Posts in Category: Anishinaabe
Joyful Emancipation [Free Printable!]
In other words, goodbye. Not goodbye in the absolute sense. More so in that I’m moving on, embracing all of my creative/professional/wellness profession(s) and putting them into one big pot of multidisciplinary, multiple streams of (modest) income action.
This blog, as it exists now, shall make its exit. While Jen and I had some baby plans for this website, alas, it is a project that we just did not have enough time to come together on. Besides, that woman is entirely ROCKING her career as an Indigenous writer, director and producer! (Her new site and social media graphics BTW, collaborated on by yours truly!)
I’m trying to keep things simple with this post, to compliment the framework I’m manifesting for my professional self. Where the lines blur personally; as a digital storyteller, as an advocate for women’s health, a social media and branding dabbler; and someone who generally gives a damn.
A new selena [dot] mills [dot] com site is coming soon. Outlining my professional services and workshops (both online in creative/public spaces). I’ll still have a blog to tie into my humble wellness coaching practice, sharing recipes and personal stories about my own journey in mothering; enriched and healthful well-being.
I’m writing for CBC parents now, which is SUPER fun and, well, someone PINCH ME. Because CBC. ‘Nuff said.
There is one last exciting project (HA! Last project! From my mouth!) that I am collaborating on with four other fierce, mystic, entrepreneurial, health-revering women … but I’m not going to any more detail on that for now. It’s been slow, organic and so rewarding on a deeply personal level to work with these women and our loyal clients that if we never do more than what we’re doing RIGHT NOW together; I would be happy. I’m attracted to humanitarian eccentrics and dominatrixes. Generous, courageous, women. I’m also passionate about empowering other women in business AND health (including myself!), and apparently we’re onto something good, so blaze new trails we shall. We’ve been tackling emotional and mental clutter together and we continue to work with other women (and a few choice men who revel in such supportive folds), and leading by example. We focus on sharing personal values and “mindful” decision-making.
I lead a top secret community group on Facebook and create daily prompts/exercises with services that include:
→ Healthy eating strategies and recipe sharing
→ Meal planning and meal prep resources/ideas (PDF recipe and nutrition guides, grocery lists, etc.)
→ Online workout reviews
→ Assistance with choosing realistic, at-home fitness program to suit the individual’s likes/dislikes and/or physical restrictions/limitations
→ Personal development exercises: goal mapping (career, relationships, understanding triggers, trauma work, healing, digging deep)
→ Daily encouragement, self-care, mindfulness routines and activities where we lead by example
→ Accountability check-ins EVERY DAY
→ Endless support in a guilt and shame free zone
→ Having FUN!
We specialize in working with those who:
→ Have dietary restrictions due to auto-immune, inflammatory or other diseases
→ Live with food disorder(s)
→ Have PTSD and other related mental illnesses
→ Are women and/or mothers whose own own self-care has fallen completely off their daily to-do list(s)
In addition, I’ll be running short, group-based, online workshops (again, private FB groups) for:
→ Sparking Creative Fires (last month we did a BETA run of Vision Boarding in our main group!)
→ Sugar Detox
→ Bullet Journaling
Instead of focusing on a number on the scale, we focus our energy on being healthy, what that means, and how to get there. If you’re curious about joining us for the month of November (active membership is only $10 bucks a month), email me for more info and we’ll get you started! This month’s theme is all about turning up the heat, going deep, playing bigger and getting things DONE.
This will be my last post here and I wanted to gift y’all with something pretty, something you can print and hang where you’ll see it everyday. These words represent much of what I’m doing right now. I shared two versions of this inspo print with the fabulous women in Being Boss group on FB and got such an wickedly supportive response that I couldn’t choose, (compared with what my clients in our private group preferred), which was the whole reason I was asking for feedback, to help me choose which one to share. So pick the one you prefer.
Part of my multidisciplinary-arts-professional-self, will include selling some prints from time to time on my soon-to-be rekindled Etsy Shop (under a new name), so consider this my free gift to you, pre-launch. (And by launch I mean, I don’t have grand plans for the Etsy shop venture, I’m just going to post listings of things I’m already making and creating now and then. No craft shows, no eggs all in one basket sort of thing. How liberating!) Hand-drawn, hand-painted, scanned and cleaned up in PS from me to you!
Free printable: CLICK HERE for a high res PDF download SANS Shadow, CLICK HERE to download the shadow action. Please share your prints on IG of FB with me, and even use the tag #giveadamn if you’re into that sort of thing. Can’t wait to see where you hang them!
Feature Friday: Tea and Bannock
Watch out now! When a group of seriously talented and intelligent group of Indigenous women form a collective of creative professionals, you KNOW it’s gonna be good.
