Veronika Stetska's journey as a poet and writer is a testament to the power of creativity, resilience, and self-expression. From filling her childhood journals with songs and poems to publishing her heartfelt poetry collection "Naked Soul" during the tumultuous period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Veronika has embraced her passion for writing with unwavering determination. Her experiences, shaped by her Ukrainian heritage and life in New York, have infused her work with a rich tapestry of cultural depth and personal insight. In this interview, Veronika shares her inspiring path to becoming a published author, offers invaluable advice to aspiring women creatives, and reflects on the profound sense of empowerment that fuels her life and art.
What initially drew you to writing poetry and sharing your work with others?
I have always been fond of writing since I was a child. I remember filling all of my journals and notebooks with diary entries, song lyrics that never made it out of my personal journals, and poems. I distinctly remember a high school writing project that I worked on for a Creative Writing class that allowed me to truly channel my creativity. We were asked to create unique poems and then share with the class based on different themes. The words just came out naturally and I felt really proud of my work. I also remember attending writing workshops at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York and sharing my work at stand up poetry. I never dreaded writing poems for an assignment — in fact, they made me giddy with excitement. Before I wrote my own poems, I collected poetry books from authors like Robert M. Drake and Courtney Peppernell. I kept my work in several notebooks and it wasn’t until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that I considered self-publishing my work while working full-time after being a student. I thought to myself “the possibilities are endless during this time.” When I started working full-time as a copywriter after graduating, I had many creative ideas and I decided it was time to put my work out there.
Can you share a bit about your personal journey that led to the creation of "Naked Soul"?
Naked Soul is an important poetry book to me and always will be. I love to reminisce about the beginning stages of releasing it. I struggled with coming up with a title because I really wanted the title to encapsulate the bigger picture. It’s an emotional and vulnerable piece of work that deals with important life moments. I was hesitant about releasing my work because it’s personal to me. Vulnerability coupled with storytelling is a powerful skill that fosters human connection. I think 2020 made us all realize the importance of connection during a period of isolation.
What advice would you give to other women who aspire to share their creative work with the world?
I understand that sharing your work with the world can seem daunting, and I sympathize with women who feel the same way. We’re plagued with the thoughts of "What if my work isn’t good enough?” or “How will people view me after this gets released?” My advice is to challenge your inner critic and publish anyway because there will be an audience — even if it’s just one or two people at first — who are there to listen, read, or support you. We live in a digital age where there are people who are eager to engage with your work. I’ve found that strangers online can be some of your biggest supporters. Prior to 2020, I didn’t know anything about Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing service. I thought it would be a difficult process to publish work without a publisher or an agent. As it turns out, nothing worth having comes easy. Even when self-publishing, you have to format your work, meet certain guidelines, edit extensively, create a book cover and handle other things that may come up along the way. I did my research and eventually figured out who to navigate the platform. I was fortunate enough to work with one of my friends, Juliana Cianciotto, a talented graphic designer. She designed the book cover, and it came out exactly how I pictured it. For women who choose a different route than self-publishing, there are many social media outlets that allow you to share your work with the world. You can post on Instagram, TikTok, start a podcast — the possibilities are endless. The question remains: are you willing to work for what you want?
In what ways has your background or cultural heritage shaped your writing style or themes?
I’m a first generation Ukrainian American. I came to the United States at around three years old with my parents who were in their 20s, which was also a hard time for them to navigate life in a new country and try to assimilate into a new culture. I grew up in New York but I still have family
in Ukraine and I speak Ukrainian fluently with my parents. One of my favorite aspects about growing up in New York is being surrounded by so many cultures and backgrounds. For example, there is a large Ukrainian community in the East Village in Manhattan, where you can find authentic Ukrainian food and stores. The same applies to communities in upstate New York. I take pride in being connected to my cultural background. My friends always wanted to know more about my Ukrainian heritage — they were fascinated about Ukrainian dishes, Ukrainian clothing — such as the Vyshyvanka, which is an embroidered shirt — and Ukrainian music. My parents always emphasized the importance of staying connected to my Ukrainian heritage through language. I naturally gravitated to learning languages growing up and I was determined to learn about all aspects of Ukrainian culture. There are many famous Ukrainian poets that I looked up to when I was younger, including Taras Shyvchenko and Lesya Ukrainka. Reading great work from American, Ukrainian, and poets from various backgrounds helped me tap into my passion for writing poems. Growing up, I wanted to thrive in the creative world and told my parents that I dreamed of being an editor or journalist. I’d like to think I also encouraged them to find their passions and tap into their creative sides. Everyone has a story to tell. New York raised me, but I will always remain true to my roots and carry them with me wherever I go.
How do you overcome writer's block or periods of self-doubt in your creative process?
I think writer’s block is common for every writer, editor, and author. This has nothing to do with not being a good writer, but rather how to be more strategic with your approach. Reading other people’s work or taking advice from others are things that encourage me to persist. I feel inspired by talented writers and creatives. As a copywriter, I look for ways to become a better copywriter. I am subscribed to Eddie Shleyner’s blog/newsletter called VeryGoodCopy. He sends out regular emails on copywriting and content. I also like to listen to podcasts on entrepreneurship for a boost in confidence. A walk outside helps as well. When I’m ready to get back to work, I feel more confident and creative. Allowing people to read my work for a second opinion also helps alleviate any self-doubt I have; this feedback helps me improve my writing skills. Feedback — whether good or bad — helps move the creative process along.
Lastly, what does empowerment mean to you as a woman, and how does it influence your work and life philosophy?
Empowerment means tapping into all of your natural abilities, passions, interests, and hobbies. If you ever had a hunch to do something, take that as a sign to pursue it. Some of the best talents and ideas are undiscovered. I always thought that there is a “perfect time” to do something when it comes to creativity, but as I get older, I realize that it’s not true. The “right time” to pursue something doesn’t exist. If I can tell any woman who’s interested in launching a business, starting a podcast, or exploring a new hobby, it’s this: there is no right time to start — start today. My life philosophy is to always move forward, no matter the obstacles in your path. Take everything as a lesson, reflect, and always maintain a forward-thinking approach in life.
In this heartfelt interview, Melanie Makovsky opens up about her journey from a Pennsylvania farm to navigating life with Early Onset Alzheimer's. As she shares her experiences, Melanie reveals the resilience and love that have shaped her life, her dedication to raising awareness, and her unwavering hope for the future. Through her memoir, "Every Little Thing," and her candid reflections, she inspires us to find strength in adversity, advocate for ourselves and others, and cherish every moment. Join us as Melanie takes us through her life's story, offering wisdom and encouragement along the way.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I was born and grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania (the one from that Billy Joel song). My father was the third-generation owner of a privately owned fruit and produce farm. My great-grandfather had purchased the land and started the farm business after moving to Allentown from Philadelphia. When he was no longer able to manage the farm he passed it down to his son, my grandfather, and when my grandfather grew ill it was passed to my father. He and my mother gradually made changes to the business model, opening a pick-your-own business called Strawberry Acres. From the time I was born that was my family's livelihood. I have great memories of riding around on flatbed trucks and having plenty of open space to run around amongst the trees and fields.
I met my husband a few weeks after my high school graduation, at a friend's wedding. I had just turned 18, and when I met him he was 26 and had a 2 year old daughter. He asked me to marry him just a few months later. The age difference and the fast engagement was a bit scandalous among our little corner of our community. No one seemed to think it made sense, let alone that it would last. We've now been married for 22 years and have 3 children, ages 20, 19, and 13, in addition to my step-daughter who is now 26. My husband recently retired out of the US Navy after 23 years of service. We now live in Leadville, Colorado, where he is a nurse at our local hospital.
What inspired you to write "Every Little Thing"?
Every Little Thing is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal for me. I started writing when I was 6 years old, after receiving a diary as a Christmas present. The earliest entries are hard to even decipher, since my spelling and writing skills were minimal at that age, but I enjoyed doing it and gradually it became a habit. I wrote daily, with little interruption, until high school, and after that I continued to write in a diary as many days as I could. I read The Diary of Anne Frank when I was 12 years old, and after finishing it I wrote, "I'm going to keep writing in a diary for my whole life, just in case something important happens, like with Anne Frank." And I stayed true to that. My thought was that maybe someday the things I wrote might inspire and help someone else. Keeping up with diary entries got harder after high school, and significantly more difficult after I had kids, so there were some large gaps in time that I didn't cover. But whenever I pulled out my diary and wrote it was rewarding, and I knew that someday I wanted to publish it.
How did your family's history with Alzheimer's disease impact your decision to share your story?
My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when he was 50. My father's father had died of Alzheimer's in 1986, and my grandfather's sister suffered the same fate shortly afterward. Knowing this, and with the understanding that Alzheimer's can be carried by genetics (albeit rarely), my mother insisted that my father be tested for any genetic link to this disease. In 2005 we learned that my dad carried a genetic mutation on his 14th chromosome, and that this mutation indicated an almost 100% chance of the development of young onset Alzheimer's in all its carriers. When my mother called me to give me this news, I had a 2 year old daughter and a newborn son.
Knowing that I was a high risk for Young Onset Alzheimer's wasn't necessarily what inspired the book, since I'd been thinking about publishing or at least releasing my writings for years before that, but it was enough for me to get serious about it. Of course, with having two small children it seemed impossible at the time, but I hung onto the idea and hoped and prayed that someday I'd be able to make some time to write.
My father died of his disease in November 2013. In 2016 the Navy moved my family and I to the San Diego, California area. Then, sometime in 2017, my mom called from Pennysylvania and suggested I watch an episode of 60 Minutes that she'd just seen. Since she was on the east coast and I was on the west, the same episode would come on my tv 3 hours later than it had hers. The segment was on Alzheimer's research that focused on studying individuals that may carry the rare genetic type of Alzheimer's my dad had, in an attempt to find a cure. The research was being conducted world-wide, and one of the US locations was in San Diego. At this point I was almost 35 years old, and had three children in grade school. I enrolled in the study a few weeks later, and will continue to be a study participant for the rest of my life.
The study offered free genetic testing to anyone willing to enroll. In 2018, about a year after I had enrolled in the study and started providing observational data through blood samples and cognitive testing, I decided that it was time to find out whether I carried my father's gene mutation. The test came back positive. Having received that news I knew that, without a significant breakthrough in Alzheimer's science, I had about 10-15 years to live. At that point I felt that I had two big responsibilities that only I could fulfill – to become a study subject for experimental medical treatments to prevent or stop Alzheimer's, and to publish this book.
Can you describe the moment you found out you carried the genetic form of Alzheimer's?
Devastated, but not surprised. I think that, on some level, I knew I had this disease even without the genetic test to confirm it. The idea that this could happen to my loved ones or myself had been tucked somewhere in the back of my mind since my grandfather had died. I grieved for weeks, unable to do anything more than care for my kids, I went to therapy, and I increased the dosages of the depression medications I was already taking. Now, six years later, I'm much more comfortable talking about it. My eldest child has autism, and my second child has ADHD, and both were diagnosed when anyone without a direct connection to spectrum disorders didn't know how to respond to that. I'd become an advocate for them by necessity. So I simply began advocating for myself and for others who have Early Onset Alzheimer's.
What are some of the most significant challenges you've faced since your diagnosis?
I think I've had an easier time adjusting to an Alzheimer's diagnosis than most people would. Unlike most other types of Alzheimer's, I was able to find out that I had the disease before I had any symptoms. And Alzheimer's was already familiar to me at that point. I lived too far away from my parents to do much caretaking for my dad when he was alive, but I was there enough to see what he lost to the disease and what he didn't. One of the greatest blessings was to see that, while he sometimes didn't remember my name and may have forgotten that I was his daughter, my dad still remembered that he loved me. When you've walked through the disease with someone you're close to, it takes away some of the fear and the mystery of it. That said, I still have moments when I am devastated to be in this position. I am symptomatic now, and despite my long-term experience with this disease, I still grieve. When I forget something I should know and I have to ask someone to repeat something, or find something for me, I feel angry and embarrassed. I feel guilty toward my husband because I end up asking him the same questions over and over, or misplacing things, or forgetting things I've committed to doing. I easily lose track of time, both clock time and calendar time, and that results in missed appointments and deadlines. And I deal with a lot of fear. I'm afraid of making mistakes that hurt me or my family, I'm afraid of causing pain or damage because I have forgotten or become confused, and most of all, I'm ashamed that I have put my children at risk for this disease, and afraid that they too will have to arrange their lives around the possibility of EOAD.
How do you stay motivated and positive despite the hardships?
To be honest, a lot of the time I don't, and I don't necessarily aim to be consistently positive either. Instead I work to reframe and/or refocus my thinking. Ignorance about my disease, or jokes about it, hurt me a lot, and make me angry. It doesn't happen often, but when someone makes a joke about Alzheimer's, like forgetting something themselves and joking that they must be senile, it hurts me a lot, but at the same time I try to make that into a teaching moment. When someone makes a joke about dementia, and I look them in the eye and tell them that I have dementia and it's not funny, they remember that moment, and they think twice about throwing out that kind of statement again. I used the same tactic when my daughter was diagnosed with autism, at a time when people thought that autism in girls was rare or nonexistent, or was caused by poor parenting or watching too much tv. I love that having to advocate for my kids taught me to advocate for myself.
