Are You Pacing Yourself? With Chloe Benjamin

Rebecca Mezoff, author of the bestselling book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving, loves nothing more than helping new tapestry weavers untangle the mystery of making images with yarn. Rebecca has a background in Occupational Therapy and in this episode she shares how her journey with OT shifted her perspective in the weaving studio. She shares some great tips that you are not going to miss! So let’s dive in!

I am so excited to share that this is Wellness for Makers’ 50th Podcast episode! Thank you all for tuning in week after week. For sharing episodes with your friends, family, students, and co-workers. It truly means so much to me! I am so honored to be able to have the opportunity to share so many incredible conversations that leave you feeling inspired to improve your studio practice. 

With that being said, I am so honored to introduce today’s guest to the show, Serafine Lilien. As a graphic designer, Serafine developed a repetitive strain injury resulting from excessive work with a computer mouse. She retrained as an ergonomist. And then went on to create ErgoArts. Which combines her two passions art and ergonomics! She has more than 20 years of hands on experience as a professional ergonomics consultant for companies of all sizes, and individuals working from home. She has helped injured employees return to work and has guided companies into compliance with OSHA standards. This conversation is not one to be missed, so let’s get started! 

I’m so excited to introduce my friend Raïssa bump to the show! Raïssa is a talented contemporary art jeweler and the founder of Reset. Her mission with Reset is to educate others to be attentive to their body’s signals and provide them with practical self-tuning techniques so they can continue creating. Raïssa and I clearly have a shared passion for educating others about wellness and our friendship grew through many collaborations which we will talk about in this episode.

We often know what we should do. How many times has your body told you to readjust your posture, stretch, drink a glass of water, or take a nap, and you ignored it? How many times have you powered through pain or strain to get something done? We often know what we can do to care for ourselves now but we ignore the signals our body sends us until the signal gets louder and louder. But why?

I am so excited to introduce this week’s guest to the show. Andrea Lui is a board certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy (OCS), and is skilled in treating a variety of patients with acute and chronic pain. Andrea is passionate about patient education and empowering her patients to help themselves. 

I found Andrea through her instagram page @TheKnittingPT. She began noticing that there were very little resources available to knitters, crocheters, and crafters alike on how to take care of their bodies. She was inspired to put out short videos with information on stretches, strengthening exercises, and information on how to care for your body. 

No matter what type of maker you are, I know you will get a lot out of today’s conversation. So let’s dive in!

Over the past year and a half I have secretly been working hard on a project that I am so excited to finally share with you. I wrote a book with you in mind! Dive in to this week's episode to learn more about my new book Wellness for Makers: A Movement Guide for Artists. 

Critical Smiths is Back! We have the dynamic trio of Lucy Derickson, Jane Marsching, and Julia Giangrande on the podcast! In today's conversation we dive into a very special research project conducted by Julia following the life cycle of Jewelry Pickle. Listeners are invited to consider how their materials impact the environment and their health moving forward. 

There is always fear that our favorite thing can be taken from us and Leah and Grace's profound story reminds us of this.  Throughout the episode we talk about the immense importance of listening and cultivating a relationship with your body. Especially as life continues after injury and trauma, how do we sustain our most important connection with our body? Even through all of the profound, traumatic moments, on their journey they still manage to incorporate joy and happy dances into every day. Their cards and art reflect the wonder of life and the ability to always shine a light. 

In this powerful episode with the honorable Susanna Barkataki, we unpack the roots of yoga, cultural appropriation, and how yoga connects to social justice. We learn how we can combat the erasure of people from whom sacred traditions come from. Susanna is the author of Embrace Yoga's Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice.  She supports practitioners to lead with equity, diversity, and yogic values while growing thriving practices and businesses with confidence.

Heidi Lowe is a life long artist, a jeweler, an educator, and life and business coach! She is also an incredible friend and mentor. Heidi is the owner of Heidi Lowe Gallery. I worked as a summer intern for Heidi while I was in grad school and I seriously loved every moment. Not only did I learn more about running a gallery, business, and living a life as a jeweler, It also inspired me to dive deep and do some inner work. Heidi always asks the best questions to help identify what is holding you back in your creative journey. She teaches makers like you how to do the inner work required to create the financial freedom you desire.