BONUS: Healing & Transformation Through Art
BONUS: Healing & Transformation Through Art with Marina Billinghurst
Marina’s career in art and fashion spans over two decades. After winning Canadian fashion design awards in her twenties, Marina went on to graduate from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Fashion Design. She’s also designed and stepped into the Creative Director role for multiple leading fashion brands in Canada and internationally, such as Joe Boxer and Joe Fresh. In 2019, a lifetime of creating original artwork culminated in Marina creating her own distinct aesthetic of dreamy watercolours paired with luscious materials for a luxury collection of sustainable, wearable art pieces. She calls them Magical capes...
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[1:49] Hey Marina! Welcome to the Women's Empowerment Podcast! Thank you so much for joining me today!… I was thinking about when we met, and I was trying to figure out where exactly it was. It was at the June Motel (in Prince Edward County) over a weekend retreat with the Toronto Business Babes and The Content Planner. I remember seeing you in your kimono with your long blonde hair and you're really tall and colourful and I wanted to know who you were, and I was excited when you started talking to me at one of the lunches.
One of the things I want to talk about today is your personal journey. So you have a pretty intense and very empowering story, and I'd love for you to share that story, in your own words.
Yes. Thank you, I do have an intense story that's for sure, and I think that's because I've worn a lot of hats and I've been through a lot in my life so far. I'm an artist and designer, and basically started my career want to be a fashion designer. When I was 18 I moved to New York City and I worked in Fashion and I went to the Parsons School of Design, but the journey took about 20 years to get me to where I am right now. So all that happened in between is what made me the woman that I am today. So that's: leaving home, discovering who you are as an artist, that's going through experiences that create who I became and essentially it was all in the last year that it really unfolded for me.
I guess I'll tell you about how it all came to be. I moved to New York and 18 and basically started my career in fashion design and I came back to Vancouver after 9/11. That was a hard time for me to go back to New York City because the world had changed so much. So I've been through a lot of world changes and sort of drama things, at the time it was so scary so I begged my parents to let me drop out of school and sort of figure out who I am. And when I did drop out of school, in my senior year, I ended up starting my own clothing line which won a lot of awards and accolades, but I was 21. I was SUPER young! I needed up doing that for 5 years and it was amazing but I really had no clue of what I was doing, so long story short, I went back out into the world and I decided to try all the things that were on my bucket list. Because I knew when I was 24/25 I didn't have a social life because I ran a business at that age. I get it because now I do the same thing again because of the experiences that I've had.
So when I was about 24/25, maybe 26 I just went out into the world and checked everything off my bucket list and everyone thought I was crazy and tried to intervene but I was like, ‘no I want to be in a rock band, and I want to be a yoga teacher, I want to do all these things' because I just had no fear. I could always come back and work for another clothing company or start my own clothing company again. But I was so young and I didn't know about the planet and I didn't know about sustainability, other than the little bit that I had read about. I didn't understand until I had a clothing line and I went overseas and I saw people sewing. I didn't know where this stuff comes from. And when you go to the store and you buy things, you don't know where they come from.
As I got older I really started to care about that. And I got all the stuff off my chest about wanting to be in a band, and I did it! I did all those things for about 18 months, and I was a yoga teacher for about 6 or 7 years, during the whole experience and yoga is still a huge part of my life. After quitting my rock band I told my parents I wanted to be a graphic designer and I want to design websites and I want to go to the Art Institute or Vancouver, because I'm from Vancouver. And my parents sat me down and told me that I was going back to New York and you're graduating. So I reached out to the school and asked if they would take me back after 8 or 9 years. Even though they had just changed their curriculum, they allowed me to go back.
So I went back to New York at 30 years old and I got to do my senior year. So it was a real cool kind of circle story of going back to where I really belonged, but getting the things off my chest that I didn't know if they were the career I wanted. I think there's so much pressure when you're young to pick your degree; decide what you want to do, but really you have to experience your life. You have to try to fly at other things and see what sticks. I am so grateful I had that time and I will never regret going on tour with a rock band and teaching yoga all over the world. I could to teach yoga in Hawaii, Barcelona, and Las Vegas and it was just so amazing! Because when I got my Yoga Certification, I met so many amazing people that had their own studios all over the world and that's so cool and it's just part of my story.
From there, I ended up going back to school, graduating, and my boyfriend at the time was not able to work in New York so I was looking for a job in Canada, and from my graduation I got a job at Joe Fresh in Toronto. So that's how I ended up in Toronto. I started as a Print and Pattern textile designer and kind of worked my way up. It was amazing to meet Joe Mimran who was such a force in the fashion industry. He started up Club Monaco and sold it, then ended up partnering with Loblaws to great this grocery store brand.