In terms of grief, I don't avoid it or hide it, although I do try to set myself up to grieve only in safe, confidential environments. In my own home or among family and friends I willingly grieve when I need to. I've always worn my emotions on my sleeve, so most of them know to expect that from me. Of course, this disease has brought with it the worst grief I've ever experienced, and there's little that anyone can say that will change that. So I often prefer to grieve privately, behind closed doors. I don't necessarily hide it from others, but I want my family to be able to be separate from it. They're grieving too, but I don't want to trigger them when I'm upset myself.
Can you share a specific story from your memoir that holds special significance to you?
One of my favorite storylines in the book involves my relationship with my stepdaughter's mother. She and I started off our relationship alright, but given her connection with my husband it was always a strained relationship. Over time I was told a number of things about her that destroyed any positive feelings I had toward her, and eventually we cut off contact with her and my stepdaughter for years. But eventually we reconnected, with apologies and forgiveness on both sides, but we had hurt her more than she'd hurt us. Yet she forgave us without requiring any explanations or reparations other than a renewed friendship.
How has participating in drug trials influenced your perspective on your condition and the future of Alzheimer's research?
I try not to hang my hopes on being cured of this disease. The advancements in Alzheimer's research, especially in the last few years, are exciting and very hopeful, but I don't claim them for myself. Of course I would love to be cured of this disease, to live a long, grateful life, but I look at that outcome as possible, not probable. I focus my attention more on the possibility of preventing or eliminating the disease for my children's generation. Of course I'd love to be one of the first to be cured of Alzheimer's, but with what I know about the stages of the research currently and where I'm at in my own disease progression, it's safer to think of myself as a conduit for a cure for the next generation. Balancing hope with acceptance keeps me steady.
What role has your support system played in your journey?
I have so many wonderful people around me. My husband has in some ways always been my caregiver. We've been a single-income family from the beginning. We didn't plan it that way; I always had the intention of entering the workforce after our children were all in school, and I have had part time jobs here and there, but when the time came when I could begin a full time career, so did the Alzheimer's diagnosis. My husband has worked to support me and our kids, and we've never lacked for anything. That includes his love, affection, forgiveness, and fortitude. Nor does he shy away from household work. If something needs to be done, he does it without complaining. Beyond that, he is also my greatest encourager, a wonderful listener, and he accepts my weaknesses gracefully. To have found a partner like him on the first try has to be a miracle.
My kids are a great support system as well. I wish they didn't have to be, but I'm proud to say that we've raised good, loving, caring young people. The elder two are both learning to live on their own now, and doing well, but they still check in regularly. There have been times when I needed their physical or emotional support in a way that I wished I didn't. When I was grieved they grieved with me, even though I wished they didn't have to, and even now I can ask them for help when I don't trust my memory to work the way it should. Sometimes it's as simple as "Tell me when it's 4PM because I have to be somewhere at 4:30," but they don't fail me. They know that only a few years ago I had to do the same for them.
And even beyond that I have a small but strong network of family and friends that regularly check in, pray for me, and keep track of how I'm doing, mostly on social media. When I wrote the book their numbers increased substantially thanks to the collaborative community my publisher created for us. I have many friends whom I've never met in person.
What advice would you give to other women who are dealing with difficult diagnoses or genetic conditions?
This first thing that comes to mind is hope. While I don't subscribe to the kind of hope that "names and claims" I do believe that hope has power to make change, and that change, from my experience, begins in your own mind. I don't automatically look on the bright side, but in any situation I do take time to evaluate. What parts of this situation do I have control over? The top answer, for me, is almost always my own thoughts and feelings. I used to tell people, even after my dad died, that if I found out that I had Alzheimer's as well, I would commit suicide. I thought that because I looked at that diagnosis as an automatic death sentence, and that thinking isn't entirely wrong. Like I said, I still don't expect that I'll be cured of this. But is there anything I can do because of this, to help me or to help others? There's almost always is. For me, I could enroll in drug trials, I could shift my perspective on what a bad day really looks like. I can take a serious look at what might be on my "bucket list" and start actually fulfilling it. I can tell the people I love that I love them, sincerely and honestly, and I can do that as often as possible. I can let go of some of my inhibitions and worry less about what other people think of me. I can celebrate every good moment, even the most mundane ones, and more easily let go of the frustrations of small inconveniences. The thing is that anyone can start thinking this way, but evidence of your own mortality tends to make it more meaningful.
How do you balance raising awareness for Alzheimer's with managing your personal life?
Raising awareness has become a part of my personal life. My mom is very involved in fundraising and advocacy through the Alzheimer's Association, and I'm proud that she does that, although it's not my style. I try to raise awareness by not hiding my illness. I do get embarrassed when I forget something or mess something up, but when I do, I tell people why. When I meet someone new and they tell me their name I almost always warn them that I won't remember it because I have Alzheimer's. Some people ask me more about it and I tell them my story, but others just say Ok. And that's fine. The point is that I'm putting a face, an unexpectedly young face, on the disease. Here I am, a normal person, doing a normal thing, but I have Alzheimer's. So maybe next time that person sees me or another normal-looking person doing a not-normal thing, they won't cast an uninformed judgement, or they'll ask that person if they need help, or they'll get to know that person and learn what it's like to be him. Choosing to understand and accept the differences of the people around you is love.
What message do you hope readers take away from your memoir?
I want readers to consider or reconsider the idea of a higher power that loves them, and to put their hope and trust in that higher power, even when things don't seem to be going right. I want us to see ourselves as a single part of a much larger, more beautiful picture, one that redeems our hardship and pain for the good of humankind. When we look at ourselves as an individual piece of a beautiful, useful, meaningful whole, we can see the beauty in the differences around us, and we can feel confident that we are right where we need to be.
How has writing "Every Little Thing" helped you process your experiences?
From my background in academic research and writing, I knew my book needed a thesis, an overarching truth that ties together my experiences into a valuable universal truth. But because this is a book about my life, that meant it also had to stay true to me and my experience. Even as I was drafting, even after I signed the book contract, I didn't necessarily know what that would be, but I knew that when I figured it out it would not only communicate the message of the book, but the message of my life. So I let myself write spontaneously, and the act of getting it all down in a cohesive whole produced one of greatest feelings of validation and hope and joy that I have ever experienced. We all look for meaning in our lives, but mine is published. The joy in that in indescribable.
What are your hopes for the future of Alzheimer's research and treatment?
I'm fully confident in putting my faith in the research that's being done right now. As far as I know there is no end plan in this research other than curing and/or preventing the disease altogether. While I am in a drug trial that seeks to cure the disease or halt its progression in already its early symptomatic stages, there is another study going on for individuals who either have the same type of gene mutation that I do or are at risk for it, but are not symptomatic. In other words, these individuals have a family member with genetic Alzheimer's, but they do not have any symptoms themselves. Even if the study I'm in is unsuccessful in stopping or slowing the progression of Alzheimer's, this prevention study may provide an answer to preventing or eliminating the disease. There are also promising ideas around the idea of embryo selection, although we don't yet have the knowledge to identify an embryo that carries non-genetic form of Alzheimer's. There are still many different directions and hypotheses to work with, and I'm proud to be a small part of that puzzle.
Do you have any plans for future projects or books?
The simple answer to this is no. The book writing process was hard on my mind and body. I had to set aside and/or eliminate family events, such as graduation parties/celebrations for my two oldest children. There were periods of time that I couldn't write because I felt too ill, and it was a strain on our whole family. Despite all that they still supported me through it. I doubt I will every stop writing, but the process of submitting, publishing, and promoting as it is today means that writers have to market themselves for the most part. I used to enjoy social media and publishing articles online, but when I invested in publishing a book all of that became another job, and one that I had much less experience in. In the future I plan to write when I am inspired to, to perhaps contribute as a guest writer in other blogs or publications, and to contribute short works and poetry when I can.
https://everylittlethingbook.org/
In this heartfelt and inspiring interview, we dive into the creative journey of Alicia Cook, a remarkable poet whose words have resonated with countless individuals around the world. Alicia shares her passion for storytelling, music, and the deeply personal experiences that shape her poetry. With a dedication to addressing themes of mental health, grief, and addiction, she offers profound insights and wisdom for anyone looking to express themselves creatively. Join us as we explore Alicia's journey, her process of connecting poetry with music, and the powerful legacy she hopes to leave through her work.
1. What initially drew you to the world of poetry and music, and how did this connection influence your "poetry mixtape" series?
I was always a storyteller. As a kid, I liked to create my own bedtime stories and picture books. In third grade, I was formally introduced to poetry thanks to a school lesson. That same year, I wrote some short poems, which were submitted to a children’s poetry anthology and accepted. Even at 8 years old, I felt so much pride and excitement when I saw my name in a book. I knew that’s what I wanted to do for a living.
Music was ever-present in my life, from birth. My father loves music and introduced me to a lot of his favorite music, and of course, as I grew up, I developed my own musical tastes, too. I have connected every single emotion I’ve ever felt throughout my life to a song. And I think that’s beautiful.
To me, there is no difference between a well-written poem and a well-written song.
2. Could you share a bit about your personal journey with mental health, grief, and addiction, and how these themes manifest in your poetry?
I love to share my “origin story” because I know I am not alone in this. In 2006, my cousin Jessica overdosed and died after a brief 18-month addiction to heroin. This, coupled with a handful of other traumas, impacted my mental health a great deal. I began writing essays on what it was like to have addiction in my family. And the essays resonated with others all over the country and the world. A few of my essays were even translated into multiple languages.
Grief is something that never leaves a person. There is no cure. There is no five-stage light at the end of the tunnel. You have to learn to co-exist with grief, and death in general needs to be destigmatized more since every human on the planet experiences death in their lifetime. I live alongside my grief, which I liken to a shadow, and I hope through my poetry that others feel less shame and confusion around their own grief.
I continue to use my platform to be a voice for families impacted by drug addiction and have expanded my scope to speak a bit more generally on grief, anxiety, and depression. My poetry is an extension of this, too. So, I’ve definitely been consistent in my themes over the course of my career.
3. What advice would you give to other women looking to express themselves creatively, particularly in fields that are traditionally male-dominated?
When asked this, I often find myself in hot water because many popular male poets make a fortune writing “for” women and filtering our experiences through the male gaze. To me, they’re just putting words in our mouths. Who can capture our experiences better, more accurately, and more transparently than us? Our creative expression is powerful and necessary; it paves the way for future generations, enriches the diversity of any field, and keeps our stories authentic and honest.
We must tell our stories so that others can’t muck them up, water them down, rewrite history, or turn us into tropes.
4. What role do you think poetry plays in addressing societal issues and fostering empathy and understanding?
Poets are observers and, by some definition, reporters. We are reporters of what we not only see playing out in front of us, but reporters of what we feel. \ This comes with a significant responsibility. We document the outward and the inward. We document the invisible weight of everything, too.
5. How has your work been received by readers, and what kind of feedback have you found most meaningful or impactful?
Writing about what I write about, I feel a huge responsibility to handle the topics with care. People who connect to my writing are often not in the happiest places in their lives; they are often in crisis or have gone through something traumatic.
At least a few times a month, I receive a private message from a reader telling me that my book helped them after a suicide attempt or even helped them to make the decision not to attempt that day. I don’t have the words to articulate the weight of these messages. On other days, I get messages from people who share the sad news that their partner or child or parent or friend passed from a drug overdose.
And I know that feeling. Of feeling so alone in your pain or grief that you feel like no one could ever understand. But, simultaneously, you never stop searching for someone who has “been there.”
My social media platform and essays are found by people looking for a soft place to land. At speaking events, some families gift me things from the kids they’ve lost to drug addiction.
On a less "heavy" point, April is National Poetry Month and I noticed that this past April, so many schools developed lessons inspired by my work and I was so taken aback because I couldn't believe this was happening! Some schools had me in to run workshops or speak. And it was such a lovely experience.
6. What are some upcoming projects or goals you have in your creative journey?
I have one big project I am working on that I am very excited to announce later in the summer.
7. In moments of self-doubt or creative block, what strategies do you use to reignite your inspiration and motivation?
I seek out boredom when I have a creative block. Boredom is a lost art. It’s really only when I give myself the space to do NOTHING that my brain opens back up and creativity starts flowing again. Sometimes this can be just sitting on the couch. Going for a walk or a run. Going for a drive to nowhere. I can talk for days on end about this. BRING BACK BOREDOM!
8. Can you share a bit about your process of connecting each poem in your "poetry mixtape" series with a corresponding song, and how this enhances the reader's experience?
I always knew I wanted to create a poetry book that really tied together with music. My poetry mixtape series includes “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately,” “Sorry I Haven’t Texted You Back,” and “The Music Was Just Getting Good.” Each book is designed the same way: like a cassette mixtape, which is something I grew up making before CDs and MP3s. So, the nostalgia is there, of course, which could immediately pull a reader in.