CREATING COMMUNITY
Tea & Bannock is a blog collective featuring 7 female Indigenous photographers and multidisciplinary artists hailing from all over Canada, where they delve into ideas on identity, food, culture and community and what inspires them most. They desire to foster a space where pivotal behind-the-scene moments and reflection on all parts of the creative process can flow. One particular member of the collective, Amanda Laliberte is a client of mine. We found each other through the glorious 6 degrees of separation that is the internet and once again, I am fully enchanted by the relationships, the friendships …. the SISTERHOOD that coaching has afforded me. I fell in love with Amanda’s deep, honest way of sharing with me and her ability to trust in herself (and in me) so fully. So, when a few months later … she and her fellow collective members launched this wonderful collab of theirs, I was of course, smitten. I mean, it’s made up of all the stuff that inspires me, sets my soul on fire. The raw, real, magnificent beauty, culture, and heritage of land and story, where time has no boundaries … all of this embodies what I see coming to fruition here. That which only a lens can capture, unique to that of the individual in control. I love photography and what I adore even more, is when Indigenous women gather to create.
Amanda Laliberte for Tea&Bannock
MENTORING
From the Founder, – Tenille Campbell
“I want a community, a group of women I can talk to about editing, and writing, and art, and what it means processing all of that through Indigenous eyes,” … “I want a place where we lift each other up, and support one another.“
Tenille Campbell for Tea&Bannock
Tenille reached out to Indigenous women; creative professionals she followed on Instagram and Facebook. Women with who weaved magic through their art and their words. Women who inspired her. And thus began the journey to creating this collective of Indigenous women, holding each other up. Visual artists, supporting each other. A safe place to talk about the work, interpretation and inspiration behind their projects.
“The idea of helping others and working with others has always been a part of Indigenous ideology when it comes to business and artists, I find. And this was a structure that I wanted to cultivate within tea&bannock.
That’s where mentoring came into play. All the main artists of the blog are talented, creative individuals with different skills. They have so much to offer to those around them. Mentoring was a way to reach out and help others reach their potential – and this could be done in many, many ways. From a one-on-one meeting, from assisting in a shot – to teaching basic how to in an editing program, to listening and offering constructive pointers.
Each main writer has an opportunity and obligation to reach out and mentor an aspiring artist/community in some way throughout this year. It can be done on a personal one on one level to something as wide reaching as posting a YouTube tutorial. The creativity and opportunity is there to give back, and I’m excited to see how we all take advantage of that.”
Jessica Wood for Tea&Bannock – Their Spirits Live With Us
Caroline Blechert for Tea&Bannock – Land of Luxury
Doreen Thunder for Tea&Bannock
(logo by Joi T Arcand)
You’re gonna want to take your relationship with them next level and connect though the obvious suspects…
Insta
FB
Feature Friday: The Diverse Prowess Of T. Nile Pt. 2
Photo: Christopher Edmonstone for his #artistathome series.
Ever LOVE a musician so much that you soak up every release, every video, every word, every second of their magical artistry? Hope so. That’s the case for me when it comes to my lovely lady friend Tamara Nile, otherwise known as T. Nile. I am so happy that I can finally share this video with the world! It showcases the usual seductive, synth power meets folk style that I ADORE about T’s one-of-a-kind sound.
Enjoy and share if you dig it! ( Directed by Jen Morgan, animated by Lynne Stasko and styled by Timothy Chow!)
The Video marks the kick-off for her West Coast US Tour in March of 2016, a new album and a Europe Tour later this year! You can find all dates on her website.
Access Your Awesomeness: Women’s Winter Weekend Retreat
A friend and client of mine is doing amazing things as a holistic practitioner and in the realm of work that I do as a Heath and Wellness coach, I’m inspired! Have you heard of Access Bars? I myself don’t know nearly enough about it, but I am eager and hungry to learn more. The science behind energy medicine is something I can get behind!
For those of you who are local and just so happen to be divinely feminine, you are cordially invited to a retreat that Amanda Trudeau of ATC Wellness and her Access partner Darlene Bast-Tindall of The West End Yoga and Energy Therapy Centre, are hosting in February at the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre just outside of Espanola, Ontario!
Ask yourself, when was the last time you felt like you were in the flow and all was well with the world? What if you could have more of that? What if you could learn to operate from Choice rather than Circumstance? What if you could experience more Joy, more Ease and more Freedom in life?
Join us for a weekend (that’s right I’ll be there, hopefully in a capacity that I’ll be sharing more about later! Really excited!) of exploration and discover simple yet profound tools to transform your life, relationships, health, body, career, and more.
When was the last time you played, laughed, giggled, tried something new or had a child like sense of amazement? We invite you to move your body, play with colour, get crafty and creative. I’m not going to give away all of the details, but be prepared for fun workshops, speakers, deep learning experiences and delicious food!