There were so many amazing things I took out of that experience, and one of them was I really learned about Fast Fashion. And that just tugged at my heartstrings because I remember my experience with fashion and going overseas and I worked with small factories in Thailand, and Indonesia and I was in Bali. I make resort ware, it's always been beachy. So when I worked at Joe Fresh, I got to see the units; 10 000, 20 000. And it just kind of blows your mind. You know, every grocery store around the world is selling these things. And what happens to the product when it doesn't sell? What happens? That's when I started to ask questions, and there were some incidences where factories were falling down and the quality of the work environment wasn't really there. It was just kind of like a weird eye-opener and in the long run it just kind of brought back the fact that I knew I was going to design for myself again, I knew I was going to have a clothing line again, I knew I was going to do something with my art. And I knew it had to be something sustainable. It had to be organic in some sense, I knew the working conditions had to be good. That was sort of my mission statement for when I had to go ahead and create a new product line. I worked for Joe Fresh for a while and then I got kind of pinched from another company who offered me the world, and that's when I started to learn about the work force in a big city.
When I started to work for other companies, they promise you all this stuff, and you design but it's the same kind of circle. But the good thing is I got bigger roles, and I got more responsibility, and then I had to manage a team, and then I became a creative director. All those things [I kept thinking,] ‘am I read to do this on my own?' and I was just kind of waiting for an opportunity and the Artist Project in Toronto came around and my husband was kind of getting annoyed with me because I had all these paintings, and he's like, ‘They're taking up the whole garage, are you going to tell people you have paintings to buy, or are they just going to be here in the garage forever?' and I wasn't really showcasing myself as an artist. I wasn't really promoting myself as an artist at the time. So I decided to go for it and apply for the Artist Project and I got in off the waitlist! It was 2017 that I did my first booth and I pretty much ended up selling all my paintings, and I lightbulb went off, so from there I, I knew I wanted to wear something at my art shows.
I had already started designing things for my brother's winery – where I am now – so I had always kept vendors and connections that I knew I could start printing my own product on. My brother was the first person that needed tea towels, tote bags, scarves, and I found a factory that checked off all the boxes. But I wanted a kimono, because I wanted to wear something that looked like my art while I was selling my paintings! So I was like, ‘I definitely have to have a draping kimonos, that's just what it has to be!' Silk, floor length, it has to feel good on this skin. I'm really picky with fabric now as I'm getting older now, it has to feel good on the skin, I don't care how cute you look in something, once it's touching your skin, it has to feel good. So I'd rather have a lot less stuff now, but when I was younger I wanted it all and that's where it kind of came from; that's where it all switched.
I ended up making my first kimono. My husband, when he saw me put it on was like, ‘that is insane, that is so cool, that is amazing.' Then I'd show friends and [they would all] want one. Then I'd wear it out and [people asked me where I got it], so then I ended up making different prints and thinking up new ideas. They were one off prints and really expensive obviously, I'm not fast fashion, so you're paying premium dollar to have one made.
I went on to more art shows, and the One of a Kind Show asked me if I wanted to be apart of [it], after seeing me at the Artist Project, and this was a dream! I would never have thought they would even allow me in, but I sell my art, and then I make my fabrics. It became a lifestyle of watercolour on different things. I love minimal art with white backgrounds and beautiful watercolour prints. I like that it goes on kimonos, and I sort of just created this Art of Marina Brand. That's sort of where I ended up, and I knew that it had to be sustainable. Marina is my name, and I'm really into the ocean and beaches and resorts. Once I become profitable, I will be giving back to the ocean, clean water, shark free marinas. Everything to do with preserving our oceans and keeping them clean. It was kind of just like ‘whoa, this is actually kind of a brand? Because my name is Marina, I'm all about the ocean and I design resort wear!' I kind of just thought I was ready!
The One of a Kind Show in 2018 was the last show I did as a creative director. A week after the show, I got into a car accident. So that was when BOOP! Life changed big time!
This is where the things get kind of weird because, what everyone didn't know (that saw me and met me). I do have a very positive and happy energy and I love everybody and I just see the light in pretty much everyone. But I was going through a really dark time. My husband and me are crazy in love and have been best friends for ever and amazing relationship, and connection; all the things, so blessed! But the only thing we weren't blessed with was having children.
We just had a slew of miscarriages and trauma that happened to us with trying to have a baby, and so I wasn't going to give up at that point because having a child was the biggest thing I ever wanted. I think sometimes when you can't have something, you want it 900 times more, and you start to go a little crazy. So I actually got to that point. Everyone that was pregnant in the office was a trigger. I started to take away from all the positive blessings that I did have, because of something that I couldn't have. And that's where life got weird for me, because I pretty much went after everything I wanted and worked hard to achieve it. But the crazy thing about fertility and pregnancy is that, that's something you have no control over. And a lot of people can't let go of that, and I was one of them. So when I was in my car accident, I was pregnant, and it was a healthy pregnancy. And it was the first time that I was like finally pregnant, and I got into the car accident. And I was like, ‘Okay the Universe obviously has other plans for me,' and there's not a lot that I can do at this point, other than step back and work on my own healing.