Each poem includes a “currently listening to” song, which the reader could listen to. When I am connecting the poems to songs, it usually happens one of two ways. 1) a song might have inspired me to write the poem in the first place or 2) I match it after the fact to drive the theme home. This enhances the poem in some way, and it might even introduce the reader to an artist they didn’t know or remind them of a song they used to love.
9. What does success mean to you personally, both in your creative endeavors and in life in general?
I know I’ve made a positive difference in the lives of strangers and I know the people who love me are proud of me. What else could I ask for?
10. Finally, what message or legacy do you hope to leave through your poetry and your contributions to the literary world?
I received a literary award in March, and in my keynote, I said this: “My words are my legacy and will exist long after I am gone. I hope I am remembered as someone who grasped the weight of responsibility inherent in writing about my chosen subjects. I hope I am remembered as someone who consistently exhibited kindness, even amidst personal struggles. Really, I hope at the end of the day that I am simply…remembered.”
https://publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/authors/alicia-cook
In a world where self-care often feels like a luxury rather than a necessity, Keyla Guardado stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Her journey from a dedicated elementary school teacher to a transformative yoga and somatic movement guide is a testament to the power of resilience and self-discovery. Through the profound loss of her younger brother and a cultural upbringing that emphasized self-sacrifice, Keyla found her way to healing and empowerment. Now, she shares her wisdom and passion, helping women reconnect with their authentic selves and embrace their own sacred rebellion. Join us as Keyla opens up about her personal journey, the challenges she faced, and the powerful practices she employs to create a safe and inclusive space for healing and growth.
1. What initially drew you to yoga and somatic movement as tools for personal empowerment and self-discovery?
What initially drew me to yoga and somatic movement was, honestly, burnout. I was an elementary school teacher who cared deeply about her students, so I often took their work, family trauma, and systemic indifference with me. I knew I needed better coping mechanisms other than numbing out with my phone or a large glass of wine to "unwind." It wasn’t until my little brother passed away that I truly listened to that urge to take better care of myself and finally tried out a local yoga class.
2. Could you share more about your personal journey of rediscovering your authentic self after experiencing the loss of your brother and feeling disconnected from your cultural identity?
In our Latine upbringing, the principle ingrained in us was prioritizing others before ourselves. For women, it was expected to embody this self-sacrificing role, ensuring everyone else's well-being before their own. My mother was the greatest example of this unrealistic belief.
After my little brother passed away at just 13, it hit us all hard, like a ton of bricks. Without even realizing it, I took on my mom’s role in the family. I made sure everyone had food, someone to talk to, and was taken care of. I buried my own grief deep down to be the tough one because Mom was totally shattered by my brother’s death. I clung to this shield, threw myself into getting my master’s, and worked like never before.
A year and a half after his passing, I rolled out a mat and said, “I vaguely remember some yoga poses, I’ll just stretch and see where this goes.” An hour later, all I could do was cry in child’s pose. Heart on the ground, just sobbing out all the grief I had stuffed deep inside of me. I recall getting up and hearing birds chirping so loudly outside my window, almost as if there were hundreds of them outside. I took this as a sign that my little brother wanted me to heed the calling to put myself first and, in doing so, I would help others heal.
3. What challenges did you face in merging your cultural background with the practices of yoga and reiki in your teachings?
The biggest challenge I faced when merging my cultural background with yoga and reiki was probably navigating how I wanted to integrate my connection to Source. I grew up in a very religious Christian household, to be exact. And while I loved what I had learned, I wanted to find my own way of merging self-healing tools without guilt or shame. I believe God resides in all I do, whether it's chanting, reading a verse from the Bible, or flowing on the mat. For many, this is unheard of—to infuse all these practices—but I disagree. I think oppressive systems makes us believe we are all separate, but in unison, we are stronger, connected, and kin.
4. How do you approach the concept of rebellion within the context of self-care and healing, especially for women who may feel pressured to conform to societal norms or expectations?
In a patriarchal society, slowing down to listen to your intuition is so hard! No one teaches you how; there isn’t a manual given to you in school. It’s the exact opposite—our culture tends to want more from you, and fast.
It can feel so challenging to go against the grain, to say no when everyone else is saying yes. We all want to belong and feel part of the group; it’s a human need for connection, which isn’t bad or less than. What I want to offer women is the space to pause and ask themselves, “Is this something that I truly value and want to do?” Pausing to ask questions, to inquire within, is such an act of rebellion because you aren’t going along with whatever someone said is “right” but diving deep into your own heart and getting a clear direction from there.
5. What role has mindfulness played in your own healing journey, and how do you incorporate mindfulness practices into your teachings?
Bringing mindfulness into my healing and my everyday life has been a game changer for me. When I am uncertain, doubtful, or anxious, the moment I pause and notice, there’s a sliver of presence created, and in that moment, I can discern the root of my discomfort. So instead of numbing or people-pleasing, I have a choice to pivot. It’s in the small choices that we get to create a more mindful way of living.
I always encourage my clients to bring the stillness and “zen” created on the mat into their everyday lives. During practice, I remind them to pause and notice their breath and thoughts, and over time, this becomes a daily ritual they can implement while drinking their coffee or dealing with a deadline at work.
6. Can you share a transformative moment or experience from your yoga and somatic movement classes that highlights the power of these practices in facilitating personal growth and empowerment?
A client I have been working with for 2 years came to me with overwhelming feelings of grief, pain in her lower back, stress, and a lot of self-doubt. We practiced 1:1 yoga with coaching after each session, and with each class, she blossomed more and more.
After 8 sessions, she was finally able to go on that beach vacation she had been thinking about for years without guilt. Her flexibility grew by at least 50%, she had little to no back pain, and she grew more and more confident in her authenticity.
Through somatic exercises, she was able to release a lot of stuck grief, self-sabotaging thoughts, and low self-worth. During our practices, we flowed gently, sometimes pausing to journal. We created safety within her body first, enabling her to go out into the world and take up space. It was a real honor to watch her growth.
7. How do you create a safe and inclusive space for women of diverse backgrounds and experiences in your online yoga community?
Being a first-generation immigrant, honoring my roots has been a big part of my healing process. I can only rise as high as I honor where I come from.
When you attend any of my classes, I always begin by honoring the roots of yoga and reiki. I open the space in prayer and reverence to the origins of these ancient modalities. I do the same with the community that works with me. I celebrate all backgrounds, learning abilities, and experiences with movement. All my classes are trauma-informed and inclusive. All rebels are welcome!
8. What strategies or self-care practices do you personally rely on to maintain your own well-being while supporting others on their healing paths?
I have many nervous system regulation practices, but my top four would have to be meditating in the morning, taking movement breaks throughout the day, practicing self-reiki healing sometimes before bed, and sitting in ceremony with nature and my ancestry. Anything that helps me connect back to my body and Source is what I lean on.
9. Lastly, how can women interested in your teachings and approach connect with you and get involved in the I am Sacred Rebel community?
I hang out mostly on Instagram @iam_sacredrebel ! If you want to learn more about my services or want free mindful rituals head over to my website to sign up for my love letter crew.
Growing up in Southern Ohio, Kelsie E Stark discovered her passion for writing at the tender age of 10, crafting short stories and poetry that belied her years. By 12, she had self-published her first book, and her journey as an author was set in motion. Kelsie's deeply personal works, including "Unspoken," "You," and her latest, "I Will Be Free," explore the complexities of emotion, love, and trauma, resonating with readers who find solace in her words. Her resilience and honesty shine through as she shares her experiences with abuse and healing, offering hope and understanding to those who might feel alone in their struggles.
Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to start writing your books?
I grew up in Southern Ohio and started writing short stories and poetry at the age of 10. I was always told I had an old soul, it reflected in my work. “You’re too young to have felt these feelings and experienced these things!” When I turned 12 years old, I self published my first book of short stories. My parents wanted me to do the things I did best however they could support me. From then, I stayed with poetry and published “Unspoken” and “You” when I was 17.
What inspired the titles "I Will Be Free," "Unspoken," and "You"?
“Unspoken” is one of my favorite books because it was inspired by classical music and fairytales. I would listen to classical music and think of what the words or story would be to that music. The sound inspired stories. I would also write my version of fairytales but I made them macabre. “You” was primarily inspired by my first crush as a child, and how my feelings evolved into late teen, adulthood. The longing and wanting for something unknown and exciting. It foreshadowed my future relationship that flows into “I Will Be Free”. This newest set of poetry, published in 2022, was started when I turned 18. The poetry begins with some narrative about my emotions and depression. I didn’t realize until later that this book is a timeline of mental, emotional, and sexual abuse within my first real relationship with a narcissist who had groomed me and exploited me for 8 years.
Can you describe the journey that led you to write about your experiences in an abusive relationship?
I always seemed to write when I was very depressed. I found myself writing so much during that time that I ended up becoming my own therapist, talking myself out of leaving because I believed that “if you love something, you sit in the pain.” I became very unaware of how much control this person had over me that I thought that was loyalty. I liked having poetry come from this pain, and I let myself drown metaphorically over and over again in my words. I never let my abuser read what I wrote, in fear that he would figure out it was about him. At the end of the relationship, I became so afraid of who I became that I knew if I stayed longer, I would end of committing suicide. So the end of the book, I left to the mountains of Big Bend National Park and finally had the strength to leave the pain.
How did writing about your experiences help you cope and heal?
Transforming my feelings into poetry and imagery helped me cope with the overwhelming emotions that sat like an elephant on my chest. Forcing pain into something beautiful helped me realize how connected and conscious my soul is to the world. Nature grieves with me, and watching the world heal gave me hope.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while writing these books?
It took my years to finish each one, and the happier I become, the less I write. Facing myself one on one has been my biggest challenge.
How has your life changed since you published your books?
I published my books not to make money, but to let the readers know they are not alone. That you can be so in love, heartbroken, sad, and sacred but you are not alone in those feelings. Creating beauty from pain makes the darkness not so scary. My life hasn’t changed much since then, and I didn’t expect it too.
What do you hope readers take away from your books?
I hope they feel less alone and less afraid of their pain and suffering. That they can see my story and my words as a voice to speak up.
Can you share a particular moment or story from your journey that had a significant impact on you?
My first time going to the beach, I remember standing in the tide and feeling how the waves yearned for me and how the sand sunk but I stayed in the same place. That moment made me realize how much the ocean is similar to my conscious. How is it I yearn for things so badly, yet I do not move? I sink deeper into that feeling until eventually I drown. That exact moment also brought awareness to me that I was depressed and too scared to face it.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to continue writing and sharing your story?
What keeps me motivated is how much empathy I carry with me. I know my words and feelings can show someone out of the dark. I let myself be bare to the world so they can see their reflection in me. I really enjoy creating new spaces and images with words, and that they evolve into something special for others.
What advice would you give to other women who are currently in abusive relationships?
It’s okay that you may not be able to leave. It’s also okay not to understand the situation and your part in it. There’s no timeline to follow for when and if you should stay or leave. There is always someone to hear you and to see you, there will always be a hand to grab to pull you from the waves or the dark. You are worth more than your mind and heart permits you. Staying in the struggle is not loyalty. You are not weak. It takes strength to become aware. It takes courage to leave, and it takes patience to heal. You are courageous and able.
What resources or support systems did you find most helpful during your journey?
I consistently reached out to my close friends, who I could go to without judgement. I needed people to be blunt with me and help me out of denial. I spoke with therapists and started to look for more CPTSD and trauma therapy as I learned more about myself and my situation.
How has sharing your story affected your relationships with friends and family?
Sharing has brought out the confidence in me so I can speak up. My parents didn’t know that I was suffering and we grew closer in the end. I lost a lot of friends along the way, but I made even better friends during my experience, in the healing stage.
What role do social media and your online presence play in your work and advocacy?
Social media has helped me connect with those who were able to support and help me. I’ve found a way to share my voice with a larger audience.
What are your future plans for your writing and any other creative projects?
I currently am in the process of another book of poetry. This set is going to include happier work, more nature influenced, and hopefully gives my audience hope for a better future.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Speak up for yourself and don’t be afraid of hurting someone else’s feelings if they are hurting you. Please be patient with yourself and be gentle with the voice in your head. You are not your bad experiences. You are the storyteller in the end.
https://www.instagram.com/iamkittinikki
Ann Wallace is a writer, poet, and long-haul COVID-19 survivor whose words have touched and inspired many. Her journey through the pandemic, from her daughter's early symptoms to her own intense battle with the virus and its lingering effects, has been a testament to resilience, hope, and the power of storytelling. Through prose and poetry, Ann has not only chronicled her personal experiences but also raised awareness about the struggles faced by countless others. Her new poetry collection, "Days of Grace and Silence: A Chronicle of COVID's Long Haul," captures the raw, visceral reality of living through the pandemic while reminding us of the enduring beauty and strength of the human spirit. In this interview, Ann shares her story, her advocacy work, and her unwavering message of hope for those facing their own health battles.
What inspired you to start writing about your experience with COVID-19, both in prose and poetry?
