A Summer of Simple Joys with Sophena Kwon

A Summer of Simple Joys with Sophena Kwon

Natural dyer, textile designer, and mother of two, Sophena Kwon lives a life woven with intention, creativity, and adventure. For the past decade, she and her family have embraced a rhythm of living between land and sea, splitting their time between Vancouver, their off-grid sanctuary, Moonshine Kingdom, and life aboard their beloved boat.

In this conversation, Sophena shares how creativity shapes not only her work, but her parenting and family life. She reflects on the ways intentionality and exploration have broadened her family’s perspective, and the joy of crafting meaningful experiences with her children, Boden and Coco.

At the heart of it all: a commitment to slowing down, staying curious, and fostering a deep connection between work, life, and the wild beauty of the world around them.

Natural dyer, textile designer, and mother of two, Sophena Kwon lives a life woven with intention, creativity, and adventure. For the past decade, she and her family have embraced a rhythm of living between land and sea, splitting their time between Vancouver, their off-grid sanctuary, Moonshine Kingdom, and life aboard their beloved boat.

In this conversation, Sophena shares how creativity shapes not only her work, but her parenting and family life. She reflects on the ways intentionality and exploration have broadened her family’s perspective, and the joy of crafting meaningful experiences with her children, Boden and Coco.

At the heart of it all: a commitment to slowing down, staying curious, and fostering a deep connection between work, life, and the wild beauty of the world around them.

You’ve led such a distinct lifestyle as a family. How did life on the boat begin? 

Sophena: We lived on our sailboat for ten years. Both of our children were born on the boat. I fell in love with the lifestyle right away. The boat felt like it took care of you—less house, more home.

You’ve led such a distinct lifestyle as a family. How did life on the boat begin? 

Sophena: We lived on our sailboat for ten years. Both of our children were born on the boat. I fell in love with the lifestyle right away. The boat felt like it took care of you—less house, more home.

What is Moonshine Kingdom?

Sophena: It’s our off-grid property on Bowen Island. You can’t drive to it so you either reach it by boat or hike 45 minutes through the forest, carrying everything in by hand. It’s come a long way. It’s always had a lot of magic, but we’ve put in a lot of love, building, and working weekends with friends to get it to where it is now.

But limitations create magic. The effort it takes to reach this place is what keeps it special. We try to leave as little footprint as possible so the land stays alive around us—when we leave, the forest creatures come and party.

What is Moonshine Kingdom?

Sophena: It’s our off-grid property on Bowen Island. You can’t drive to it so you either reach it by boat or hike 45 minutes through the forest, carrying everything in by hand. It’s come a long way. It’s always had a lot of magic, but we’ve put in a lot of love, building, and working weekends with friends to get it to where it is now.

But limitations create magic. The effort it takes to reach this place is what keeps it special. We try to leave as little footprint as possible so the land stays alive around us—when we leave, the forest creatures come and party.

Tell us about Maiwa, your family business.

Sophena: It’s a textile business my mom started the year I was born. We focus on natural dyes and artisan fabrics, working with weavers and dyers across India and beyond.

I lead our clothing line—we use natural plant dyes, heritage cotton, organic linen, hand-spun silk—fabrics that tell stories of place and culture. 

I think there’s so much life and story in textiles. If those markets disappear, those techniques disappear too. It’s important that this work continues to be valued.

Tell us about Maiwa, your family business.

Sophena: It’s a textile business my mom started the year I was born. We focus on natural dyes and artisan fabrics, working with weavers and dyers across India and beyond.

I lead our clothing line—we use natural plant dyes, heritage cotton, organic linen, hand-spun silk—fabrics that tell stories of place and culture. 

I think there’s so much life and story in textiles. If those markets disappear, those techniques disappear too. It’s important that this work continues to be valued.

How would you describe your approach to parenting? 

Sophena: Creativity and intuition play a huge role. Parenting can be extremely challenging—but creativity, playfulness, and humor get you through it. 

We also believe it’s important to let kids do challenging things within their abilities. When you do that, they learn what they can handle. 

All they really need is your love, your time, your family—the rest is extra.

How would you describe your approach to parenting? 

Sophena: Creativity and intuition play a huge role. Parenting can be extremely challenging—but creativity, playfulness, and humor get you through it. 

We also believe it’s important to let kids do challenging things within their abilities. When you do that, they learn what they can handle. 

All they really need is your love, your time, your family—the rest is extra.

What does a typical summer day look like for your family?