I've gone through so much healing which is why I'm able to talk about this, and this is why I wrote my book, which I will share with you, is because the hardest thing in the world for women is infertility. When you're trying to conceive, or when you do and you have miscarriages, it's so painful. Hugs and love to every woman who has gone through that. There are so many different stages of women and their fertility and their cycle. Like postpartum and what happens to your body. Women who can't have children, they would give up their leg to have a kid! So when I see women with postpartum and body image and body shaming… hunny I would take those stretch marks, I would take the pain that you went through, I would lose the sleep because it's something that I couldn't have! But this is the mental and psychological thing that we go through as women.
What I started to do when I was going through my healing, was I realized that, I do have so many other blessings, and if I can help other women who have gone through this, find their light… I want to be that light to say, ‘I've gone through it. I've lost babies. And I'm okay.' Because I've taken the time to dig deep and get the spiritual healing. I wasn't into the whole mediation and taking the time to write affirmations and focusing on the positive energy and the light you've been given. I wasn't into that. I was in corporate fashion, I loved the world, but I didn't have any issues. I worked, got what I needed and moved on. It wasn't until I couldn't have something and then I had a tragic car accident that I legitimately had to step back and find my purpose.
I did a podcast with Making Smith “A Walk in My Stilettos” One of the things we both took out of that was that Pain Births Purpose. When you read a good story about somebody, or you watch an Oscar winning movie about someone's life, the best stories are the most painful ones, right? Because they overcame and obstacle, and they looked deeper and found their light. I'm grateful for that car accident – in a crazy way. I'm still sad about what happened and I relive it sometimes and I go to my meditation places, and I find a way to deal with it when it comes up, because it does. But I'm grateful for the light that it did bring out in me. In a sense that I was like, okay well I didn't lose my arm, I can still draw, I can still paint. I have time now to focus on nourishing my body, my soul and my purpose. That was [part] of how I overcame the dark side.
I decided that this is what happened and it is what it is, and I'm just going to focus on why I'm here and what's my legacy? What can I leave behind if it's not going to be my children? Maybe I can leave behind some beautiful artwork that people will appreciate after I'm going. It's weird because legacy wasn't a big word for me until I realized I might not have kids. And you realize that it doesn't matter because it's your life and it's about what you do every day. Every interaction that you have, I could be that woman who gives a stink face to the woman with her children in the grocery store, or I could say, ‘Oh you have beautiful children.' and smile and leave that positive light because I do love everybody and I'm not jealous of other people's children. Because I've come to a point where I'm grateful for my blessings and love [all the children in my life]. I would do anything for anyone, it was a me thing it wasn't a them thing.
[21:54] Thank you so much for sharing that. I could feel my own emotions coming up and I honestly I wasn't expecting to react the way that I was as you were speaking, but it's so important because I love what you said, “Pain does birth purpose.” I think there is some truth to that because not only is that pain… it depends, there are so many layers to it. But when you start to step back, you can really find that purpose through the pain. But if you're so focused on the pain and staying in that “victim mentality” you're not allowing that space and that processing of the pain to bring out that purpose. Like I said, there are so many layers there. And it's a very personal and imitate journey, and going through the layers, getting the help, doing the healing, I mean, I can only imagine how much growth happened in that short amount of time. It's only been a few years but to hear how far you've come since then, it's incredibly empowering. Your story is so empowering. I really am grateful for you sharing that, and feeling like you can share that, because what I think of when I see women like you, who have gone through traumas… it's just this beautiful and incredible story that helps me see someone that I can relate to, and someone I look up to, if they can do it, then so can I. And because you're holding the space for women and people, and using the platforms like my podcast and other shows, and your instagram page, and your kimonos… it's important and it's powerful and we need people like you in this world, so thank you so much again.
[24:24] I do have some fun questions I'd like to ask you about your story, I'm dying to know, what was the name of your band?
I was in a band in the states and we were called ‘Jaded' I used to have major stage fright, I was always super shy as a kid, I was always so scared and nervous. Trust me, when I was little my mom used to try to get me up on stage in places and I used to get up and shake and freeze. And I still have to deal with that, that's still something else I've overcome, because I became a yoga teacher. When I became a yoga teacher I learned how to speak in front of people. But I'm telling you, my first few yoga classes I was stiff and scared and I did not know how to speak and I forgot all the things, but then again it's about moving into this space of the less you think, the more you're going to do well, and that's art.
So the band was called Jaded. and it was not my type of music, I'm a very Fleetwood Mac type of gal, I love the classic rock, and I love singer-songwriter and acoustic anything. And I was pretty much in an all girl heavy metal rock band. But hey! It was a platform where I could be someone else, like an alter ego and I could learn how to preform in front of people, so it was pretty cool and I wore leather freakin everything. My friends were like, ‘What the heck is this!?' and I'm like, ‘Just trust. I'm on a mission, I'm seeing if I can be a singer in a band.' The exciting thing is that I ended up going to singer-songwriter mode after I quit the band. I learned that I was not meant to do that. I tried, I gave it 135% or 3000% and the music industry wasn't for me. But I'm so proud of myself for trying and I recorded music and all those things.
