Radical Home Economics

A great little video about two very down to earth homesteaders in LA

"You just start with one thing that really calls you. And usually in the course of learning how to do that one thing you will be attracted to something that's related to it. Because these things tend to pile on top of each other; they're all linked in some way"
http://www.upworthy.com/see-how-one-couple-in-los-angeles-squeezes-an-entire-farm-into-a-small-city-home?c=ufb1

Community Mind-Body Collaboration

I had a meeting with an ESL school for young students the other day and the owner, Sarah, and I were chatting about the possibility of having me and my company, bodymind ConfiDance, come in to do some movement workshops once a week.

The school's summer camp has each afternoon set aside for active learning–trips, workshops, hands on activities.

I was supremely excited by Sarah's desire to engage all types of learners, not just focus on rote "book learning", and explore different interesting topics as a tool to learn a new language.

In our discussion and brainstorming on structure and topics, I threw out the idea of food awareness. In talking a bit more about it, Sarah jumped right on board and we chatted for a good 15/20 minutes about potential trips, collaborations with outside organizations, subjects, and even went out on their space's back patio to see if we could grow any food back there. All I had to do was ask.

I'm hoping to use this opportunity to develop some food and consumption based mind-body workshopping to use with youth if Sarah is interested in having me in for the week.

I'm so glad I asked!  ALWAYS ASK!  The worst that can happen is you get a no.

Arts and Sustainability

I started a business running dance and creativity workshops in elementary schools three years ago, with a major revamp to the structure this past summer: www.bodymindconfidance.com 
It's important to me.
Creative dance connects people to their bodies in an age of disconnect.
Creative dance creates community, promotes co-operation, and practices team-building.
Creative dance promotes empathy, understanding, and self-awareness.
Beauty.

But I'm also becoming more and more interested in other sides of self-wellness:
Connecting to nature,
Realizing our place in the cycle of the world, not at the top of a non-existant pyramid,
Understanding where the food that nourishes us comes from,
Understanding that things take time and you can't rush them without consequences,
Taking time and care to feed our bodies with nutritious food that will literally fuel us.
This is the Urban Organic Homesteading Experiment side.

But I had a meeting with the Program Director at Arts For Children and Youth today.

One of the things we spoke about was my interest in sustainability and food.

She suggested creating workshops that merge the arts and topics in sustainability.

BUT OF COURSE!!!

How had I never thought of that?

I'm coming to realize that a thing I want to do is build awareness about subjects that are life-changing and important.

I'm coming to realize that perhaps the side of me that always shied away from the word 'activist' because of the very specific image I had in my head is coming around and expanding her view. 

I'm coming to realize that I'm beginning to advocate for mind-body health, wellness, and awareness.

Maybe the answers aren't changing what you do completely, but changing how you do the thing you do already.  Maybe that's innovation.

I'm not sure how these things I'm doing are going to support me but I trust that they will, somehow.
Things will work out because I will make them.
I will support myself,
Meet people,
Be excited,
Learn,
Be passionate.
Let's see how this all pans out.