Well, when I began writing about COVID-19, it was all brand new and there were information I needed to share and experiences I wanted to be make record of, whether through prose or poetry. It was early March 2020 when my 16-year old daughter fell sick with a slight fever and a cough. I was away at a conference, but when I returned home, she looked sicker, more depleted than I’d ever seen her. It was frightening, especially in light of news of the spreading coronavirus. I made an appointment with our pediatrician, who agreed she likely had COVID-19 and should be tested. But the problem was that they didn’t have any COVID tests and, at that point, all administration of tests needed to be approved by the state of New Jersey, where we live. Thus began many, many fruitless phone calls trying to secure a COVID test for my daughter. I was so alarmed with the very serious lack of information and testing that I needed to do something. I needed to make our story public because I knew that other families must be facing roadblocks too and in a similar state of panic. So I wrote an essay and sent it to Huffington Post. It was published the next day. That was March 15, 2020.
When I became sick a couple days later, my condition deteriorated quite rapidly. I wanted to make some kind of record of the visceral experience of my illness and of the pandemic itself, so I began writing poems, one each day. By then, I was too sick to continue write prose--and I did try, but I didn’t have the stamina or mental clarity to write more than a paragraph or two. But poetry felt manageable. I don’t mean poetry is easier, but a poem can be small, even just three or four lines, and a poem doesn’t have to have a linear logic or order. And though most of my poems have multiple stanzas, there were days when three lines were enough, and were all I had in me.
Can you share a bit about your personal journey with COVID-19 and how it impacted you and your family?
I was acutely ill, frighteningly so, for a few months. I was in and out of the emergency room, but that March the hospitals were full so I was sent home and told not to get out of bed, because standing, sitting up, talking, any activity really, made my oxygen levels drop. I could feel myself beginning to black out, like a whoosh of darkness coming over me. Week after week after week, I lay on my couch all day, exhausted and in pain. It hurt to read, or think, or even watch tv. And I had trouble remembering words. At nighttime, I carefully made my way upstairs to bed, but I was unable to sleep for more than two and a half or three hours before I would wake in horrible pain, often from a nightmare, with my head throbbing, lungs burning, limbs tingling because my oxygen levels were dropping while I slept. Finally, five weeks into my illness, my doctor was able to secure home oxygen for me, which I used 24/7 for a full month, and regularly for 18 months. Getting that oxygen was no small feat in April 2020, and it lifted some of the daily terror. But I was still very sick.
I can only imagine what a scary time that spring was for my daughters, who were 13 and 16 years old at the time. The worst feeling was leaving them to go to the emergency room—my second trip to the hospital was on my birthday, and I didn’t know when, or if, I would be returning home. I felt the potential trauma acutely. But each time, by some miracle, I did come home.
In late May, I was cleared to begin pulmonary rehab. I remember meeting with my rehab doctor Noah Greenspan on Zoom; he asked me to walk in place in my kitchen, on oxygen, for four minutes. I was certain that would be impossible. But I did it. I needed to spend the rest of the day recovering, but I did it. And then next day I did it again. Eventually I was able to walk down the block and back, and then farther. My older daughter began walking with me, and we walked up and down our street together nearly every day that summer and fall. But even as I rebuilt my stamina, new Long COVID symptoms appeared and persisted, and I faced many setbacks, and my recovery has taken years.
Yet my journey has been nothing compared to watching my daughters, both of whom developed Long COVID too, struggle to breathe, or be racked with pain, or deal with crushing fatigue, day after day. My youngest, who is now seventeen, has been quite seriously effected for the past year and a half. For all of my knowledge about Long COVID, there’s precious little I can do to help her recover more quickly. The most important things I can do are protect her from medical professionals who don’t understand this disease and its associated conditions and advocate for her, which I do nearly every day.
As a long-hauler, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced during your recovery, both physically and emotionally?
Physically, I experienced more than 90 symptoms, some of which, like frozen shoulder, dental problems, and urinary urgency, didn’t appear until months into my illness. My older daughter and I both developed Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS for short), which is a form of dysautonomia in which the normally-automatic systems of the nervous system that regulate temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and so on don’t coordinate as they should. People with POTS become short of breath, light headed or even pass out with postural changes like sitting up or walking up stairs. And both of my daughters and I developed ME/CFS, formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a form of mental and physical fatigue that is fully debilitating; it is not the result of deconditioning or laziness, and it is not someone a person can just push through. In fact, doing so can be harmful. I know this firsthand, as my recovery was set back by months from one energetic weekend when I was feeling good and pushed myself too hard. My daughters and I have all had to learn to listen carefully to and respect the signals we receive from our bodies—and I’ll tell you, that isn’t always easy!
The biggest challenges though have been mental. Being sick for months turned to years, with no certainty about a timeline and with too many twists and turns, takes a toll on one’s mental health. Add to that, the difficulty of watching my daughters face the same illness, plus the lack of medical care and the very real fact of medical gaslighting and shaming. Well, I feel like we’ve all been through the wringer. But I will say, my family has been lucky in many regards, with good health care and financial stability, which many Long COVID patients don’t have. I know many others who are going through the same thing, some faring better than us, and some worse. While there is comfort and support in the Long COVID community, it is crushing to think about how many people, including children, teens, and young adults, are struggling to recover.
Could you tell us about your new poetry collection, "Days of Grace and Silence: A Chronicle of COVID's Long Haul"? What themes or messages are central to this collection?
Well, let’s go back to spring 2020. I was determined to writing a poem each day that April, during National Poetry Month. I knew we were in uncharted territory, globally as well as individually, and I wanted a record of my experience. I wrote these poems both for myself, so I could almost step outside of my illness to look at it, closely, intimately, and try to write my way through, and for others. The poems didn’t have to be polished. I wrote for the sake of bearing witness. I knew I could go back and revise them later, though there are a few that appear in my book exactly as I originally wrote them.
When the month of April ended, I wasn’t yet recovered and the pandemic was still raging, so I kept writing. Days of Grace and Silence is a collection, written in real time over three years, chronicling my illness, as well as my daughters’, set against the backdrop of the pandemic. Each poem is dated and arranged in chronological order, much like a diary, so readers can follow the journey with me. But I want to note the collection, though it is written amidst a pandemic, also holds hope and life. One of the early recurring images in the book are the birds in my backyard, which I could see and hear from my sickbed couch. Even as death and illness and fear washed over the world, life found a way and the birds sang loudly, boldly. There is always life; we just have to listen for it.
How has your experience influenced your advocacy work for patients with long-term COVID-19 effects?
I always think of writing as my primary form of advocacy, but writing has opened other doors for me to share the longhaul story with others. I wrote a second essay for Huff Post on my 100th day of COVID. Katie Couric shared it on her newsletter the next morning, and Good Morning, America interviewed me, as did other media outlets. Fox News Radio even reached out and aired a lengthy conversation with me about Long COVID! That extension of my work was meaningful to me, because at the time, most people hadn’t heard of Long COVID yet—I mean, it didn’t even have an official name, PASC (Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19) until winter 2021! I wanted people to know this was happening to people and could happen to them, that it might already be happening and they didn’t know what was going on. Because I remember being at a loss as to why I wasn’t getting better. It was late May when I spoke to a pulmonologist who said they were bracing for what he referred to as the “walking wounded” who would survive COVID but not recover. Hearing that from him gave me a sense of clarity and understanding that was important for my peace of mind and sense of purpose. I wanted other people to understand that it wasn’t just in their heads and that they weren’t alone. I’ve since done advocacy work, speaking with elected officials about the need for more research, education and support efforts, and I serve on the NIH RECOVER Initiative on Long COVID as a patient representative.
What do you hope readers will take away from your poetry and your story?
My hope is that readers will allow themselves to feel, to remember, even to mourn as they read Days of Grace and Silence. That they will feel the breathless fog of hypoxia, their hands might tingle and numb, they might imagine their head throbbing. That they will feel the despair of a woman whose husband died at home and who could not find a funeral home to come take his body, or the terror of walking into the emergency room in a hospital with a makeshift morgue outside, or the anxiety of reentering the world in spring and summer 2020. I hope my poetry provides space for readers to honor all we have lost, but that it also reminds them that there is always also life and hope and beauty. The birds kept singing and the flowers bloomed through the darkest days of 2020, and we, each of us reading and remembering today, are still here. And I hope that allows us to feel resilient and strong and filled with hope and purpose.
Can you share a memorable moment or realization from your journey that significantly impacted your writing or perspective?
My first trip to the ER with COVID was on March 25, 2020. It was my local hospital, and I knew the layout of the ER, but the entire department had been physically reorganized for processing and treating people with the virus. The first doctor who saw me said that he hadn’t seen his family in two weeks. And staff members had each cobbled together layers of masks, respirators, and face shields. I felt profound empathy for all of them, and for the very sick people, coughing and shivering and moaning, behind their hospital curtains. I didn’t even know for sure that I had COVID yet, and I worried that I was taking up a bed someone else needed. Three days later when I went back to the ER, everything seemed different yet again--the staff was stretched thin and tired, and they remained physically distant, speaking to me from the other side of the curtain. And I was much sicker; my oxygen levels dropped frighteningly low when I stood or spoke, I couldn’t walk unassisted, I could barely speak and was struggling to stay conscious, and the right side of my body had a tremor. I remember asking for help moving from the wheelchair to the bed, because I couldn’t do it on my own, and I saw the fear in the aide’s face because I needed his physical assistance; I needed him to touch me. Yet, as sick as I was, after a few hours, I was sent home with orders to stay on bedrest and return if I got worse. The hospital was full and many, many others were worse off. It was a humbling experience, one that gave me a terrifying inside look at where we were and how very ill people were. It also reinforced for me that I needed to share what I was living through and witnessing.
In what ways do you think storytelling, particularly through poetry, can create awareness and empathy for health-related challenges like long-term COVID-19 effects?
Thank you for this important question! Storytelling is an important and powerful tool—and many medical professionals have been leaning into that fact for a few decades now, building the new field of narrative medicine. When we listen to people’s stories, and I mean really listen, to what is said, to how it is shared, and what remains unspoken, we can learn a great deal and build empathy for others.
Many patients with invisible illnesses like Long COVID and its associated conditions, feel that their stories, their lived realities, have been ignored and dismissed. And that has been very difficult for many long haulers who feel they have been left behind as the rest of the world has moved on from the pandemic. But the truth is that Long COVID is a mass disabling event and millions of people in the U.S. alone are no longer able to work or attend school. Many have lost their savings, their cars, their homes, and they are without hope. Their stories matter and need to be told. Stories have the power to change people’s perceptions and understanding. And that can lead to material support—more research, information, resources, and support services that are so critically needed.
What projects or initiatives are you currently working on, and what are your future plans as a writer and advocate?
I’ve been working on an illness memoir--before COVID, I survived ovarian cancer in my early twenties and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in my late thirties, so I have a lifetime of experience navigating illness! I am making good progress on that book and plan to devote much of my summer to it. I’m also compiling a new poetry collection. And I host and produce The WildStory: A Podcast of Poetry and Plants with my friend Kim Correro, which is an exciting project that is getting some really nice attention. People can check it out at https://npsnj.org/the-wildstory-podcast/, and it’s available on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music.
How do you use social media platforms like Instagram and Threads to connect with your audience and share your work?
My personal Facebook page was an important outlet for me when I was first sick. I posted regularly about my experience navigating COVID—sharing everything from my day to day illness, to my interactions with my doctors and in hospitals, to what I was learning from reading and conversations. Many people read and shared those posts, so I kept writing them even though each one took a lot of my mental energy.
I now use Instagram (@annwallace409) primarily for my writing-related work—publications, readings, and the like—and I dabble on Threads, which is a wonderful new platform.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers, particularly those who want to use their writing to raise awareness or advocate for important causes?
Remember that your personal story is larger than you. That is, if you are living through an illness like Long COVID, your story, though it is unique in its particulars, represents that of many other people. When I wrote my first essay for HuffPost in mid-March 2020 about not being able to get my daughter tested for COVID, I did so because I knew that if I could not get the medical care and information we needed, then countless other families were in the same situation. The public deserved to know what that reality looked like, so others could be prepared for a frightening reality, but, more importantly, so that reality might change. In that instance, we needed more tests and testing facilities, and we also needed a far better understanding of how COVID impacts kids and teenagers. Did one story make those things happen? No, but many stories together can do that. So tell your story.
Finally, what message would you like to convey to readers who may be facing their own health battles or uncertainties?
Surround yourself with people who believe and support you. One thing the Long COVID experience has reinforced is how easy it is for people—often professionals, but also family and friends—to dismiss people with invisible illnesses or illnesses that aren’t easy to diagnose or treat. If your healthcare provider doesn’t believe you or is pushing you toward treatments that are causing harm, speak up. If that doesn’t work, walk away and find another provider. I know that isn’t easy or fast, and sometimes it is expensive, but this is your life and you deserve a medical team that 1) listens to you, and 2) is willing, when they don’t have the answers, to look for answers on your behalf. And if you feel alone, there are wonderfully supportive communities online—I’ve met amazing people through Long COVID groups, people I may have never met in person but who understand what my family is going through, and some days, that makes all the difference.