[26:30] That's so amazing, and after this, I'm going to get you to send me some of your songs. LOL
What I also love about your journey that you share is that your 20's are this time for you to explore and try new things, and step into the possibility of becoming an all-leather wearing heavy metal rockstar? Yes I could! And it's that growth of getting out of your comfort zone and learning new things. It's really finally learning and creating who you are. And I love how through your journey, and through your story, you were always coming back to art in some way. That's what I wanted to ask you about next, is this healing power of art that you talk about and share.
[27:49] What I want to know is, what are some of the ways that we can bring out our inner artist, or our inner creator?
You know the first thing I would say, like anything else, you need to let go of your inhibition. You have to be free and open to experiment. A lot of people are trying to paint the perfect face or trying to paint something from nature. When I teach my art classes I start with an abstract approach. We just get the brush and focus on the pigment and wanter and just mix it and just watched what happens when you make a stroke. It seems like a junior way, but you kind of have to go back to the beginning to see what that paint does on its own. because abstract art is beautiful. People who are creating abstract art are making millions of dollars and they have no control over what they do, because it's really just about what the paint does. So I like people to stop and look at that. And just get out of your head. Leave your ego at the door, same thing when you do a yoga class.
You just have to let go and remember that you have to be open and free to what you're feeling that day. So whenever I get a little bit of inspiration, I do whatever that inspiration is calling me to do. When I'm stiff doing something, I'm not going to be really good at it. When you're trying to draw something and your hand is stiff, how are you going to make beautiful lines? You have to relax your hand, and just let it come out of you, loosen up, shake it out and that is when you're going to make beautiful art. When you're locked and tight and feeling like, “Oh I suck!” How are you going to make beautiful art then? It's a mindset of letting go and being free and just trusting that your hands just knows what to do.
[29:54] I think that's great advice, because I feel like the more rigid I am, and the more that my hand is stiff, it doesn't flow out of you like you said, and we're all creators inside so we just need to let it come out, right? How do we get ourselves out of that “I suck” or “I'm not good at art mindset?
I love this question because what's good art and what's bad art? Go look at what painting sold for $50 million and ask, is that good? I don't know… Art is in the eye of the beholder. For me I like to really just ask my students to really just feel the art. I know this is going to sound cheesy, but it's a creative experiment, and it's a release, so when you're feeling an emotion and you paint that emotion, it's going to dry and you're going to be like, “wow I did that?” It's all about doing it as much as you can until your feel comfortable. Once you feel comfortable holding the brush, mixing the paint, then you can start to experiment with more challenging tasks.
And that's why with my little IGTVs and tutorials, you have to be patient. It's steps. You will get there, just let go of thinking that you're good or bad, and do it for the process, as cheesy as that sounds. That's what it is. For me it's a release. Some people like to run 10k a day, I like to come home, listen to good music, and make a painting. And just like, let go and stop thinking about the world, and one thing that is so great about it, is that it takes you away from that to-do list, it takes you away from the stress of how you're going to pay that bill, it takes you away from thinking about someone you know who is really ill. It gets you out of the dark side and gets you into the light because you're creating. Sometimes you make something and you can't even believe you made it. The majority of my work I'm like, ‘how the hell did I paint that?' I have no idea, but I did because I tried and I had a positive attitude.
[31:51] I love that, actually during one of your IG Lives when we did the rainbows, I actually make it into a card and gave that to a friend who lost their grandfather that week. It was really special for me to make something and put so much love into. I had never painted a rainbow before, and it sounds simple but it was meaningful. I liked that when people dm'ed you their paintings they were all beautiful and unique. Like you said, what is good art? I've been to places where there will be a huge canvas with a line painted through it, and I think ‘well I could have done that!' So it's so funny.
What's on your playlist when you're creating art? What are some of the songs you're listening to?
Oh gosh! You know what I do is I have Title, so I just do that radio. I play one song and I just radio similar music. I find I'm discovering new music. But I am, again, a sucker for the classics. There's something about old music. I listen to The Beach Boys, and the old stuff, like Dirty Dancing soundtrack. I love old music, I don't know what it is!? I'm obsessed with Stevie Nicks, I just love her voice; Fleetwood Mac; and I love Sinéad Harnett. There's no music I don't love in all honesty. Anyway that's just a little bit of what I love!
[33:46] Love that! I would love to share any of your playlists if you have them. When we're ready to create, when we feel fired up I'm gonna put some good tunes on, where do we start when we step into this feeling of ‘I'm going to be creating now' What do we do, where do we start?
So that's the hard part because I'm so glad I did quit my job and I did become an artist because you get a call to make art when you least expect it. You can have your paints set up and be ready to go, but you're just not feeling it that day, and that's just the reality of being an artist. I think that's the same for being a songwriter, or any medium. Some days just aren't your days. That's why there are so many other things to do when you do art as a business, like when I'm sitting here and I have that feeling come over my body and I'm like, ‘I need to paint birds right now.' Like, I gotta stop what I'm doing and I have to go paint those birds! And I can have folders of inspiration of things to paint, but what I've learned as I've gotten more experienced is that maybe later I don't want to paint those.