Sophena: We spend a lot of time at Moonshine Kingdom, or we’ll jump in our tin boat after a work day and swim off Spanish Banks. Sometimes we’ll go to English Bay to look for sea glass or have a picnic. Sometimes we’ll sit on the back of the boat and just watch the sunset.  

We leave lots of time open for spontaneity—that’s important. We want our summers to feel spacious, not overscheduled.

How do you encourage your kids to explore and engage with the world around them?

Sophena: I think kids adapt to their surroundings. We let them do things that are challenging. When you allow that, they learn what their abilities are. They develop balance, spatial awareness, resilience.

They’ve had so much exposure to the natural world from the start. We’ve minimized fear—and we allow them to do things that stretch them.

Sometimes they get a scratch or fall down, and that’s part of it. I think it’s important to let kids experience rough surfaces, slippery surfaces—they’ll navigate that. That’s what humans do.

What does a typical summer day look like for your family?

Sophena: We spend a lot of time at Moonshine Kingdom, or we’ll jump in our tin boat after a work day and swim off Spanish Banks. Sometimes we’ll go to English Bay to look for sea glass or have a picnic. Sometimes we’ll sit on the back of the boat and just watch the sunset.  

We leave lots of time open for spontaneity—that’s important. We want our summers to feel spacious, not overscheduled.

How do you encourage your kids to explore and engage with the world around them?

Sophena: I think kids adapt to their surroundings. We let them do things that are challenging. When you allow that, they learn what their abilities are. They develop balance, spatial awareness, resilience.

They’ve had so much exposure to the natural world from the start. We’ve minimized fear—and we allow them to do things that stretch them.

Sometimes they get a scratch or fall down, and that’s part of it. I think it’s important to let kids experience rough surfaces, slippery surfaces—they’ll navigate that. That’s what humans do.

What do you hope the kids remember about summer when they’re older?

Sophena: As a parent, my dream is to nurture their togetherness as long as possible. They’re such a good team. There is something very special about siblings.

Coco is an Aries and Boden is a Gemini, so they have a natural affinity together.  Coco is a bit of a project manager—she loves directing, rowing, organizing. Boden is obsessed with fishing. They do it together. Being down at the docks with a little net, catching minnows, that’s what summer means.  

I know it’s short-lived. I’m hyper aware of how fleeting this era of parenting is. And the longer I can keep their continuity together, I think the more magic that'll come later.

Why do Native Shoes work so well for your family? 

Sophena: We love that Native Shoes is a Vancouver company. We’ve been fans since the beginning.

The shoes are so versatile—they work for ocean, boat, playgrounds, beaches—all the things. And the kids can put them on themselves, which is a big bonus.

What do you hope the kids remember about summer when they’re older?

Sophena: As a parent, my dream is to nurture their togetherness as long as possible. They’re such a good team. There is something very special about siblings.

Coco is an Aries and Boden is a Gemini, so they have a natural affinity together.  Coco is a bit of a project manager—she loves directing, rowing, organizing. Boden is obsessed with fishing. They do it together. Being down at the docks with a little net, catching minnows, that’s what summer means.  

I know it’s short-lived. I’m hyper aware of how fleeting this era of parenting is. And the longer I can keep their continuity together, I think the more magic that'll come later.

Why do Native Shoes work so well for your family? 

Sophena: We love that Native Shoes is a Vancouver company. We’ve been fans since the beginning. 

The shoes are so versatile—they work for ocean, boat, playgrounds, beaches—all the things. And the kids can put them on themselves, which is a big bonus.

A life between land and sea. Creativity as a daily practice. Parenting with trust, intuition, and joy. 

For Sophena Kwon and her family, adventure isn’t a special occasion, it’s a way of being. And whether they’re sailing the coast, hiking through ferns to Moonshine Kingdom, or working in the studio, one thing is constant: a love of craftsmanship, community, and the natural world. 

Follow Sophena’s life at @ship_at_sea and @moonshinekingdom as well as her work with her family business at @maiwahandprints.

A life between land and sea. Creativity as a daily practice. Parenting with trust, intuition, and joy. 

For Sophena Kwon and her family, adventure isn’t a special occasion, it’s a way of being. And whether they’re sailing the coast, hiking through ferns to Moonshine Kingdom, or working in the studio, one thing is constant: a love of craftsmanship, community, and the natural world. 

Follow Sophena’s life at @ship_at_sea and @moonshinekingdom as well as her work with her family business at @maiwahandprints.