A lifelong reader, writer, poet, and model, Kate Parfet is also the visionary and creative director behind Studio Parfet, a creative agency where she has partnered with forward-thinking brands like Kindred Black, Lee Mathews, Simon Miller, and Vince.

In her new book, Milking a Duck, Kate explores the female experience and complex realities of motherhood while advocating for more open conversations about reproductive health. With a focus on individual experiences and the importance of advocating for oneself, Kate hopes to spark conversations that normalize reproductive health taboos.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’m a creative director, writer and model living in Mount Washington, Los Angeles. 

When did you start writing? Has poetry always come naturally to you? 

I started writing short stories early on, but didn’t find poetry as a form of art therapy until college. 

What is the inspiration behind Milking a Duck? 

Milking a Duck is an idiom that means an impossible task, and that’s what my journey towards motherhood felt like for a long time. With this book I hope to spark conversations past one-size-fits-all motherhood narratives and start normalizing reproductive health taboos.  

What does being a mother mean to you? 

I can’t wait to find out. Our IVF baby boy is due first week of December. 

What themes or subjects do you find yourself most drawn to in your poetry? 

Power dynamics, autonomy, self reckoning, trauma and healing. 

Have you ever encountered a poet that completely changed your perspective on something? If so, can you describe that experience? 

The way Karen Green chronicles grief in a such relatable, honest way helped me to stop judging my own experiences with loss. 

Do you have any rituals you find helpful when it comes to nurturing your creativity? 

Getting out of the house (and my head) to take a walk, see a film, attend an art show. 

Is there a specific location that inspires you when you write? 

I love writing in Sea Ranch. The landscape is equal parts eerie, dramatic, and romantic. 

Are there any specific scents that you find particularly inspiring or meaningful? 

The sea breeze over the cliffs up there offers a real natural high. 

Scent is often linked to memory and emotions. Do you ever use scent as a tool to evoke a certain feeling or imagery in your writing process? 

Yes! … from the sweetness of a Summer evening to the staleness of a doctor’s office. 

If you could escape to anywhere in the world to write, where would you go? 

Let’s take a bullet train from Tokyo to the hot springs of Hakone!