My name is Nathaël Molaison. I left the Îles de la Madeleine in 2008, convinced that I was leaving this life behind for good. That I was on my way to build a new one on the « mainland ». I had dreams of becoming a writer, an actor, a stage director, a director ... in short, I wanted to create and be appreciated for my art. I wanted to make a name for myself in the arts community, and for me, this could only happen in a city, where networks are built, where things happen, and where life spins so fast it can strain us.
And then, I came back. Seven years later. Of course, I swung by sometimes, for Christmas time, holidays, and school breaks. Each time, it was like a strike to the heart, one more heartbeat. Each landing allowed me to see the variety of houses, the space between them, and the extent of the territory occupied by these tiny islands in the heart of the Gulf. In the city, I missed the sea so much that I was often going to see the boats in the Old City of Québec, and then, later on, to admire the beauty of the Rivière Saint-Charles.
I came back. I wanted to be a writer. Seven years into city life, I understood that my writing would never be as human, as sincere, and as honest as if I were to anchor here. I became a newcomer on my own land.
During the first 18 years I spent on the Islands, I never realized the wealth of the landscapes. It is only when I came back that I began to understand why we love this mystery place so much. Why we become #fousdesiles. As for me, it is the fog that hit me, the day I came back. It was the perfect place to settle down — the head in the clouds. I inhaled the wind and the waves deeply, and took in the spectacular silence that surrounded me. I fell in love with this piece of quiet, and the slow and delicate movement of the waves on the horizon.
I became a writer. I've been an actor once in a while, a director and a stage director. Here, I was allowed to try it all. I had the confidence to try it all. And I still have it. I made a name for myself in my own way, according to my feelings and desires. I became a creator, a wandering soul. A man taking solo strolls on the beach, sometimes talking alone and telling himself what his next story is going to be.
And even though the Islands also have some flaws, and even though people also have some flaws, this place is simply the best at making me feel good, engaged and understood. The echo makes my voice travel. And my voice brought me to people I would've never even hope of touching. My voice allowed me to share my love for music, words and images.
The Islands allowed me to be myself. This is why I love them. This is why I came back.