Lena Papadopoulos, founder of Lena Papadopoulos LLC, embarked on a journey to transform leadership development and intercultural education by addressing their root causes rather than just the symptoms. Drawing from her rich background in cultural anthropology and international development, Lena recognized that the disconnection within us mirrors the divisions among us. Through her signature framework, (R)EVOLutionary Change™, she empowers leaders and changemakers to reconnect with their True Nature, fostering both individual and collective liberation. Lena's own experiences as a first-generation Greek-American and her deep commitment to self-reflection and shadow work have shaped her unique approach, making her a beacon of hope for a more inclusive and equitable world.
What inspired you to start Lena Papadopoulos LLC?
I loved the work I did before starting my business. I had an incredibly meaningful and fulfilling career. But I felt limited by the way things were typically done in the realms of leadership development and intercultural education. Something was missing. It was the same issue I’d seen when studying international development and religious nationalism, war, and conflict. The vast majority of projects, programs, and trainings in these areas were band-aid solutions. We were treating the symptoms of an issue without meaningfully addressing the root cause(s).
After a decade of studying and working in these fields, I’d come to believe the division between us is a reflection of the disconnect within us. A disconnect from our True Nature, from our Soul’s Essence, from Love. I wanted my work to address that disconnection, which I perceived to be the foundation for systems of oppression. A lot of my work since starting my business has been more heavily focused on the inner aspects of personal and spiritual growth, but always driven by the same underlying question: how does this fit into the wider context of collective liberation?
I’m now bringing it all full circle and beginning to answer this question through my signature framework, (R)EVOLutionary Change, which outlines the intersections between individual suppression and collective oppression, as well as the way forward in repairing the disconnection from Self and Other to create systemic change rooted in individual and collective liberation.
Can you share more about your personal journey and struggles with identity and belonging?
As the daughter of Greek immigrants in the United States, I grew up in the space between. I wasn’t American enough in the U.S., and I wasn’t Greek enough in Greece. I was too Greek in the U.S. and too American in Greece. I felt deeply misunderstood and always out of place. I was always either too much of this or not enough of that, depending on the context.
I carried this constant weight of rejection and the stories that came with it: no one likes me; no one wants me here; I make everyone uncomfortable. I dimmed my light a lot because of this. But it’s also what motivated me to create a different experience for others—to create spaces where people felt accepted as they are, where people felt a sense of belonging. In college, I got really involved with my campus’s international student community, because I wanted students from abroad to feel welcomed and supported. To feel they’d found a home away from home. This was a powerful and eye-opening experience that inspired me to get a Masters in cultural anthropology, which eventually led to the start of my career in intercultural education.
And in fact, the very thing that always led me to feel as though I didn’t belong, the fact that I straddle two different realities, is exactly what allows me to comfortably navigate the nuance and complexity of the human experience. There’s a lot of power in being able to hold space for different worldviews and perceptions of truth. It’s a gift that gives me the capacity to humanize others, and humanization is the foundation for a world in which all people everywhere are free.
How did your experiences with cultural anthropology and international development shape your perspective and work?
My experiences in these areas have been incredibly influential in the work I do now. While getting my MA in cultural anthropology, my research specialization was in religious nationalism, war, and conflict. I essentially studied the different ways fear and self-preservation manifest in a collective understanding of the “other” as enemy and the capacity for conflict to disguise itself as “culture.” I’d originally intended to continue on to a PhD, but I quickly realized academia wasn’t for me. There was a lot of stigma around anthropologists involving themselves in activism and social justice work, and I didn't want to spend my life writing papers and books only other academics would read. I wanted to do something that made a difference.
So I started taking extra courses to complete a certification in International Development Studies, thinking I would later enter the field of humanitarianism. It was a short-lived dream. The international aid system is incredibly neocolonial and rarely, if ever, takes people’s lived experience into account. I wanted to eradicate systems of oppression, not amplify them.
Studying war and conflict has played a big role in helping me understand how self suppression leads to oppression, how the shadow self becomes a collective manifestation. I see this playing out in all the systems we live under—capitalism, the patriarchy, white supremacy, etc. These connections between self and systems are at the core of my (R)EVOLutionary Change framework. Likewise, studying international development in such depth has given me a unique perspective on how systems of oppression are playing out on a global scale. It’s provided a clear context for how these systems function and operate on the ground, which has really shaped my perspective on how we need to move forward in creating alternatives to these systems.
How do you navigate the intersectionality of your identities as a first-generation Greek-American and a white-passing individual?
This has interestingly been a significant part of my personal shadow work over the last year. As we began to witness the unfolding of genocide in Gaza, I had to have a real reckoning with myself about why I wasn’t fully showing up in the online space. Once I began to pull at the threads I already had some awareness around, I discovered a complex, multi-faceted, layered web of interconnectedness around these different aspects of my identity.
In the summer of 2021, I made a very conscious decision to stop posting about social justice on my social media. I’d become uncomfortable with how the digital space had changed in 2020 when it became “trendy” to amplify oppression online. Shaming. Call-outs. Canceling. I told myself things like: the online space is too limited to explore the many layers of any one issue; I don’t want to contribute to this dynamic of divisiveness; what I do offline matters more anyway. And these things are all true, but I’ve realized there was more going on under the surface.
On the one hand, I’ve recognized that I, too, had been shaming people in subtle ways. I was engaging in the very behavior that had caused me so much discomfort; I just didn’t want to admit it at the time. The other layer I’d suppressed was how deeply terrified I was of being called out, publicly humiliated, and canceled on the internet. So then, I had to ask myself why I was so afraid of this happening.
Turns out, it had a lot to do with internalized shame around whiteness. Though culturally, I’ve always related much more with my friends of color, I’ve always personally identified as white because I believe I have a responsibility around the privilege my appearance affords me. But I came to realize this was also because I was unconsciously choosing to define myself though a lens of white guilt and shame while rejecting my ancestral trauma around war and genocide.
My great grandparents on both sides fled a genocide against Greek Christians living in Anatolia (modern day Turkey) in the 1920s following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. This was why I’d studied religious-based conflict in graduate school. In fact, most of my research focused on the violence of Greeks against Turks because I didn’t want to simply accept the bias I had grown up with, the narrative that we were enslaved and oppressed and murdered by Turks—which was true—and, Greeks were also responsible for atrocities against Turks.
So in my desire not to be defined by the identity of the victim (which shows up in many different ways in my family of origin), I’d become defined by the identity of the oppressor. And the underlying fear in all of this, the reason I felt unable to show up in my advocacy online and the reason I was afraid of being called-out and canceled, is because I’d developed an unconscious belief that it wasn’t “my place” to say what liberation looks like as a white-passing individual.
This fear of being “wrong” in my advocacy led me to prioritize my own comfort (and therefore my privilege) over my convictions. This is one of the reasons shame alchemy is a core focus of my work in the world. Because shame is almost always at the root of self suppression. Shame is also almost always at the root of oppression. Shame stifles and immobilizes. Shame alienates and ostracizes. Shame diminishes and demeans. Shame disconnects and divides. If we want to create a just world defined by inclusion, equity, and belonging—shame is not the answer. Shame will never lead us to liberation. Not as individuals, nor as a collective.
What role do you believe self-reflection and shadow work play in personal and professional development?
Carl Jung, who came up with the concepts of the shadow and shadow work, said, “The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate.” In other words, our unconscious material, or our shadows, create our reality to an extent. What may seem to be happening “to us” throughout life (excluding systems of oppression), is oftentimes our own unconscious creation. We subconsciously create conditions and situations that confirm our unconscious bias and beliefs about ourselves and the world.
This is why I believe self-reflection and shadow work are absolutely essential to our growth, personally and professionally. Because they offer us a greater degree of autonomy and agency in our lived experience through our ability to make conscious choices. This is how we break patterns of codependency and people-pleasing in our relationships, learn how to use our voice to amplify causes we care about, step into our power and potential as leaders, for example.
And, if we hope to be catalysts for liberation, we have to befriend the shadows. Not only does an awareness of our shadow empower us to disrupt the unconscious patterns that lead to persistent cycles of pain in our lived experience, but this awareness also provides powerful insight into the ways in which oppressive structures and systems are rooted in the collective shadow. Once we discover just how pervasive our unconscious patterns are, we can better understand how they eventually come to rule the world. The bravery required to bring your own shadow into the light is the same bravery that will change our world.
How do you approach helping leaders and changemakers step into their fullest self-expression and show up for individual and collective liberation?
Before we can step into our fullest self-expression, we first have to become aware of all the beliefs and patterns that block us from feeling safe to show up in our Truth, and many of those beliefs and patterns are actually unconscious. I use evolutionary astrology as a tool to illuminate those unconscious blocks, and then I use a process of shadow work to alchemize the shame connected to those blocks.
Evolutionary astrology is a unique approach which allows us to look at a person’s birth chart in terms of their soul’s evolutionary intention across lifetimes. When I’m giving a reading, some of the things I highlight are the Soul's deepest desires, past life trauma signatures, and the path to living one’s Soul's purpose with more ease. So often we see unconscious patterns playing out as a repeat of energetic signatures carried over from past life experiences, which then become reinforced in early childhood conditioning. So I use the chart in my work with clients to identify the unconscious beliefs and patterns that are standing in the way of them showing up fully in their Truth and living their Soul’s purpose.
When we talk about the shadow, many people think of something dark and taboo, it’s typically associated with something negative. But the shadow is simply that which is unconscious…parts of self that have been repressed, usually because we’ve internalized some sort of shame around those parts. Oftentimes, the parts we’ve repressed are actually our greatest gifts and portals to our personal power. And so we find ourselves facing the same problematic patterns, repeating cycles that leave us feeling frustrated, unclear, and unfulfilled.
I use the chart to identify the shadows, and I use shadow work to transmute them into light. With shadow work, I help my clients uncover the root cause or origin of their shadow(s), offer love and compassion to those disowned or rejected parts of self, and replace disempowering thoughts and beliefs with a self-concept rooted in their strengths and gifts. A lot of this process is about reorienting one’s self-perception toward self-acceptance and self-belief, so they feel empowered to act in congruence with their convictions, without worrying about judgment or criticism from the outside.
As leaders and changemakers, we have to be willing to shine a light on our own shadows. To meet ourselves at our edges. To sit with difficult and uncomfortable truths. This is how we fortify our capacity to hold our big vision for the world, to bring our unique medicine forward, to live our mission with integrity and in congruence with our convictions. This is how we break through the barriers within us, so that we can dismantle the systems around us.
What advice do you have for women who are struggling to find their place or voice in their respective fields?
There is so much I could say about this. As women, it’s difficult to feel confident in our belonging and/or in using our voice for so many different reasons. I’ll share my perspective on two of the layers I most often see showing up for the women I work with—one is a fear of being misunderstood; the other is a fear of inadequacy or imposter syndrome.
If you’ve always felt misunderstood or out of place, it’s probably because you’re here to change the norm. The world we live in wasn’t made for people like you, which is exactly why you’re so needed in it. You’re here to break cycles and shift paradigms, and that requires you to think, do, and be different than most of the people around you. Lots of people aren’t going to “get it,” but shifting away from the norm is the only way we can create meaningful change in our world.
Then, there’s this fear that we don’t know enough, we're not qualified enough, we’re not embodied enough. Oftentimes, what validates this insecurity is the fact that we really struggle with the things we’re drawn to helping others with. Like yeah, I can help you with this, but I’m not very good at doing it for myself or in my own life, so I must be an imposter or a hypocrite. Here’s the thing I can say with confidence based on the themes and patterns I see in my soul purpose astrology readings—the things your Soul came here to learn how to do, the thing you struggle with the most, is the very thing you are designed and equipped to help others with. Because it’s through the challenges we ourselves experience that we gain wisdom and lessons we can share with others, even if we find it hard to apply them for ourselves.
This is why supporting my clients to strengthen their self-concept is a big part of my work. The world-changing work we want to do requires us to be fortified in the foundation we’re standing on. To be deeply rooted in our why, our values, our gifts, our convictions, our Truth. But for many of us, the foundation we’re building on often isn’t strong enough to support the monumental change we want to make—or the magnitude of the power we’re here to embody.
You believe so strongly in the change you want to create, but you may struggle to believe in yourself. You might not feel confident in your capabilities or grounded in your gifts. You might feel wobbly or unanchored in your sense of self. We’ll go to great lengths to protect ourselves from the possibility of judgment or criticism or rejection. From that feeling of not belonging or being misunderstood. But you’re here because the world needs the medicine only you can offer. And if you hold back or keep yourself small because of fear, we’ll miss out on that magic. Strengthening your self-concept is about shifting the way you think about yourself, so you can believe in your own magic. So you can fortify your capacity to live and lead from your Truth. So you can stand strong and sovereign in self-trust. So you can lead yourself and others with unwavering confidence. The world needs more leaders like YOU. But you have to believe it first.
How do you envision your work contributing to (R)EVOLutionary Change™ and liberation?