What I learned when I was recovering from my car accident, I had this calling to paint butterflies. So I just had my stuff laid out on the table, and every time I had a calling I just went and grabbed my paintbrush and I painted something. And I would do it until I felt like I was done, and I would walk away. Then come back and paint another one. The nine magical butterflies were such a huge part of overcoming my trauma, and PTSD, and part of my future, and all the things, they saved me! And it's so weird because it's a painting, but that's when I realized the healing power of art, and magic, and mental health. and finding an outlet to release whatever you're feeling.
My suggestion to anyone who is like, ‘where do I start?' is get the supplies and put them out and practice, and when you get that calling, just make sure things are nearby. Because sometimes you might allocate time to paint. And I can do it now because I have other things like original art pieces and prints for the kimonos, and different things I can paint. So I can do watercolour Wednesday, but sometimes in the middle of the night I want to get up in the middle of the night and paint something – I'm probably going to do it!
[36:33] Ya, love it. Just take action on it. If you're feeling that feeling just do it! And obviously, get the supplies ahead of time.
I want to talk about your butterflies. What are the 9 Magical Butterflies? What do they symbolize?
Basically it was TRANSFORMATION. I had to come from one place to another, and I didn't manifest this. I mean maybe I did, but I didn't know what I was doing. I just painted these butterflies and then I sort of decided to focus on something I needed to overcome while I was painting and creating the butterfly. I don't know why it was 9, I've never been attracted to the number 9, but when I painted the 9th butterfly I was done. And that was it. And then I went back and kind of dissected. So what they are, are basically steps to transforming any kind of rebirth you need in your life.
So when I painted the first one, it was the FREEDOM Butterfly. My first stop was that I [felt] so stuck. I couldn't get out of my head, I wanted to be someone I'm not, I didn't know why I was alive. It was all the darkest things, you go through so much trauma and your mind is crazy. Your mind says things to you that you don't want to hear. I just wanted to be free. I wanted to be free from hating myself because I didn't want to have children, and feeling inadequate as a human. Everyone can compliment you on all the things, but when there's something substantial that you just can't have, you don't care about [anything else]; you just hate yourself. How do I love myself again? and one of them was freedom to let go of – genuinely let go – of the things I can't change. And I can't change those things. I'm not a bad person because of those things, I need to remind myself that I have to have the courage to believe that life is still beautiful without the things that I thought I had to have. And believe or not it is. So the Freedom Butterfly is the first. And it's the most powerful butterfly because it just proves that you have the ability to admit that you want to change, that you want help.
[38:43] Then it goes onto the LOVE Butterfly. The Love Butterfly is you want to love yourself. You want to whole-heartedly love yourself so that other people can love you too. Because you cannot be loved without loving yourself. You're not really there. So once you have the freedom to let go, and once you accept that change, and trust in the Universe, then you have to love yourself. So that's the next butterfly.
[39:13] Butterfly number three is HEALING. Now that you've loved yourself, you have the ability to heal. You have the ability heal from all the things that make you uncomfortable. Sometimes you can't love other people because you don't love yourself but it's because you don't see what it is that's blocking you. So healing is cutting that cord. And allowing yourself to accept others for now the things you didn't love them. Knowing that you might not be able to change them, but you can still love them. So this brings in other people. Taking things slow, and trusting in the speed. You know, the butterfly doesn't know how long it's going to be in the cocoon for, the caterpillar doesn't know when it's going to come out, but when it's ready it does. So that's the healing. You have to just trust that you need time. And that's when I miracle happens. Miracles come from really hard things, right? People pray for a miracle when their life is falling apart, when they thing they're going to die. When they're going to pray to God, they're going to find a Higher Power. That's when miracles are going to come in. Miracles can change in the fourth butterfly. Now you're healing, you love yourself. I don't know where this came from, but it just came out of me one day and I do this once a year now, I go through my butterflies and I do a ceremony.
[40:39] Hope. Hope is keeping your spirit high, and finding a way to now achieve again. It's like, okay now I'm ready to believe that I can achieve great things. And maybe they weren't the things I originally thought, but what's my purpose? If you don't have something to hope for and dream for, then what's the point? So that's the next step.
[41:07] PEACE. Peace is forgiveness in yourself, it's being at a point where you're able to accept everything that you are. Peace is a very important butterfly because it's gratitude; gratitude for where I've come. Surrendering to the things that you are. Having Harmony in the world around you. Because we all have so many excuses, all the time, every day. Have peace with who you are. Even if you're in a wheelchair or you can't see, you can play the goddamn piano if that's what you're meant to do!
[41:55] PASSAGE. Passage is one of my favourite butterflies because we are ever transforming. We change every year, every month, every day. So passage is the butterfly still molding into its greatest self. This could be for someone going through a transformation in life, This could be for still overcoming. There's no sure thing, of I've accepted. You're still transitioning, you're still going through change. So it's they symbol to have positive intentions and a full heart and trust the process.
