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Live Speaking & Poetry
Growing up, nothing scared me more than having to get on stage and speak in front of people. Never would I have imagined that public speaking and performing spoken word poetry would one day be among my favorite things to do.
I started pushing myself to get on stages after founding Reclaim Your Voice. I knew the cause was bigger than myself, so I forced myself to "feel the fear and do it anyway", taking any and every opportunity to speak in front of audiences, knowing it could help raise awareness about gender based violence.
Eventually and unexpectedly, the fear of public speaking melted away and I also discovered a dormant gift: spoken word poetry. Today, being on stage is where I feel the most alive.
Public speaking is how I am able to alchemize the pain of my past into something from which myself and others can benefit. Spoken word poetry allows me to transmute the many stories of trauma I've heard over the years into a medicine offering for those who need it.
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My Spoken Word Poetry
Firefly was the first poem I ever wrote, and it came flowing out of me as though it had been waiting in the wings for years. I was deeply honoured when directors Andreya Klobucar and Monica Thi asked if they could create a short film out of it, and absolutely blown away by the final product.
Like Firefly, most of my poetry centres around the theme of trauma and the healing journey.
I wrote A Great Man, my second poem, after being invited to share something on the topic of toxic vs healthy masculinity. Thank you to Paul for capturing this special moment on camera––the exact moment where my stage fright left me for good.
You Deserve was written for Dandelion Initiative, a grassroots organization providing GBV prevention and education, and is currently one of my favorite pieces to perform.
Jungle Flower Dragon Heart
In 2019, I travelled through Southeast Asia, writing out my memoirs of experiencing and healing from intimate partner violence. From these memoirs was born Jungle Flower Dragon Heart, a one-woman show which combines storytelling, spoken word poetry, and the self portraits taken on my travels.
Jungle Flower Dragon Heart focuses on the major lessons learned on my healing journey through storytelling and spoken word poetry. The show provides guidance on navigating healing, and inspires audiences to boldly reclaim their own voices.
Jungle Flower Dragon Heart opened to a sold out audience in Toronto/Tkaronto in November 2019.
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My Keynote Offerings
I am passionate about speaking on the topics of trauma healing, wellness, consent, women and girls' empowerment, and entrepreneurship. Here are my most requested talks, which I deliver both in person and virtuallly:
I Am Beautiful
I am a photographer inspired by the beauty of people's faces.
I am a humanitarian moved by the beauty of people's souls.
I am a woman who carries trauma, working everyday to remember my own beauty.
This speech is a retrospective on beauty, and its ever-evolving meaning throughout the phases of my life.
Love After Trauma
One of the lesser-spoken about yet commonly experienced aspects of the healing journey is the challenge of daring to love again. A healthy relationship can dysregulate our nervous systems and activate our fight or flight response, often sending us running from the thing our hearts most desire––acceptance, belonging, and love.
This is my story of moving from love after trauma to, simply, love.
Post Traumatic Growth
The healing journey can feel like a life sentence. It can seem unending, arduous and regressive. In this talk, while being mindful of toxic positivity, spiritual bypassing, and privilege, I speak on how our trials can be catalysts for change, growth, and a deeper connection to self.
Consent and Consent Culture in the Music Industry
As a photographer working with Grammy Award winning artists, and a humanitarian working with trauma survivors, I am in a unique position to speak to musicians and music students about consent. This talk is designed to remind audience members both of the urgent need for change when it comes to sexual violence, as well as their own capacities to be agents of change. As a sound guide, I use instruments like the frame drums, tingsha, singing bowl, and rainstick to help ground the audience while discussing the realities of gender based violence, and to demonstrate the healing power of music.
Have questions?
If you've got questions about my keynote speeches and spoken word poetry, please reach out!