My (R)EVOLutionary Change framework is rooted in the idea that revolutionary world change and collective liberation must be sourced from Love—open-mindedness, non-judgment, acceptance, compassion, empathy, humanization. Because when we create a world in which it feels SAFE to come home to the Truth of who we are, there is no longer a need to suppress ourselves or to oppress others.
We live in a colonial empire built on the dehumanization and displacement of Black and Brown people, on the destruction of their lands, their homes, their lives. A world we allow to continue through our conformity, our complacency, our complicity, all of which are rooted in our conditioning. In our disconnection from our Truth, from our Soul’s Essence, from Love.
My mission is to bring us back home to that Truth. To liberate ourselves from the confines of our conditioning so that we can liberate one another from global systems of oppression. There are too many heart-led humans keeping themselves small out of fear of being misunderstood. Too many heart-led humans full of self-doubt and a lack of confidence in their gifts, in their medicine. Too many heart-led humans who hesitate to speak their Truth and stand firm in their convictions for fear of criticism, rejection, or abandonment.
All while power-hungry oligarchs control, extract, and exploit people and the planet without consequence. While our humanity is degraded and denied by corruption and collusion rooted in despotism and nepotism. I do the work I do because this world needs more heart-led, human-centered leaders and changemakers who are willing to risk being misunderstood.
Because leading in integrity and in congruence with our vision for a better world matters more than the discomfort we feel when people don’t “get it.” Because we are here for a purpose and we are called to trust that everything we need to fulfill our divine mission is already within us and part of us. Because our innovative, unconventional, and “weird” ideas and perspectives are exactly what allow us to imagine a new and different and better world.
If we’re going to give birth to that world, we damn well better believe we’re capable of it. That’s why I’m here. To show leaders and changemakers just how much power they have to create change once they reconnect with their Truth. To help them strengthen their self-concept and act from a place of true empowerment. To help them cultivate the fortitude to hold their big vision for the world. So they can bring your unique magic, medicine, and magnetism into the light. So they can live and lead and BE in congruence with the calling of their Soul. Because that reconnection with Self is what makes liberation possible.
https://www.lenapapadopoulos.com
In a world that often tells us to conform, Edith Quintanilla stands out as a beacon of resilience and creative passion. From her early fascination with Bob Ross to her transition from a stable tech career to founding Poderosa Divina, Edith’s journey is a testament to the power of following one’s dreams. Despite facing societal and familial pressures, she embraced her authentic self and let her art flourish. Edith’s story is not just about art; it’s about finding purpose, overcoming obstacles, and inspiring others to pursue their true passions. Join us as we delve into Edith’s life, her artistic evolution, and the powerful message behind her work.
Can you tell us more about your early experiences with art and how it became your passion?
I remember being influenced by Bob Ross when I was five years old. I grew up in a low middle class family, with three siblings. We had one old, clunky TV that only showed five channels. Every morning my siblings and I would wait for our cartoons to start by watching the shows that aired before our favorite cartoons. My sister’s blissfully played with their toys while we waited, but I was mostly interested in what Bob Ross was painting. As a 5 year old, I found the way that he painted landscapes, leaves, plants and animals fascinating. I imitated his sketches with my crayons and dilapidated pencils and shortly after I started drawing, I learned how to sketch bunnies, owls, and puppies. Fast forward to my career now, I am still painting, sketching and designing. Art has always been there for me when I needed it most and it took me years to figure it out, but I’ve realized creating is my passion. It’s the one thing that calms my thoughts, makes me happy, helps me make sense of what I don’t understand.
2. How did your childhood experiences influence your decision to pursue art full-time?
Art was my safe haven. I grew up in an unstable and chaotic home with parents who were emotionally unavailable and suffered from addictions. My childhood did impact my decision to pursue art full time because I was always told I needed a stable job that made money. Because of this, even though I knew I wanted to be an artist since I was five years old, the world’s voices discouraged me from pursuing art as a career and I ended up taking what I thought was the path of least resistance.
My education and experience led me to the tech industry for five years, where I pushed down my desires to be an artist further and further, until I could no longer hear them. I truly believe God intervened on my behalf because last March, I was laid off. Although at first I was in denial, eventually it dawned on me that I was in a unique position to pursue my creative dreams. I knew that if I didn’t take the leap at that particular time, that I would keep putting it off until my dream was buried once again. Even though it scared me half to death, I took a leap of faith - fast forward - Poderosa Divina was born.
3. What was the turning point that made you decide to leave your tech career and start Poderosa Divina?
I was furloughed from a startup that I had been employed at for almost 2 years. The first few months of being laid off I poured everything I had into the job hunt. I hired a career coach, upgraded my resume, refined my interview answers and learned “the art of commanding presence in a room”. I created a daily schedule that forced me to apply and research for hours a day. Every morning I woke up with a fierce determination that today was the day that I would dominate. And every night I would fall asleep thinking about what I would crush the following day and other ways of self-improvement. I meditated every morning, repeated positive affirmations, went to the gym daily, and drank several cups of coffee to continue my intense routine. I had a goal, and I thought that if I worked harder than anyone else, I would accomplish my goal. There was no time for art. I pushed back the urge to create art as far back into my mind as I could.
As the months crept by, I realized the full weight and intensity of the job market, but I continued going at full speed because I rejected the idea of being jobless. I felt as if there was a higher force almost pushing me out of the tech industry. Now I know it was God redirecting my path, but then I was full of questions and fear. Anxiety crept in the back of my mind before every interview. I prepared for hours on end for each interview, talking to myself in the mirror and practicing my answers. I sent introductory messages, connected on Linkedin, did hours of research on each company and sent countless “thank you” emails to my interviewers. My efforts were met with flowery rejection emails seemingly sympathetic towards me, even praising me for my effort, but sadly claiming that “I wasn’t the one”. The emails and phone calls started getting to me, I was burned out, angry, depressed and simply couldn’t carry on. I decided to take a break from job hunting. My sisters told me to just start creating to take my mind off things, so I started focusing on creating art.
I created fun, colorful pieces of art that seemed to reflect the opposite of the turmoil I was feeling inside. My art started to flourish. At first, I just painted my favorite musicians or pop icons, then slowly I progressed to painting models with vague, almost shapeless facial expressions. After every portrait I created, I began to develop my artistic style, what I liked, and what stood out to me. As I kept going, my voice started to show up on the canvas. My emotions, anger, pain, my grief, and even hope appeared in my creations. I leaned into those emotions and let them guide my pieces.
4. How did you come up with the name "Poderosa Divina" for your business?
My sister Lindsay, a novelist, helped me create my shop’s name! We came up with a name that reflects our roots but evokes power. The spanish was intentional, a tribute to my latina roots. Poderosa Divina, a powerful and divine woman. I knew that it was right because it was a name that put women on a pedestal. Living in a patriarchal society, I wanted a shop name that empowers and uplifts women.
5. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when transitioning from a stable tech job to becoming a full-time artist?
I’ve always described myself as “Type-A.” Because of my tendencies towards organization, lists, and goals, I did very well in my role in my tech career. I learned the ropes, got into a good routine and met my quarterly and yearly goals. When I was furloughed, I went from a 9-5 job routine, to a job hunting routine, and when I burned out of that routine and could no longer carry on, everything felt like chaos, and I’ve always rejected chaos. Although it felt like chaos, I think my spirit welcomed a change. I needed to purge out everything that was no longer necessary to make room for a new thing to occur in my life. My art needed room, my creativity needed room, I needed to create a new routine that would allow my business to flourish.
Although I am still working on flourishing my business, I have created the space and time needed for my creativity to grow. I’m using my “Type-A” personality as an advantage in running my business. It’s easy to not believe in yourself when you are procrastinating. It’s easy to forget to do something that you’re scared of doing when it's not on the schedule and you’re not holding yourself accountable. I had to design my schedule around doing the very things that scared me because I knew that it would be the only way I would grow. And I have grown! This past year I’ve learned more than I ever have about running an art print business. I am growing and evolving into an entrepreneur. I never imagined beyond my wildest dreams that I would start my own business.
6. How has your personal journey and background influenced the themes and style of your artwork?
I grew up in an ultra conservative and extremely religious household. I was told what to wear, how to speak and how to act. For most of my life, I've felt like a caged bird, looking out from inside admiring the women who were brave, who did as they pleased, and who were truly unafraid of being their authentic selves. Although I've been an adult for many, many years, I still carried the voices that oppressed me and my art felt stifled.
A few years ago, I started to question where my beliefs came from and if they were actually mine. I had to dig deep and ask where all the fear really came from? Why was I so scared of being my true, authentic self? My art changed again. I gravitated towards painting women in their natural habitat, women who are free, women who can express themselves courageously and who are unafraid of what the world thinks of them. Deep down inside, all the women I paint are me in some way shape or form. My art has served as a tool for self discovery. My hope is that my art resonates with women and helps her take one step towards becoming her true, authentic self.
7. Can you describe a moment when you doubted your decision to pursue art and how you overcame it?
I doubt my decision quite often, at times the doubt comes after a flurry of emotions and anxiety manifest when thinking about my finances or the future. I was so used to having a secure paycheck every two weeks. My monthly salary was big enough to cover my mortgage, bills, investments, shopping sprees, and even give back to my parents. Now, I must think twice before swiping my credit card. During those moments, I find myself casually visiting LinkedIn and perusing their jobs section even applying to a job or two. In those moments, it's imperative for me to remember my why. I decided to become a full time entrepreneur and artist because I saw a need for accessible art featuring women and latinas. That need coincided with my passion for creating art that showcased beautiful brown skin, women feeling free and confident and the colorful landscapes that I grew up loving and seeing.
9. What role has your faith played in your journey as an artist and entrepreneur?
The road of entrepreneurship is lonely, and harder than I thought it would be. The act of working on my dream in itself is a privilege and a gift, and I am grateful, but it also makes you question everything at times, especially when the finances don’t match the effort given. I overcome those doubts by reminding myself that every success in my life has taken time, patience and effort and this is no different. There are many moments that happen after a project concludes or after a shop update where the closure and satisfaction of finishing something doesn’t appear. I find myself asking if anyone even cares about my art. During those times, I take breaks to pray and thank God for allowing me the privilege to create. Perspective is everything! I can either decide that the path is too hard to follow or I can keep pushing through until my dream is no longer a dream but a reality. It’s simple to say but it's harder to do in real life, and the brain must be reminded multiple times, daily, weekly, monthly that we are worthy of our dreams. I’m also taking it day by day so I don’t get overwhelmed!
10. What advice would you give to women who are struggling to pursue their creative passions due to societal or familial pressures?
I would tell them that I was once that woman who always gave in to the familial and societal pressure to push away my creative talents for something that they approved of. I got the degrees and I scored a high paying job. That path did not lead to happiness. It led to conditional acceptance by those around me. I say conditional because people approved of me when I fit into their version of who they liked. I gave in to the societal pressure of being liked and it led to a version of me that wasn’t authentic. I craved the validation that I never got from my parents and a small part of me was fulfilled temporarily, when I got it. Only to realize that I had created a monster that required validation 24/7. The void ruled my life and created a version of me that was stifled, oppressed and hidden. I swallowed my strong opinions, smiled and nodded. I wasn’t being honest with myself or the world.
When the shift happened, it happened gradually. I didn’t wake up one day and realize that I wasn’t being authentic. It’s not that simple. My undoing started when I was furloughed because losing my job felt like I was losing part of my carefully crafted identity. I had to question who I was and what components made me, me. The minute the question was asked, was the moment when that question would lodge itself in my brain and live rent free for the rest of my life. Now, I ask myself before I do anything, if in reality it's what I really want to do. If the question gives me pause then I simply don't say yes or commit to anything right away. I require time to understand and dissect what it is that I want. It's not a perfect strategy so far, but it's my way of honoring myself and my intentions.
12. Can you share some of the most rewarding experiences you've had since starting Poderosa Divina?
Recently I was invited to showcase a piece at a gallery. It was a gallery designed to highlight women’s voices through their art. The day of the event felt surreal. I was surrounded by so many brilliant artists and photographers. I felt so blessed to be in the same room. At some point during the night, I wandered off to the side and watched as the attendees stopped to look at each art piece. I witnessed some reactions to my piece. A couple conversing amongst themselves asking questions about my piece to one another, another staring intently probably creating their own narrative of what is taking place in the painting, and others just simply glancing and walking past. I’ve always dreamt of being invited to showcase in a gallery but oftentimes, the dream felt faraway. Seeing all the reactions made me feel proud of how far I’ve come, it made my creative journey feel real. In that moment, I allowed myself to say I was an artist.
13. How do you handle criticism or negative feedback about your work?
I grew up in an environment where the adults around me were very vocal and seemed to thrive on criticizing those around them, especially the children. Due to my lived experience, as a teenager and young adult, I became very critical and hard on myself. I didn’t believe that there could ever be a scenario where criticism could be constructive and for years I didn’t grow as a person. In my late twenties, I started discovering how to speak to myself a little softer and how to have self love and my perspective started shifting. I became more open to advice, and feedback to the point that I sought out opportunities for feedback and growth. I am now open to receiving feedback on my work but I am also careful not to diminish the intention or voice of my work by doing so. I’m also discovering that feedback is a critical component to my art, but also in that same vein, not everyone’s feedback will resonate with my art and that’s ok! Art is subjective and everyone will take it differently based on their lived experiences. I go off the feedback that resonates with me!