[42:38] The HAPPINESS Butterfly is one of my favourites because it's just choosing happiness. A reminder to choose happiness. So every day we come across a point where we can focus on the negative or we can focus on the positive. And it's never a good thing to focus on the negative – ever. Always choose to focus on the happiness. Because ya, someone cuts you off and you give them the finger, and swear at them, and call you husband and tell him how someone cut you off, go to the grocery store and tell the person in line and constantly carrying the negative. Or you could let that [person] in and give them a wave and you're automatically going to feel better. So it's like do that with your life in a general sense.
[42:23] And FRIENDSHIP is the final butterfly because you are friends with yourself, you're friends with the Universe, you're a companion, you're a comrade, you are able to be trusted. That's one of the hardest things like, are you trustworthy as a human? Why not? why yes? Are you loyal? Do you have love in your heart? Are you going to be there for someone? And in a world of being an entrepreneur and trying to embody female empowerment, there's room for all of us.
So one of the things that I love is lifting other people up and showing someone how to do something instead of saying, ‘oh sorry hunny, figure it out on your own.' I'd rather always lift somebody up, I'd rather always be that person and know that all you have is your impression. Like when you're a kid and you have an idol and you meet your idol and see them doing something dark, that's it, they're not your idol anymore. it's over. I'd rather always lift someone up and be a positive force. And all those things are a choice. All of them. And trust me, life's not easy. Life is hard. My family's gone through some hard stuff, I've gone through some hard stuff, and just know that other people have too, and you're not alone. The world is full of hardship, we are all so blessed.
So this whole movement of my 9 Magical Butterflies is pretty much my motto for life. What I love is that with every chapter of this book, you can paint a butterfly. And it's different every time. I do it, and I paint butterflies like crazy because they're so beautiful and I do abstract, and I do real butterflies, but what I find is that, with each of these butterflies, you can read the book every year, it's kind of like a cleansing to transform. And every time you read it, you and you do the butterflies can have one goal. And you can do as many times to really fulfil the one goal. For me, this book healed me form infertility. Do I have children? No. Am I at peace? one million percent. Did I find my purpose? I sure did. Am I building it slowly and sustainably? Yes! Even if something else tragic happened I know that I overcame the last one, and this gives me hope that I will be able to overcome the next one.
[45:53] That's so beautiful, you didn't say this before. Are your 9 Magical Butterflies going to be a book?
Ya! I am almost finished my book, book is a big one! It takes a lot of editing, fine tuning, and a lot of focus. I've never been a writer, but I am a story teller, so however that comes out. I'm working with a really beautiful friend of mine, Karen and she is editing and is like my little fairy godmother pixie who takes it and cleans it up without taking away my voice. So that's the thing I really wanted this book to be really true to me and not influenced by anybody Elise because it came so organically that I want to be able to share and help other women overcome their obstacles and become their best selves.
You know, I just paint, and what I realized was that the one thing that made me heal, so I chose that blessing to make a formula to help other people. And you don't have to be good at art, that's the thing. This is for everybody: for people who are amazing at art, and for people who have never picked up a paintbrush. When I paint with my nieces, I just love how free they are. I want people to experience the freeness and not to do this for any other reason, but to just let go.
[47:32] Are you calling the book, 9 Magical Butterflies?
Yes, that is the book. It's basically like my story and a workbook. So the workbook is something you can do once, twice, a million times. But my story, goes deeper into each chapter of the book. So I really talk about where I had to overcome the things I've had to. It was hard to write, it was very emotional, I think I bawled my eyes out for every chapter.
And to go back a bit, I never wanted to share my fertility struggles. When I first made a post, it was an accident. I didn't want anyone to know that I couldn't have children, I was so ashamed, I was so embarrassed, I felt like a failure, again. It was an awful feeling. And I know that there's a lot of women out there who can relate with me because they just don't understand why. And when the doctor tells you it's unexplained and there's nothing we can do… What are you supposed to do? Jump off the frickin bridge? Because honestly, that's what it felt like. But instead, I was like, you know what, I'm going to write this post and I'm just going to say this is how I'm feeling for myself. I accidentally put it in Hoot Suite and I actually programmed it to be posted and I woke up, and I had my phone blowing up. And I shared that I had fertility struggles and I looked at my phone and I was like OH NO!!! I ran outside to [my husband] and I couldn't believe what I had done and I thought it was really wrong and I was so ashamed that I did the post and he hugged me and said he was so proud and how good I must have felt. and everyone was sending me dm's and telling me how much they love me. And I was so [surprised].
But if you share the things that are hurting you, you're going to heal. Like secrets aren't meant to be secrets, they're meant to save other people from their trauma. We need each other. The world needs each other because we've all gone through such hard stuff, and coming forward. That's the first step to healing. Hold that shit inside and you'll never fly. The weight will take you down too far. So that was a very pivotal moment to let people know how good it felt to that I'm not perfect at all. And then I wanted to start to share more, and talk to people who are really struggling and help them find another positive place to put their energy.