Feature Friday: Wherein Many Lucky Stars Are Thanked
3 years ago I began feeling sick. I knew something was wrong but couldn’t put a finger on it. As time went on, I got worse. One day I woke up and my legs were balloons and I couldn’t move. I stayed this way for one year, it was devastating. I spent endless hours in the hospital, at the lab and at the doctors. Endless tests and no results. No one could find anything. Finally, one year ago, I found a naturopath who saved my life. The next year would prove to be the most difficult. Treatment made me more sick. Somedays I felt like there was no hope. It made me sad to look at my kids and not be able to play with them. It made me sad to not be able to move and dance or even go to the park. I felt like I was slowly losing myself. Today, I am walking again. I can pick up my children. I can be intimate with my husband. I am starting to feel like myself again. As I look back, the past few years is very fuzzy. There’s a lot of darkness. All of this to say: My husband PLEX has just dropped his first music video from his new album. The song is called Lucky Stars and it is dedicated to me.
“My wife, the love of my life, is the centre of our family, our anchor. Watching her struggle with Lyme Disease has been difficult to say the least. I made this video as a tribute to her. To remind her of all the great moments we have had during this dark time.”
Watching it for the first time was overwhelming. He managed to capture some beautiful moments of our family over the past few years. It is a great reminder for me that even though I FELT like was disappearing, I was very much here and still am. Being loved, feeling loved, is such good medicine. He might think that I am the anchor of the family, but I couldn’t have gotten through any of this without his support and love. I, too, thank my lucky stars.
Please watch and share.
Sweet Things: Autumnal Pictorial
I have just returned home from a mind-altering, soul-shifting work retreat. So much more on that later. I came home with a big hunger in my heart to dote on my little ones, to scoop them up in big cuddles and get some serious organizing done around the house. This includes spending far too much time going through photos from the whirlwind that has been this past Summer now nearing on the end of Autumn. I am awe-struck by the beauty I I have been gifted with in these sprightly, curious, remarkable humans Trev and I are raising.
I love watching them grow and build friendships and relationships to last a lifetime. These are but a few pics of my curly haired, chubby (still) cheeked firecrackers and those they call their bests. I hope to nurture these relationships well on into the years…
Adorable kid-sized mukluks c/o Manitobah Mukluks!
Our 1st Chappel Farms Visit
3 Years of Gratuitous Pumpkin Patch Photos: Compared
2013 Pumpkin Patch Photos
One Single Photo From 2015’s Chappel Farms Visit
Wellness Wednesday: 8 Reasons To Drink More Water
Are you getting enough water each day? Dehydration can actually cause headaches, muscle fatigue, tiredness and even make you feel hungry when really you are just thirsty! TRUST. Most people aren’t drinking enough of it (pop, tea, those “vitamin” waters, and coffee don’t count!).
To find out a good estimate of how much you should be drinking each day take your current weight and divide it by two. That’s how many ounces you should be aiming for! It’s tough at first but in a few days you’ll notice yourself feel less cravings, feel more radiant and energized. You’ll actually start to crave water! I know I do. It’s a pretty cool thing when you get over the hump of ditching other drinks, to come to the day wherein a simple glass of water refreshes and revitalizes you and lifts your spirits up.
➀ Fluid Balance
Roughly 60 percent of the body is composed of water. Drinking enough H2O maintains the body’s fluid balance, which helps transport nutrients in the body, regulate body temperature, digest food, and more.
➁ Body Fuel
Sweating through exercise causes muscles to lose water. And when the muscles don’t have enough water, they get tired. Hydrating with water helps you push further.
➂ Clearer Skin
Certain toxins in the body can cause the skin to inflame, which results in clogged pores and acne. Water flushes out these toxins and helps reduce blemishes and breakouts.
➃ Kidney Function
Our kidneys process 200 quarts of blood daily, sifting out waste and transporting urine to the bladder! Yet, kidneys need enough fluids to clear away what we don’t need in the body. Cheers to that!
➄ Fatigue Buster
One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is tiredness.
➅ Pain Prevention
A little water can really go a long way. Aching joints and muscle cramps and strains can all occur if the body is dehydrated. Suffering from headaches? Could be that you’re not drinking enough water.
➆ Improved Digestion
Drinking enough each day helps keep the colon happy. Keeping thing moving along smoothly. You pickin’ up what I’m laying down?
➇ Wellness Warrior
Water may help with congestion and dehydration, helping the body bounce back when feeling under the weather.
Water holds the memory of all life. It comes before life, in order to carry life we must have water for our water to break to birth. From gestation to embryo and beyond. We live in water in the womb, in our mothers. Water is akin to the blood that flows through our veins. When we talk about the water in the earth, we talk about the water that flows through Mother Earth. It’s the carrier of spirit (along with air). There is not life without water. It’s the essential ingredient of life and because of this, we shouldn’t separate the importance of it from how it soothes and nurtures our spirit as well as our bodies.