14. What future goals do you have for Poderosa Divina and your artistic career?
I am meant to follow this path right now. My vision for my shop right now is to keep creating art and grow my shop and social media. Beyond that I would love to collaborate with other artists of color to create pieces that resonate with our community!
15. Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you're excited about that you can share with us?
I am currently collaborating on a project with Melanie Feliciano, the creator of Dr. Nutmeg’s Femmebots. She interviewed me and we are working on releasing an animated version! I found her through Latinas in tech, she became my mentor and now good friend. Apart from that, I am always creating art and videos. If you would like to know more about my process, please follow me on Instagram and tik tok!
Intuition, huh? It sounds like a dubious concept to many! It requires us to be connected to ourselves, to our bodies, to be prepared to trust it and ACT upon it… no wonder it makes us uncomfortable!
We live in an always-on world, bombarded with constant distractions and information. It is an exciting time to be alive, and yet… this constant connection leaves many feeling more disconnected and lonely than ever before. In 2023, the US Surgeon General even issued a public health advisory about loneliness.
The antidote to this disconnection with ourselves and to each other is simple… although it may not feel easy and it isn’t Instagrammable! When we take a deep breath, put down all devices for 15 minutes, breathe and enjoy the quiet, we can begin to feel that recentering with our self. We begin to hear our inner voice and intuition. Ask yourself about one issue. Breathe and allow the feeling and response to come from within.
Here are 5 ways to harness your intuition:
- Set Clear Intentions: Trust your intuition to guide you in setting clear intentions for what you want to achieve in your life. Listen to your inner voice and align your
goals with your deepest desires and values.
- Make Decisive Choices: Use your intuition to make decisive choices that align with your authentic self and lead to greater fulfillment. Trust your gut instincts and inner wisdom to navigate tough decisions with confidence and clarity.
- Embrace Change: Embrace change and adaptability by listening to your intuition
and following where it leads. Allow yourself to let go of old patterns, beliefs, and
habits that no longer serve you, and embrace new opportunities for growth and
transformation.
- Cultivate Self-Trust: Cultivate self-trust by honoring your intuition and inner
guidance. Learn to tune into your intuition through mindfulness practices,
meditation, and self-reflection. Trust that you have the wisdom and insight within
you to navigate life's challenges and make empowered choices
- Follow Your Passion: Follow your passion and pursue activities and endeavors
that ignite your soul. Trust your intuition to guide you towards opportunities that
align with your passion and purpose, even if they may seem unconventional or
outside of your comfort zone.
The key to a simply implemented and no-cost life-changing technique is, and always has been, YOU! You’ve got this!
Cotton slides against skin as the safety melts off
Revealing lonely, true, haunted
It’s cold and bare against this wicked world
Always wanting to touch
But never to feel
Yes I’m soft, but I’m scared
Vulnerable under your hands
Don’t you feel me tremble?
No, feeling is weak so you don’t feel me
You just touch
You hands drive the curves of my body but it’s not like you know me
You’re greedy
A teen too eager to drive
I try to show you
But you pull the essence out of me
It doesn’t flow freely
I’m exhausted
This is not how love should be
And now under your greedy stare
I feel exposed, torn, alone
Truly naked
I am Mother Earth and Mother Earth is me
We nourish each other
When she yearns I provide and when I yearn she comforts
Holds me close to her and sings to me
It is not a gentle song
It is a warriors cry
But it comforts all the same
She is fighting
So I will too
Parasites burrow in the fibers of the carpet in which I lay my rotting head.
Make their way through the caving tunnels once full of electricity.
They scuttle through my ear canals
Whisper sweet nothings of blissful dreams.
Wishful thinking.
My conscience reduced to these alien creatures,
Microscopic demons.
I am nothing, they tell me.
I spiral into the nothing, embrace my non-existence.
Become the negative space.
In recent years, American films have dispelled and promoted exploitative and anti-feminist stereotypes, which oscillate between over-sexualizing and victimizing the female identity. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon for people to consider these stereotypes of female representation as simply a "performance" of the piece, or as a film created primarily to satisfy the viewing pleasure of its audience. But what happens, however, when the show becomes overly saturated with female representation that falls flat? This analysis will include the presentation of memes as a means of contextualizing how female representation is perceived in Hollywood cinema and how Hollywood cinema has continuously created a false stereotypical conception of women.
Jennifer's Body (2009), a popularized "chick-horror film" which gained fame through actress Megan Fox's performance, can be seen as an example of what Linda Williams describes in her analytical essay, Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess, as a film that "hinges on the spectacle of a sexually saturated female body", a spectacle most “feminist critics would agree is feminine victimization” (706). The main character in the film never fails to show off her sexuality either; whether it is through a barely-there wardrobe or a line (see right) that illustrates the character's sexual behaviors during a serious conversation, the film emphasizes her role as the satanic female who kills, has sex with, and demonstrates an overtly sexual image through her exposition of power. Despite the fact that it is refreshing to come across a horror film that reverses the roles of power, shouldn't they have accomplished this without overutilizing the body of the female character? Sure, they could have done it, but would it have achieved as much success by male viewers? Or Hollywood audiences in general?
The more recent argument discussed in Williams’s thesis and advanced by Carol J. Clover, suggests that “while feminists often pointed to the woman victims…more recent feminist work has suggested that the horror film [genre] may present an interesting and instructive case of sadistic roles for the pleasures of the masculine-identified viewer,” she goes further on to state that these viewers “oscillate between identifying with the passive powerlessness of the terrorized girl-victim and her later active empowerment” (707). These views however hold no real power on behalf of female representation—they are “gender-confused” and appeal to its “presumed male spectators” by the roles they assume (Williams 708). By providing small displays of female victory such as this meme where the scene gathers these two female characters in a ‘sexuality liberating encounter’ amidst a terrifying and scared moment, Williams’s theory symbolically “castrates” and creates “ gender-confused monsters” creating a “sadomasochistic thrill”—not for the empowerment of female representation, but for, and you guessed it right, for male viewing pleasure (708).
Films that set us back in the modern age of cinema are films like Sucker Punch (2011), a film entirely directed by a crew of male writers with incorporated male fantasy, male point of view, and male desire. This psychological fantasy action film depicts a mental whore house which depicts its leading female protagonist in risqué-wear, ambiguous and not so ambiguous acts of sexual molestation and victimization. In the end, the protagonist gives her life to facilitate the escape of one of her comrades, probably by allowing herself to be raped and killed; nevertheless, the film does not demonstrate this to the audience explicitly. The film touches upon old Hollywood roles common in the 1930s—the helpless victims drawn from the “virgin-whore dichotomy” (Benshoff & Griffin 228). As fascinating as the action sequences are, they drag on for too long as shots are taken from angles that reveal the cast's inner thighs as they battle against the cold weather in short mini-skirts in what appears to be one of the coldest winters in all of northern China. Would you consider this to be a realistic or improved representation of women? I think not.
A film that straddles a totally different genre, Spy (2015), starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, and Jason Statham, delivered a humorous narrative with our female protagonist at the forefront of the film's storyline. Although our film includes non-traditional roles for our leading female character, it is important to recognize that conventional Hollywood narratives do not frequently present such roles, and when they do, the perspectives are primarily based upon male ambition. But let's examine this particular film in more detail. Our protagonist is first depicted in the typical female role of an office assistant supporting her male counter-part Bradley, played by Jude Law. It is a relatively straightforward representation of a traditional female role, one in which women occupy a subordinate role or are less powerful figure in order to support other male leading archetypes. As spectators, we digest the same traditional roles in a disguised context; Hollywood is very adept at doing this. But, with an ass kicking, quick-witted female protagonist with her ability to outsmart her predators, the film attempts to overthrow hegemonic roles-- but not entirely. Despite this, we can still appreciate our leading actress's contributions to modern roles due to the fact that these roles didn't even exist in early to mid-century cinema; in fact, women had a limited presence there. According to Harry M. Benshoff and Sean Griffin's study, Women in Classical Hollywood Filmmaking, their analysis focuses on the ideological images of female representations, which perpetuated the early cinema's perception that women's metropolitan independence might leave them open to kidnapping and forced prostitution (220). In spite of times changing and women being able to watch a variety of female leads breaking the normative stereotypes, it has only been recently that we have been able to inject positive representation without that negative repercussion.
Female representation in early cinema, particularly in the 1930s, frequently was suppressed even behind the scenes because of the ongoing battle against the early misconceptions of the feminist wave. However, some Hollywood actresses were able to plant the seeds that paved the path for female representation in films today; “Katherine Hepburn often battled studio bosses over roles she felt were demeaning; Greta Garbo had input in choosing her own dialogue; and Mae West was best known for her gutsy onscreen persona (Benshoff & Griffin 227). Several on-screen personas and behind-the-scenes presences are leading the way towards a more positive representation of women in Hollywood films today. In the independent film Skate Kitchen (2018), an entirely female cast and director tell a women's story from an uncommon point of view that shatters stereotypes of females and offers an alternative perspective on power, while simultaneously embracing queers, homosexuality, and sexual liberation in an inclusive, non-condescending manner. As a result of the inclusion of a female director and its underwriting by an additional female and the input of the cast to choose their own wardrobe, the film provides an organic insight into the lives of a group of women participating in a largely male-dominated activity such as skateboarding (Vanity Fair).
In summary, the explicit perversions of female representation are very much alive in today's most modern cinema era, and the relationships between the spectator and the artform are still in a state of flux in the interests of improving the conditions that qualify for female representation. To help end on an issue I find intrusive in my viewing pleasures, I will do it with a quote from Linda Williams, “Obviously there is a great deal of work to be done to understand the form and function of the relation to the fundamental appeal as “original fantasies” between gender, genre, and structures (714).
Works Cited
Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2021.
Han, Karen. “Skate Kitchen Proves There's Strength in Numbers.” Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair, 16 Aug. 2018, https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/skate-kitchen-collective-skateboarding-crystal-moselle-rachelle-vinberg-exclusive-clip.
Williams, Linda. “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess.” Film Quarterly, vol. 44, no. 4, 1991, pp. 701–715.
Where does one start?
Why do we start?
How do you know it is time to engage in one?
Why is there no ending to a healing journey and what does it do for us?
If you scroll through your favorite social media platform, there’s a grand amount of conversations, posts, and videos of people sharing their healing journey and the importance of doing healing work. Many, like myself, have found the courage and freedom to share the depths and vulnerability of our healing journey, and how we’ve come to the beginning of this new journey through the onset of a traumatic event, relationship, or loss while continuing to stay curious about what this new venture looks and feels like and how it has (or will) change them moving forward. Some just knew that it was time to pick up and leave their hometown or country and move far away and that was in itself a healing experience.
A question that has been asked in conversations that I’ve had with others while residing in Cambodia for 7 months in 2023 in the thick of my transformation has stuck out to me the past year, and has led me to think about the answer in its fullness; “How do you start a healing Journey?” It was easy for me to answer this from the context of my relationship with God and my religious upbringing “ I prayed and cried out to God for help”. Yet after giving this answer and looking back at my personal “how” and what that journey truthfully entailed, I began to dig deeper through my rearview mirror and find concrete evidence of what allowed not just myself but others I’ve had this conversation with, to begin an intentional healing journey.
What was it that led me to even cry out?
How does one start an intentional healing journey?
And why does it not have an end to it?
The real question at hand is what is a healing journey? I always tell my son when he wants to ask me a question “When you are ready to ask a question, you are ready to hear and handle the answer.” So let us take a journey through the how, the why, and the what’s next on being intentional with healing your cry.
The beginning of anything is the closing of something. There is a level of curiosity, awareness, and understanding of what once was can or will no longer be and that one has to do something different to stop getting the same result. I probe this question to anyone reading this who has peeked curiosity about healing or beginning to consider the search for answers that they have been struggling to answer within themselves; What are you finding yourself constantly crying out about? To begin in a place that we already hold the answers to gives us the beginning of a clear road map to what we want to do with that pain and how we go about that journey. When we look at what brings us into deep sorrow, we can begin to see the depths in connection to the extremes of our lack or intensity of the relationship to the root of that pain point. It begins with finding out what we keep crying about. This isn’t always an actual manifestation of an act of crying, but to make it plain, it is what grieves your heart, brings a constant lump in your throat, and activates a fire in your belly. Again, there is a level of curiosity and awareness that keeps you going to uncover and upturn the stones that are heavy to look at. I remember two very specific moments that catapulted me into staying curious about what this healing journey of my own would look and feel like. One was within the feels and revelations within my somatic body and the other was an actual police removal and me crying and saying out loud unconsciously “Why does this keep happening to me”.
Take a moment to ask yourself the following: what stirs up the dance of confusion and curiosity within you when you hear a specific word, conversation or experience a specific encounter? What causes you to experience a grand amount of grief that summons the body to fall into energetic despair and trigger something within you behaviorally and/ or emotionally? When we begin to take our sorrow seriously and become curious about understanding the root of it, we then allow for transformation to take its place and we embark on a journey that will never leave us the same.
