Australian Carolyn Donovan is an internationally known model, writer and speaker. Her book, ‘Journey of a Princess’, features a range of women sharing where they find inspiration and how they have achieved success. She speaks with CHARLOTTE DURUT…
Australian Carolyn Donovan is an internationally known model, writer and speaker. Released last year, her book, Journey of a Princess, features a range of women – including Olympic swimmer Jessicah Schipper, performers Marina Prior and Darlene Zschech, surfer Tara Ryan and the indigenous art world’s Heather Blacklock – sharing where they find inspiration and how they have achieved success…
What’s your main reason for writing Journey of a Princess? Is there a particular event which inspired you to write it?
“So many of our heroes are based on their Hollywood status; the dress size they squeeze into; their lip size; the brand of hand bag they carry – and there are so many amazing heroes all around us who are incredibly inspiring and are doing things that impact our world and are changing the course of history – but if we don’t know about them, how can we be inspired by them? Journey of a Princess is a book that I wanted to read but couldn’t find on the book shelves. There are some great books out there but I wanted a book on girls who had done and were doing things that I could relate to; not necessarily a girl who grew up wanting to be the prom queen or the college cheer leader.”
Carolyn Donovan
“They are everyday girls, who grew up in families like yours or mine or the neighbours over the back fence. Girls who battled things to come through the other side with a knowledge of the calling on their life and undeterred by their disability, their upbringing, their failings, their bad choices, their bust waist or hip measurements, their lack of finance, education, or lack of anything, they grabbed hold of their faith and stepped boldly into what they knew they were created to achieve.”-
– Carolyn Donovan speaking about the women she choose to feature in ‘Journey of a Princess’.
What were the women’s reactions when you asked them to tell their story for this book?
“Well, this is what I love even more about them. Most of them- even the most well known names – said ‘are you sure you want me in there? I just do what I have been called to do. I don’t think I’m that amazing.’ These are women running multi-million dollar companies; reaching out to the unloved in their communities; writing songs that are sung by millions all around the world; and impacting third world nations. (They are) everyday girls who get up in the morning and get their kids off to school or go off to school themselves – usually without an entourage of nannies/minders/drivers/etc. I think that is pretty amazing!
Why did you choose these particular women?
“They are everyday girls, who grew up in families like yours or mine or the neighbours over the back fence. Girls who battled things to come through the other side with a knowledge of the calling on their life and undeterred by their disability, their upbringing, their failings, their bad choices, their bust waist or hip measurements, their lack of finance, education – or lack of anything – they grabbed hold of their faith and stepped boldly into what they knew they were created to achieve.”
How and when did you become a Christian?
“I grew up knowing about God – but had some strange concept that I could never reach those standards I needed to achieve to be a Christian – you know, perfection! ‘Cause no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t be ‘good’. I was the one who talked all through class at school; I was the one who was always getting sent out; I was the one who was always breaking rules – if I was told I couldn’t do something, that’s what I most wanted to do! I was living and working all over the world with modelling and everyone around me seemed to think I had the ultimate life but I always felt something was missing. Like an illusive jigsaw piece, I needed to complete the puzzle. I searched for it everywhere, but I just couldn’t find it. And the only times I would get close was when I was in God’s House. I would walk into a church and feel like I’d come home – no matter where I was in the world. That’s why I am so passionate about the church now! We get all hung up on ‘whose church do you go to?’ It’s His church. It’s not just some building or a group of people who follow the head minister around like a political party – we are His church. We are His hands and His feet. We are responsible for how others view Jesus Christ. And all of a sudden the whole ‘religiousness’ of being a Christian dropped away for me and when I saw the reality of being a Christian I knew that was what my heart had been searching for.”
What lessons has God taught you on your journey with Him?
“That I can’t do everything in my own strength. If something feels too large or overwhelming for me to attempt…then that’s when He comes through for me in the most powerful way – every time! (You’d think I’d learn that by now!) That the Bible, His Word, is more relevant than anything I could ever imagine; that verses like “the same spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead lives in you” in Romans is all I need to finish what He has started; that when I stuff up and fail at something there is always a new day. That was proven thousands and thousands of years ago (when) King David cried out in Psalms to His God and then got up and started over again and that’s my God too. He’s still the same! He’s still powerful and relevant and in control but merciful and just and tender towards me because I am His princess!”
How hard has it been to be different and to fit in, especially as a model where outward appearance is so important?
“I think outward appearance is something that encroaches on just about every arena of the workplace we could look at, not just the fashion and advertising industry. The statistics on people having cosmetic surgery are mindblowing (just imagine if we were spending that same amount on alleviating homelessness in our country, providing fresh water in places just a short distance from us, educating people about HIV/AIDS – don’t start me!) If you are asking how difficult my faith and modelling has been together, well I have such a great platform in my world – young women are so spiritually aware in this generation and they are hungry! I can’t afford to be timid and wary about stepping on toes because the loudest voice is the one who is getting the most attention (lucky I’m pretty loud at the best of times!) and our young girls are awakened to the fact that there is something else out there. They’ve tried alot of things – they know that they are more than what you see in the mirror – so what’s going to get them first? What are we as Christians going to allow them to dabble in before we open our mouths with the answer? Drugs, alcohol abuse, witchcraft, new ageism, spiritualism, humanism? Seriously, they are open and searching and ready for an answer! We can be the right one!”
What advice would you give to other women who find it hard to accept being different?
“How awesome that you recognise you are different! That’s the first step. The next is to use that difference in conjunction with those around you so together you can create something mind blowingly wonderful. God created you uniquely He ‘knit’ different things into your DNA – different talents, different gifts! How boring if we all walked around with the same thoughts/ideas/job description/hair colour/taste in clothes/lip size (ha ha…then we’d all be in Hollywood!) We are meant to be different!”
What message would you give to other woman, especially young girls, who are struggling with the concept of being a princess, that is, struggling with insecurity and low self-esteem?
“Step away from the mirror! Grab hold of books like Journey of a Princess; get into the girls in the Bible – Esther, Rahab, the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman with the issue of blood, Mary – girls who were going about their everyday life but knowing that there was something more for them and choosing – yes, there is a choice to be made here – choosing to step into that; choosing to look outside of their inadequacies, their own capabilities, what they don’t have, and looking at what they do have and going (in the words of the prophet) ‘OK, God, Here I am. Send me!’ Notice the people who are in the Bible – these people are in there, not because they are on the top 10 ‘Best Dressed List’ (really – how many women can you name that have been on there anyway?) Not because of any other reason apart from the fact they heeded God’s call on their life. They let go of what they couldn’t do and actually stepped into what they could and because they did that, they impacted the world and have been written about to be an example for millions and millions for generations to come. Now that’s what I call living a life that counts!
What is your definition of a princess?
For me, a Princess is a title which is: not merely just a human accolade awarded to one who satisfies the current aesthetic measure of beauty, or even a birthright of monarchy bloodline, but a mantle that has been given to one created in the image of God. A title that we, as girls, can either recognise and wear well – or never take it up and own it. It is a presence which is always welcomed – when the Prince or the Princess is in the house!
