Radical: January 2018

Created & Edited by Leah Oviedo This zine is produced by ImpowerYou.org & Patreon.com/Loviedo

In this issue: Rebirth “The Well” by Inisa Fajra Art by Kendal Fong Transformation by Rae Lawrence The 31 Day Self-Love Challenge New Book: Cultivating Radical Self-Love Closing Quote

Read previous issues at Impoweryou.org/radical

What is Radical about?

Radical is a creative arts zine supporting the idea that we should live our journeys on our own terms. It is moving beyond expectations and limits to see what we are made of. It is forging our own paths and creating an accepting, compassionate community along our way.

I created this monthly e-zine to spread a message of sustainable self-care and to promote independent artists, writers, and healers. After spending 17 years of suffering depression and defining myself by my failures, I said STOP! Change was extremely difficult, and it didn’t happen in one moment or even one year, it has taken years to heal. This has been an epic journey. I’m still learning, but I have never made a better decision. Choosing to love myself unconditionally and heal my depression is the reason I am still alive today.

Peace and hugs, Leah

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>> Rebirth << January has always seemed like an odd time for the start of a new year. It’s during winter, which feels more in line with death and endings. Spring feels more like the start of a new year to me. So, instead of talking about New Year resolutions this issue is focused on hibernation and rebirth. It wasn’t until last winter that I chose to hibernate, but I’m an active person. I desire to try everything and go everywhere.

Doubts arose.

In the beginning I felt challenged by the idea of turning down invitations. As an extrovert who is curious about people, I was hyper aware of my codependent desire to always have friends around. After a month, hibernating became easier as spending time on my own gave me the rest my body needed. I was able to meditate regularly, finish the first draft of my book about depression, and organize my living space; giving away what didn’t serve me and repairing what I wanted to keep. While I felt productive and more balanced, I simultaneously felt lonely spending time alone and worried I was missing out, even letting people down.

The upsides far outweighed my insecurities. Days were shorter, temperatures cooler and my body wanted more sleep. I reveled in having time to lay in bed reading at night, in sleeping in and then time in the morning to slowly wake my body. It was a pleasure I could not remember experiencing in so long.

After a month of hibernating I felt restless and chose to add more activities to my schedule. Upon doing so, I felt the heaviness of being busy. I didn’t like returning to a non-stop pace and once again began saying no. Hibernating helped me to dive deeper into my self-care practice. I pushed myself to spend more time alone and saw the rewards. I spent new year day alone hiking by the ocean.

To keep myself from stopping my vow to hibernate, I knew that Spring would arrive soon, bringing longer days and giving me more energy.

A year later winter has returned, I have slowed my pace once again. When I began to feel anxious about not being more productive, I gently remind myself that it’s okay to not always be doing something. The new year is here, and I am ready to celebrate in my own way. For the past 4 years I have woken early to catch the sunrise of the new year. I have let go of staying up until midnight which is difficult because that is how most people celebrate. The trade has been worthwhile, I love the peacefulness that is in the air at 7am. That moment feels like a rebirth.

During a winter solstice ritual in 2016 my friend Vidya shared some journal questions that I pondered during my hibernation.

• • • •

What have I honored that honored me in return?

What have I learned this year about myself, my thoughts and my patterns?

What do I still want to learn?

How am I loving and protecting myself?

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>>

“The Well” by Inisa Fajra <<

You look down into the well and you see reflection, It’s the you that’s been waiting there, so that you can make it your selection.

To get to it you gotta go deep down and brave the dark, You will either fall or slip gently and it’ll scar your body with a painful mark.

Once you reach the surface you find that it can’t hold your weight, So you fall yet deeper and to get back out it’s now too late.

You’re slowly sinking until it swallows you whole, You’re scared, lonely and starting to regret that fall.

I like the well and it’s dark mysteries hidden in the deep at first glance, It’s like us, our feelings and emotions – dug out, then hidden deep below the surface of a fake dance.

Our lives – like a performance that’s constantly playing on repeat, Our emotions – undiscovered, hungry, abused and beat.

To the naked eye it’s a hole you need to be afraid of falling in, But holding the real, fresh source of life within.

The well you see is really life and our inner being, And for me the time away from work and noise is the beginning.

I can dive deep, find the source of life, hold it in my palms and drink it, Then climb back up with few scars, a smile and a soul so light you can’t sink it.

…

Inisa Fajra is a fire woman, a believer in the transformative powers of fire and everlasting change. She has travelled and worked in countries across the world, igniting her passion for the new and unknown.

Recently abandoning her biggest passion and dreams of a career, Inisa decided to pursue a life, where careers are of no importance, but spiritual exploration, uplifting and love give life a meaning. We often seem to have it the other way around. She currently resides in Vietnam.