I firmly believe that our divine purpose is intertwined with the sorrow that allows us to journey to deeper discovery. It gives us such beautiful permission to experience joy when we feel it and when our body remembers it. Sorrow beautifully grows us. When we engage in the dance, we allow ourselves to be changed and discover purpose. What we cry about ultimately brings us what we need to build a new life without what we thought was ok to stay in or not be able to accept. Here’s my take on what triggers a healing journey!
There is an acronym that I came to for myself and in a coaching program I creatively uncovered that says A.S.R.- Acknowledge, Sit with, Release. When we begin a healing journey it begins with a lot of curiosity and some level of awareness to begin “asking” ourselves those deep profound life-changing questions.
- What do I keep allowing to break my own heart? (acknowledge) When we get honest with ourselves about what keeps breaking our own heart, our Achilles heel I’d say, we then allow ourselves to start opening up and being vulnerable with ourselves. Love was breaking my heart. Wanting to be loved and being willing to be affirmed by anyone. It was causing a lack of boundaries, low self-worth, and an absolute lack of self-love. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This is, in turn how we end up consistent in mastering the art of breaking our own heart. When we come to a place of acknowledgment, we open up spiritually and emotionally to allow ourselves to begin seeing the patterns and behaviors that kept leading us down the same path toward heartbreak. The root of what brought us here is what we are digging for and want to stay curious about. So what is the root that leads you to continuously breaking your own heart? We also want to acknowledge how we do want to feel and open the gate for us to holistically tune to that. When we acknowledge both we give way for us to now be in a space of awareness and choice. We become aware of what’s hurting us and what that feels like in our body and then we become aware of what we do want to feel and how that feels in our body.
2) Am I ready to do the work to stop allowing myself to break my own heart? (sit with) Now that we’ve brought to our attention the abuse, the patterns, the addictions, etc, and how we do want to feel, we get to be real honest with ourselves about whether we are ready to do the work to create inner change or not. Another way of looking at healing is self-reflection and awareness. Here is where we ask ourselves what have I been made aware of within myself and how will I allow myself to show up moving forward? This is the sit with stage I’d like to call it. This can be a tough stage, where people like to tap out or become complacent. You’re essentially being asked to dig into wounds that you’ve placed a bandaid over and make it bleed again, pour rubbing alcohol on it, and allow it to get some air as your body does its healing magic and reshapes it back to a new normal. Yet, you’ll have the scare forever, just not the pain of an unclean wound. I’ll be honest, sometimes it’s easier to stay in the patterns we’ve been made aware of because it is the version of us that we know and have grown accustomed to unconsciously. It has gotten us this far and has kept us safe and protected us the best it knew how. This is where we stay connected to the curiosity of who we want to be, how we want to feel, and what we want our lives to look like. Get in love with the curiosity of asking yourself who you are and whether are you moving in a way that aligns you with who you desire to become! When the student is ready the teacher appears and we end up being both simultaneously when we permit ourselves to stay curious about who we are. This part of healing takes some true vulnerability with self, which leads to the ability to create a deeper love with and integration of the duality of our hard days and light days; of our pain and of our pleasure, of the various body sensations that come from the triggers of joy and the triggers of remembering a past version of us in the present. This is also the space where we learn how to find coping mechanisms, or what I consider new self-management behaviors that ground us into our presence and give us the safety and security to be vulnerable with ourselves and others so that we can move through what we are facing and being led to let go. Learning these new habits that remain within us allows us to stay connected with why we started this new journey and who we are desiring to become. We also become more aware of what our values and non-negotiables are.
3) Am I truly ready to grieve and release the version of me that has been breaking my heart? (release) This is a very intentional question. Once you become made aware of something you now have the decision to move forward in a way that aligns you with the life and versions of you, you desire. I always ask people in the stage of the game “How do you want your life to feel?” Less than what you want to accomplish, do, etc. This is where we allow the grief work to take place as well. Grieving the release of who we once were, what we once allowed, and the behaviors we showed up in, all while celebrating our growth and the relationship we are building with ourselves so that we can connect with our higher being is what this experience comes down to. There will still be triggers, but you can see how you handled them and allow yourself to keep growing, adjusting, and becoming more aware of yourself in the process. Bringing back those values and non-negotiables, we begin to set a new standard of living for ourselves and what we allow in. With every release, we stand firm on the person in front of us, not the one behind us. This is an amazing space to be in. To write a love letter to your future and a thank you letter to your past self and find gratitude right in the middle of where you are. Your awareness will give you space to be able to say “Geez, I’m proud of me.” Who doesn’t want to transform the way they speak see themselves and tell themselves how proud they are? That is healing in itself.
Now a healing journey does not mean we will not experience hardships. It means we become better self-aware and connected within to know how to navigate those hardships and stay present within. Even if you revert to a behavior from the old version of you, please note, that you can’t undo your healing. There’s no such thing. If you’ve been able to recognize it then that means the healing is working or that you're working the healing. You’ve become aware of how you showed up to the fight and that is the greatest gift of all. This is a process we will continually flow through, because of our newfound awareness, deeper love for self, and connection to what matters to us. When we make that mistake, take it as a sign that you love yourself enough to even address it, become aware of it, and release the guilt that is trying to hold you to it. There is no perfect way to do anything, yet how we do one thing is how we do everything. So grace towards ourselves is highly important on this journey because we are constantly in a state of learning, undoing, and doing so that we can stay aware of ourselves, stay curious about who we are, and grow in love with who we are coming home to within. What You’ve been crying about is going to be your greatest blessing to yourself. Happy Healing!
Your tongue
My skin
Will you cut
Deeply
My sinewy flesh
Sword piercing
Or
Will you heal
The lingering pain
Gliding
Gently along scars
Left by another, as I
Fall
Harder, into blue
Eyes, until you’ve
Consumed me
Whole
Duende or tener duende ("to have duende") is a Spanish term for a heightened state of emotion, expression and authenticity, often connected with flamenco. The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote in his essay "Teoria y Juego del Duende" ("Play and Theory of the Duende") that duende "is a power and not a behavior … a struggle and not a concept." Nowadays the term appears in a broader range of contexts to refer to one's unspoken charm or allure.
My Duende
The tip of my tongue,
ice, cool, light
immense joy with each new beginning
yearning for more to hit the tip of my tongue
to refresh, rebirth, rejuvenate
Now falling faster like a veil or a blanket
providing warmth yet a keeper of secrets of the unknown
enveloped, protected, I stick out
my tongue for longer tasting
teasing, transcending, taunting
some small, others large, a few round and look there, even a star shaped crystalized one!
I am reminded of the metal logo 'Each One is Unique' proudly displayed at the
International School of Helsinki
how lucky that these are not affected by bright city lights and boisterous sounds so that
they disappear
why do those crystalized wonders; that capture and replenish me suddenly dissolve on
the tip of my tongue?
as swiftly as the next
a gentle moment of pure bliss
a white billowy snowflake
my snowflake, ice, cool, and light
My Duende
I always hear the saying that 'you have to be a good child to your parents'. However, I now understand the opposite... To be a good parent to a child.
I understood that from 'mama pig'. Mama pig was the first person I made eye contact with in this world. She carried me for 6 months. I probably don't remember but I definitely know I felt her warmth and grace even before my birth. How careful she was with every thing she did, how she fed me with nutrients and spoke to me and the selfless characteristics she had. She carried me after birth, quit her job to take care of me and taught me every thing in life. She held my hand tight until I slowly let go.
As a teen, I went to her for advise and when I needed someone to listen to my choices in life. She was there to share with me her thoughts in a logical way. The values I embrace and carry today, are because of her knowledge and upbringing and my personal insights. She was there protecting me from my nightmares. She was there to comfort me when I cried. She worked hard to provide for her piglets. She never ever said 'no' even if we couldn't afford it. She made adjustments in her life. She had and still has her piglets' best interest in mind. As piglets we might not always see eye to eye with her, but her intentions were always pure and genuine. It was all laughter and light even through the darkest of nights until the piglets witnessed mama pig getting older.
As piglets, we couldn't comprehend what aging did to mama pig. The grey hair, the wrinkles, the loss of physical strength... despite it all, mama pig stood in front of our eyes as the beautiful, strong and courageous individual she is. Even in shock and denial, she smiled while we cried. She held her tears back to not make her piglets worried or be frightened. Even then, she was our pillar of strength. We hope she knows that even if she cries, she is a fighter; for her vulnerability is bravery in our eyes.
We know mama pig will continue to fight, and that we will forever be by her side. Just as how she was and continue to be throughout our lives.
Thank you and Love you mama pig!
(Your piglets always and forever)
She is a flower,
soft and delicate,
the scent of her bloom drives the protector to envelope her sweetness,
drink from the honey that she drips from her smile and warmth,
the protector guards her against the wasps that try to look in her direction,
only he is allowed to grow and flourish in her aura,
none has the right to glance at her,
at last the flower has found the one who guards her,
she blossoms into the true version of herself,
sending prayers towards the sky for an eternal bond between the flower and protector,
the one who is her everything.
What an important
rite of passage
in a woman’s life—
the refusal
to serve as a man’s
escape
from his current shitty relationship.
Growing up, I always wondered why math mattered. Like, when was I ever going to use calculus at the grocery store or trigonometry while binge-watching my favorite series? But here’s the thing: as I ventured deeper into adulthood, the real value of math smacked me right in the face—it was everywhere! From managing budgets to understanding a recipe’s proportions, math became less about numbers on a page and more about the skills shaping my everyday life.
Let’s dive into how math does more than just solve problems; it actually enhances our lives in ways we might not even notice.
1. Better Financial Decisions
Remember that time I almost bought a ridiculously expensive coffee machine on a whim? Yeah, math skills came in clutch there. Understanding percentages, interest rates, and financial forecasting isn’t just classroom stuff; it’s essential for navigating real-life financial waters. These skills help us spot the difference between a 'deal' and a downright rip-off.
We’re talking about recognizing when a sale isn’t really saving us money, calculating monthly payments on a new car, or even deciding if refinancing a loan makes sense. By grasping the basics of math, we gain control over our finances, can plan for future investments, and avoid the traps of impulsive spending.
2. Critical Thinking Booster
Math helps us recognize patterns, forecast results, and apply logic to solve issues. In today's fast-paced environment, when making educated decisions is essential, these abilities are equivalent to superpowers. For instance, when organizing a road trip with friends, it involved more than just plotting the route; it also involved figuring out how much gas would cost, projecting how long the journey would take, and setting aside money for unforeseen charges. We were forced to prepare ahead and strategically by math.
This type of methodical thinking is beneficial in all aspect of life, from selecting the finest phone plan to planning a project at work. Mathematical reasoning and logic are priceless tools that improve our capacity for critical thought in real-world scenarios.
3. Enhancing Career Prospects
In the modern job market, math skills are like a golden ticket. Many careers, not just in engineering or finance, require a solid grasp of math. Even creative industries value the precision and analytical thinking that math fosters. From data analysis in marketing to algorithm design in tech startups, a strong foundation in math can significantly broaden your professional horizons and make you a more competitive candidate.
For those looking to improve their math skills, tailored math programs can be a game-changer, but it’s best to start at an early age. So if you have kids, quickly sign them up for fun math tuition to awaken their love of math. These programs can help sharpen their abilities, improve problem-solving skills, and open up new career pathways in your kids’ future.
4. Everyday Problem Solving
Ever tried doubling a recipe or figuring out if that new shelf will fit on your wall? That’s math in action. Math helps us handle day-to-day challenges with ease. I learned this firsthand when I had to convert my grandma’s favorite recipes from metric to U.S. standard measurements. Without my trusty math skills, we might have ended up with a very strange tasting pie!
Beyond the kitchen, math comes into play when adjusting budgets, planning space in a new home, or even planning a fitness regimen. The ability to quickly calculate, adjust, and adapt is directly tied to our math prowess, proving its worth in countless practical scenarios.
It also helps in scheduling our days efficiently, ensuring we fit in all necessary activities without overcommitting. This kind of practical application shows how indispensable good math skills are in organizing and simplifying our lives.
5. Technology and Innovation
We live in a tech-driven world where math is at the heart of innovation. From algorithms that predict your next favorite song to data analytics that drive major business decisions, math is fundamental. By understanding math, we not only keep up with technological advancements but also contribute to shaping them.
For instance, programmers use math to enhance software functionality, while scientists rely on it to conduct accurate research. As technology evolves, those with strong math skills will lead the charge in developing new tools and solutions that improve our lives. Math isn’t just about understanding more, but about making meaningful contributions to a world that depends increasingly on technology.
So, math is so much more than just numbers and complex equations. It’s a vital skill that opens up a world of opportunities and makes life smoother and more understandable. Whether it’s improving your career prospects, solving daily dilemmas, or just saving a few bucks, math comes in handy more often than you’d think. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of solving a problem all by yourself. So, let's give math the credit it deserves—it really does improve our quality of life!