This is why when Indigenous cultures fast out in the bush, we go without water to encounter the intricate state of our mind, body and soul. Essentially water is integral to our well-being and sustaining life. It brings us back to respecting Mother Earth and being so grateful for water!
Wellness Wednesday: 15 Self Help Books That Don’t Suck
Fifteen?! Yes FIFTEEN. So bookmark this or PINNIT or whatever. This is a damn good list. Pinky swears. And I scaled back for sequel, so. There could be more, but I didn’t want to be obnoxious about it. Ahem.
So ‘Personal Development.’ The big ‘ole PD. Ugh. Is that what you’re thinking? For the most part, I suppose you could say that’s what I think about that whole world of know-it-all gurus too. It’s a saturated market. But then, aren’t all industries with professionals and would-be professionals? Keep in mind – there are a lot of self-help and PD books out there that DO SUCK. These don’t. You can take it from a converted skeptic who opened up her heart and mind a long time ago, to break free from pain, debilitating self-doubt and self-medication to begin crawling out of a black hole. So many of these book choices may not shout PD, but they’ve impacted my life in REAL and TANGIBLE ways. I’ve savoured all of them, four of which are in my current roster in the midst of being digested.
If you have any of your own faves, please share in the comments!
Feature Friday: Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle
True renaissance men. It’s always rather grand when we come across one such human being, isn’t it? Someone whose creative and artist brilliance sparks a fire in you so strong you are immediately inspired and uplifted. Even if you aren’t an artist, the pure form of eye candy and sould fulfillment alone is enough to launch your spirits and let your mind soar.
This is why it is in our very genetic make-up, the fabric of our being(s) no matter our race, sexual preferences, belief system(s) or taste in music and art … this is why we as humans gobble art in all of it’s vast and glorious ways every chance we can get. So when one finds a multi-disciplinary artist such as Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle Sanchez, one becomes an immediate fan-girl.
Lehi is Native American of the Diné (Navajo)/Totonac people. He was born in Ganado Arizona on the Navajo Reservation and grew up living off the land duing the summers and has become one of the world’s elite leading survivalist experts. Lehi has taken these teachings from the land, the ways of his ancestors and tradtitional methods of storytelling to modern day with a natural flair for capturing moments, natural light, composition and colour; as a painter, photographer writer, videoographer and graphic design artist.
Motivated by the therapeutic relief that art has within his personal practice, he describes putting a brush to canvas as supremely regenerative and cathartic:”being able to put a brush on canvas, or even doodle in a notebook helps me analyze and overcome anything within my life.”
Inspired by his upbringing, his culture and the way he see’s the world, his art is a reflection of Indigenous and wilderness perspectives. Lehi is also an accomplished graphic designer and is quickly becoming a highly sought after name within the video and photography industry. His photography has been featured on many blogs including buzzfead and for Bethany Yellowtaill.
As a wilderness survival expert, Lehi has (and continues to) helped thousands of troubled youth to get back on the right path through his work with his father Ezekiel Sanchez, one of the founders of the Wilderness treatment program, ANASAZI Foundation. (One of the leading programs in the nation for youth intervention and behavior modification.) At the young age of 10 yrs old, Lehi was put out in the wilderness to begin his training in hopes that one day he would follow in his father’s foot-steps. As ANASAZI grew and developed so did Lehi and his brothers. Each summer they would assist in helping “troubled youth” learn a better way of life. Through true basic principles of life, thousands of children had a life changing experience.
Currently, Lehi is living in Mesa AZ attending ASU working on his Masters in Business Management and assist in Trail Training and assisting in Field Directing at ANASAZI. And making kick-ass art of course, to feed his soul AND yours! (Lehi also happens to be engaged to one of my best-friends, who is an amazing multi-discliplinary artsist that we featured a while back!)
Confessions of a “Work-a-holic” Mom
I’ve always worked a lot. Perhaps there was a time, for a long time, that I was a workaholic. Aspects of my life suffered because I put work first. I always struggled with that balance. Then my kids came along and the struggle to balance it all became harder than ever. The crappy thing about it is that I LOVE what I do. As a producer I get to imagine and create and work with talented artists and performers that inspire me. As an actor I get to perform and use it as an outlet to express a part of myself. I also work with youth, teaching and training and THAT is always inspiring and educational.
On the flip side, I love being a mom. I am very domestic and I love cooking and homemaking and having a family. I remember being pregnant with my daughter and feeling so lucky that I would have her a few weeks before a huge awards show I produce called the Indspire Awards. It was my third year of producing it and there was no way I wanted to miss a beat. Willow entered the world as a production baby. She was on her first flight at 2 months old, with me on site and I breastfed every chance I got. Free feeding and attachment parenting become challenging when you’re a working mom with a full-time job. But I felt good doing it all…
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
CONNECT WITH SELENA
