Thursday Murmurations
Apo Whang-Od, fertility and staying the course
Happy Thursday ya beauties!
Kicking it off this week with Apo Whang-Od, the 106 year old Filipino tattoo artist. She lives in a remote, very-difficult-to-access village and has been hand-tapping tattoos since she was a teenager. Mambabatok, her style of tattooing is traditional and somewhat sacred and the tradition can only be passed on through bloodlines. Vogue had her on their cover last month. She has an amazing story, but also, I think she just looks cool as fuck. I love her long grey hair, wrinkled face and tatts. To look this cool at 106? Well damn, we should all be so lucky.
Things that caught my eye this week
You can’t be this age and not know a woman who is struggling with fertility. It’s also hard to not know a woman who is childfree-by-choice at this point. The intersection of those two realities can sometimes be a little sticky. I really enjoyed this article by a Guardian journalist about her struggle with fertility and finding solace in the childfree-by-choice community. There are a few book recommendations in there that I definitely plan to check out too.
Food for thought
Don’t get discouraged by not seeing immediate results with what you’re working on. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it, it doesn’t mean it’s not desired and needed. You’re just in the incubation period. Stay in the work. Your time will come. Don’t let your first instinct be to throw it all in the trash. Your mission is really to just keep paddling so when the wave hits, you can ride it with ease.
You should subscribe to the paid edition of The Murmuration because…
On Monday’s paid version of The Murmuration I’m digging in to how to figure out what you want to do with your life. You can reach a certain point where you realise you’re just cruising and nothing is really sparking you, making you feel passionate and driven. Where do you start in knowing what you want to change or bring about in your life to make things feel more fulfilling? You’re never too old to switch things up and get yourself the life you deserve. Subscribe to the paid edition and join me on Monday!
Your Weekly Biggie Smalls (P)update
With summer fast approaching, Biggie would like to remind you to treat yourself to a beach day. Roll around in some sand, stand on people’s feet, act like the absolute loon you are at heart and you too, could feel this level of happiness. Biggie also asked me to remind you to not forget your sunscreen.
A request for some kindness
A very good family friend of ours here in Nova Scotia, Don Bell, is an exceptionally talented jeweller. He’s had his shop since 1976 and a few weeks ago, for the very first time, it was broken into. They swiped everything, from his tools to all his customer orders, repairs and custom designs he was working on, his supply of gold - all of it gone.
Don designed my parents wedding rings, which are amazing. He designed my wedding ring (which granted, I didn’t get to wear, given that I left my fiancé a month before the wedding, but that aside, the ring was incredible!) He is a real salt of the earth guy who just works his ass off and has for years. To lose your life’s work in your late 70s is just absolutely heartbreaking.
Some members of the craft community here have started a Go Fund Me for him and I’d be so grateful if you could make a little donation to help him get back on his feet.
Thank you!
More Affordable Coaching with Me
If you’ve been umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether or not to dive into coaching and pricing has been the deciding factor, I’m making my coaching more affordable through payment plan options.
I’m pre-booking clients for my ChangeMaker program for July and August. You put a $297 deposit down now and spread your payments out over the next few months. If you want to start in July, your final payment won’t be due to late August and if you start in August, your final payment is due late September.
I appreciate coaching is a big investment and I want to make it as accessible as I can. You should have to wait to step into the life you want for yourself.
Click the button below and let’s get crackin’!
Until next week; smile at strangers, spread good vibes, be nice to people.
Apo Whang-Od! ❤️ Really feel for your family friend Don. Will be supporting the fundraiser x