you get a bigger version!
What ya think? Because I think it’s a pity that you can’t see the whole picture directly. Thanks!
this is really really pretty <3<3<3
One of my favourite posts <3
This is so beautiful Emma! Thank you
I spent all my life in the same house and the sea is just 5 minutes down the street. I’ve finished my third year at university a month ago. I don’t like go to be beach, especially in summer, I avoid it. So when I moved I didn’t aspect to miss it. But I did. In Italy actually you are never really far away from the sea, but if you don’t see it, if you don’t taste his smell everyday, it’s like being in another world.
WOW –love all of them!
Emma this is some of my favorite work by you. Really inspiring!
i almost teared up reading this … i really love it
I’ve always dreamed of living by the sea. One time, my family and I went on a vacation in an island and it was pretty awesome. It just seems so serene and peaceful. Like all my troubles in the world have been washed away.