I didn't know I was going to share this much with you, but it's just so much apart of the book and the future, so pain births purpose people! The more pain, the better the story, the better the recovery. We got this.
[50:43] Ya, I love that, and I think it's perfect because it ties into what you said, we need to have that freedom butterfly first. We need to free ourselves from the shame and the holding onto the pain. It might take awhile to release, but if you're not allowing it. If you're not giving it that space to let go, the healing is going to take that much longer. WOW! I cannot wait for this book. When do you think we'll be getting it?
I actually have picked the release date. It's not until 2021, I have this whole beautiful project I'm doing surrounding it. So I said let's slow down and I picked September the 9th, and they're the 9 magical butterflies and September is the 9th month. The people ‘m publishing with, they reached out to me. Honestly I had no idea but 9 is a magical healing number and this story is amazing, you have a book here. We want more. We want to hear about every chapter. That's how it came to be. Two years after I did the blogpost I'm realizing it. September 9th, 2021.
People who are interested [in the book] can go to my link in bio instagram.com/artofmarina and sign up for my 9 Magical Butterflies mailing list. I will have beautiful tools for people and a 9 week challenge where before you buy the book you can go on this journey with me, and I'll have videos as kind of a bonus before I release the book, so you can see if it's for them. And prepare you if you want to get your art supplies and things like that, you can be ready. It's a journey! And I just want to guide people to experimenting with art and mental health and finding their truest and deepest purpose.
[52:53] I love it! I'm definitely going to be signing up.
[54:13] I do want to talk about your brand a little bit before I let you go, but one of my favourite parts of your business is that you're Slow Fashion and that you care about the environment. This has been something that has really shifted for me as well. Tell me a little bit more about the sustainability of your brand.
Yes absolutely, so the whole concept is to wear smart and not fast fashion, like look at a product and see its originality and origin. So each of my pieces is designed and made with love and I use luxury sustainability. So really like eco friendly fibers biodegradable my inks are non toxic, they're slow fashion, like, people should understand and learn that term mass fashion is made from toxic inks. Master production synthetic fibers that will pollute the planet, and so on.
All my prints are engineered and designed as a placed fringe so essentially they fit each garment. I do not print bowls of fabric, when you put bolts of fabric, things are cut and there's ways there's waste in the, in the fabric there's waste in the inks. There's just waste. So when I, when I print each kimono they're printed separately and then they're sewn, so really it's just so like there's no waste.
And that makes a huge difference in the long run because not only is it ethical and sustainable it's non toxic games but now there's no waste so really you're buying a piece of art, you're buying something that will last and, you know, environments thought about.
We use mulberry silk, and we use model. Model is made from beech wood trees, so it's also like eco friendly and biodegradable it's cooling and antibacterial, so it was silk mulberry silk is the best silk it's just beautiful on the skin it cools it doesn't make you sweat up like, if you see like a kimono that's made out of like a poly silk. I'm breathable, you will sweat, it's, it's not good for the environment it's like man made fibers it's all the bad day, so it's luxury, and it's beautiful. And we're original so my, my art is my art, nobody else has it, I make limited quantities of my kimonos and most of them are made to order. So, next year I'll be releasing all new prints so all the ones I have right now will no longer be available. And it's just the wife couldn't create new, and then you'll realize when you own one of my pieces that it might never come back real numbers and I will have, you know, limited edition so 100 of each print, but these are all stepping stones and that's where I want to get to.
My values, align with the planet. So, obviously, as I mentioned in the beginning of our reporting is just the ocean, the sea, the animals that thrive in the world, and on our planet are my inspiration, so of course I want to keep the planet healthy and vibrant three years and I want my kids to go to Hanauma Bay and Hawaii and snorkel and actually see fish and I want, you know, the sharks to stay in the ocean and not be just taken out for their fingers like I want the planet to stay beautiful so once I have a profitable company to the point where I can give back. I will be giving back to those charities so sciama, you know, clean water programs so I'm resourcing and finding sorry not resourcing I'm sourcing and learning and educating on where that money will go because there's so much charity that it's hard to find the right ones so as I'm growing and I've doubled my you know revenue last year even through a pandemic people are supporting local and it's amazing. So now I'm like Okay How can I not just be organic and ethical but how can I now give back to the planet, and obviously it's going to be related to the ocean and the seas, and the animals that thrive there because that's what inspires me the most.
[58:32] Because that's what inspires me the most. I love that that's so perfect so actually last year I dedicated the entire year to not buying any clothes because I was so appalled by how many clothes I had and how much of it was fast fashion. And I just kept telling myself like, I don't need another pair of yoga pants like I don't need any more clothes. I can't keep looking at this massive closet full of clothes and saying, I have nothing to wear like ice there's so many options, why, why am I feeling programmed to to believe this so I dedicated the entire year to not buying any clothes and it wasn't as hard, it was, it was crazy like it wasn't as hard as I thought it was gonna be but it was really interesting and how like I had to really prepare like I had to like unsubscribe from different clothing stores and different and unfollow different pages online and then I really wanted one of your couple knows, and I was kind of like well it's supporting local business. But then I found out about your sustainability and how yours, like it's slow fashion and I was like okay well you know what this is something that is, it's something so beautiful It's art. And now that I have it like I love the way it feels. It's so beautiful. It feel I feel good to wear it and it was one of those things where I'm like I bought this knowing that I'm supporting your friend I'm supporting a local business.