As her priority in life, Inisa puts believing &amp; dreaming (both carrying the same meaning) - into making yourself and your world into whatever you’d like it to be and being part of the energies that shift, move &amp; travel through time. She writes by ‘translating poetry in people talk’, silencing external distractions with real food for the soul through her poems and short stories.

You can follow her on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/phenowomenally

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>> Art by Kendal Fong << I am totally stoked to share art by Kendal. I had the privilege of working with her at the San Diego Museum of Art, where I fell I love with her hair. Then I discovered her fantastic embroidery art and sketches and paintings. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a talented artist and a wonderful person. You can see more by visiting her website and follow her on Instagram!

Art by Kendal Fong

Art by Kendal Fong

Art by Kendal Fong

“I am an artist currently based in San Diego. I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art with a focus in printmaking in 2013. Since, I have been working at the San Diego Museum of Art. My current works have predominately been portraiture, using acrylic paint, water color, embroidery, and various other media.” – Kendal Fong Instagram: Instagram.com/kendalistrash Website: Kendalfong.weebly.com

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>> Transformation <<

“I turn my light towards me, I shine my light on the areas of darkness within me. I allow this darkness to be seen and become light. I transform. I call home all the parts of me into light. My vibration rises, my heart heals, my light shines, brighter, stronger, whole. I invite new stories, new joy, new experiences, new energy, because today I turn my light towards me.”

- Rae Lawrence

Rae is currently a 3rd year doctoral student where she is studying psychology. She aspires to work in the field of forensics. Rae suffered from an eating disorder for 10 years and has been in recovery for nearly 5 years. She finds that she feels her best when she is helping others.

Because of this, she has created a non-profit organization, Rae Across America, where she creates and hosts several fundraisers per year which raise money to help send individuals in need to eating disorder treatment. Rae and her husband, Ryan, live in Richland, Washington. Together they enjoy hiking, watching football, spending time with their children, visiting family, and traveling.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaeAcrossAmerica/ Website: raelawrence85.wixsite.com/raeacrossamerica

Art by Leah Oviedo

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>> Ready for a Real Challenge? << Join the 8th Annual 31-Day Self-Love Diet Writing Challenge to start the new year off with a commitment to self-love. The Self-Love Diet is a diet of regularly offering yourself love, and Michelle and Emelina will send you 31 Self-Love Diet writing prompts to help you build your practice.

Photo credit: Ramona Minero Photography

Read about the details of the event and sign up here: http://www.lovewarriorcommunity.com/31-dayself-love-diet-writing-challenge/ Sign up directly here: https://forms.aweber.com/form/72/882539772.htm Join the Private Facebook group (you can find the link to receive the Self-Love Diet writing prompts on the pinned post): https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoveWarriorCommunity/ Join the Facebook event and invite your friends to create a self-love revolution! https://www.facebook.com/events/294159054322293/

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>> My New Book Collaboration << I’m stoked to share my new book with you! It is a collaboration with a dozen artists, writers and healers who I know through friendship, activism and work.

“Cultivating Radical Self-Love: A Collaboration of Healers, Artists and Writers” What is radical self-love? It’s a letting go of the idea that your worth is tied to your future accomplishments. It’s being accountable for your actions. It’s choosing your own path. Self-love manifests itself in different ways for different people. By cultivating radical self-love, you are choosing to believe in the radical idea that you are whole and valuable as you are. Loving your imperfections is one of the bravest things you can do.

This book features work by Michelle Minero, Kiyoshi Shelton, Jaz Gray, Corry Lang, Natalie Small, Rae Lawrence, Jason Freeman, Jasmine Farrell, Anaid Garcia, Donovan Cheney, Vidya, Katrina Mendoza and Leah Oviedo. These amazing people are different genders, skin tones, sexual orientations, abilities, spiritual beliefs. What they all share is knowing that self-love is an important aspect of everyone’s journey.

Choose your format; EPUB for most eReaders, Mobi for Kindle, or PDF on Patreon.com/Loviedo.

You can find more of my books on Amazon.com.

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>> Closing Quote

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“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

- Marie Curie as quoted in “Our Precarious Habitat” ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Like this zine? Become a patron at Patreon.com/Loviedo Want to be featured? If you are interested in contributing to a future issue, please send an email to Leah at investinginwomen@gmail.com.

Need help with depression? Try my FREE e-course full of tools to help you heal from the inside out: Impoweryou.org/healing-depression Like to color? I have free coloring pages on my website: Impoweryou.org/color Buying a gift? Check out my art and merchandise at Zazzle.com/Oviedostyle