Par AFKO, août 2025
Based in the Kootenays for over twenty-two years, Carina Costom is transforming her journey as a mother and artist into a powerful literary and visual project. 100 Women | 100 Oceans is an intimate dive into maternal narratives, driven by a fierce desire to build connection, listen differently — and bear witness.
A new home, deep roots, a singular voice
Twenty-two years ago, Carina Costom left Montreal for the forested mountains of the Kootenays, guided by the invitation of a childhood friend. Over the years, she became an employment counselor, graphic designer, and apprentice editor at Selkirk College. But one thing remained constant: the call of the arts — especially writing. For seven years, she studied creative writing, sharpened her voice, and dreamed of giving art the central place it deserved in her life.
That turning point took on new meaning when she became a mother. Her son, now a teenager, was born « twice exceptional, » radically shifting her understanding of parenthood. « Nothing in my upbringing prepared me for this kind of parenting, » she shares. Forced to relearn, to translate, to listen, Carina underwent a deep transformation. « It was like discovering a blind spot — a gap I had to fall into. » That descent became the seed of 100 Women | 100 Oceans, a storytelling project about motherhood and the metamorphoses it demands.
A project to capture the invisible
« I’ve always been fascinated by stories of transformation, » Carina explains. 100 Women | 100 Oceans was born from a personal need — to understand and make sense of her own journey — but it quickly expanded into a collective horizon. The vision: to gather 100 maternal stories from across the West Kootenays, in all their diversity, and weave them into a manuscript of images, poems, and fragments.
Set to officially launch in September 2025, the project is unfolding at its own pace. Some women volunteer spontaneously, others come after a resonant conversation. The only requirement? Having crossed a threshold: a birth, a loss, a migration, a crisis, or an awakening. Carina listens to all: Indigenous mothers, migrant mothers, queer mothers, neurodivergent, partnered, or solo parents. She offers an ethical, slow, and safe space for storytelling.
Each narrative is first handwritten, then transcribed and validated by the participant. The final result may take many forms: raw text, reworked versions, anonymized or illustrated. The goal is not to direct, but to facilitate. « I don’t know what I’ll find — I need to show up with a beginner’s mind, » Carina emphasizes. At 56, she’s finally giving herself what she calls « a gift: » living her art fully, in harmony with her values of care, respect, and collaboration.
The ocean as an emotional compass
At the heart of the project, one symbol keeps surfacing: the ocean. A metaphor gifted to her by a parenting coach during a pivotal moment. « She told me: become the ocean. Because the ocean can hold it all — anger, joy, exhaustion, love. Beneath the waves, there is calm. Learning to dive beneath the surface to listen, to self-regulate, is an art. »
Each participant is invited to connect with a body of water — real, symbolic, even amniotic. Water becomes a space of memory, regulation, and transmission. This powerful analogy flows through the entire project and embodies the fluidity required for listening, co-creation, and transformation.
In this work, Carina Costom is not seeking to collect stories for display. She wants to amplify voices without extracting them — to honor without appropriating. « To bear witness is an honor, a privilege, and a responsibility. »
And that is exactly what this project represents: a gentle rebellion, carried by emotional intelligence, to restore motherhood to its rightful place — central, powerful, and essential to the foundation of our society.
If this project resonates with you, feel free to contact Carina via her website. (Google Translate available for French content).