I'm not contributing to environmental waste like I would have if I bought fast fashion. And the way that it makes me feel and it's like that intention behind what you're purchasing and it's made me more mindful so I absolutely love it and I'm like, I want all of your pieces. I don't know if I can afford every single one of them and I'm like oh no, don't, don't, don't get rid of all the prints because I love them so much but I also can't wait to see what else you create because I know which is going to be so amazing so thank you for sharing that. And I noticed that a lot of your pieces have to do with like nature, whether it's flowers or palms waves, and even animals in nature but is there anything else, or someone or something else that inspires you to create or something right now maybe that's going on.
[1:00:48] 100% I started with fashion illustration right so when I was younger, I've always been obsessed with beautiful women. I've always been obsessed with the women like I just love femininity, like my favorite artists were Alphonse mukha from, you know, like that our new bow style with the lady is four seasons and the women with fruit everywhere and hair. So, an all and to slip track with like dancers and Edgar Degas with the ballerinas like I've always been attracted to femininity. So, my first ever inspiration were models in magazines like I just was an author of beauty so that's where I started drawing was like I wanted to try to draw the faces.
And I've always had role models and even though my mom's friends growing up, I'd be like Auntie, you know, Carrie who and Auntie, you know, Lou who would come over and those women would inspire me I've always been really attracted to the power of feminine energy. So, I'm part of my concept is girl power. Wearing magical capes that make you feel beautiful female empowerment quote. So I started drawing up my, I'm not a type I request I just scribble out, you know, the future is female and all that powerful feminine clothes that I put them up in those style, more than my watercolors so it's kind of amazing that female and feminine energy is a huge part of my inspiration. So, I want to just constantly attract people who have positive intentions and core values and, and always just be a female feminist power empowerment section where planet major I'm a nerd sure I'm not a mother but I want to nurture the planet with love. And so that's my way of being mom kinda because it like I have my animals and love just inspiring others, and so yeah female empowerment women of all ethnicities.
I love painting. Every single woman on the planet so if you go through my Instagram you'll see there's all times. And then, I like the fantasy aspects. So mermaid unicorn, and to be. I was very much in love with all the Disney movies like Cinderella, and the Little Mermaid. I definitely still have that magic in my heart and I like to create the unicorns and all things like that because I do have a fancy side so that's about it it's a little bit fancy a little bit of answer and a whole bunch of girl power.
[1:03:36] Amazing, totally perfect for for the show. Okay, let's get into our rapid fire round I'm gonna ask you four questions, are you ready?
I think so I had notes with like stuff that I don't know I'm just gonna freestyle this.
RAPID FIRE ROUND:
[1:03:49] Even better. Question number one, what are you currently reading or what's your favourite book?
Okay, so I just read Untamed, Glennon Doyle, I read a Marie Forleo's Everything is Figureoutable and all those last two that I read. I'm into these like Girl Power stuff and both amazing books.
My favorite book is probably The Alchemist, just love that book I read it all the time, every few years. And I also love a good bio so one that really resonated with me was Phil Knight's Shoe Dog is the story of Nike, and I just loved how he had kind of the same. There's a lot of similarities in the two of us. Obviously I didn't create Nike, but I loved that it was a journey of one man, and it took a whole bunch of people to get to where you want to go. Well, and believe in themselves, that takes a lot arresting a business owner and spent a lot of money and I believe in myself so that was a really great book to read about true story about an entrepreneur. But Glennon Doyle is like my favourite now, I'm obsessed with her.
[1:04:54] Question number two, what are you currently working toward?
Oh, I'm working on my book. I'm trying to build this store in the wine country of Naramata. A little bit of licensing or learning about sharing my art with other people and opportunities, and I'm really trying to do more collaboration. So, I would love to make Kimon's like visco kimonos, or other women, like, I want to make one out if there's somebody out there who wants a custom kimono come to me it's not always about making a line so I really want to work with strong powerful women and make them their magical cape that they can wear on stage or wear at home in their house, or you know whatever sore more collaborations with awesome women.
[1:05:50] I love that I have some ideas, and I will talk about them later. Question number three, what do you love most about being a woman?
Oh, that's a tough one, I can't believe I didn't know that question was coming. What I love most about being a woman is my feminine energy. It's my ability to love. It's m heart. I cry all the time, I am very passionate, I love to nature.
[1:06:22] Question number four: What does empowerment mean to you?
It means staying true to who you are, no matter if it feels wrong. Glennon Doyle talks a lot about that inUntamed. So for me it's like, even if everyone else doesn't agree with you but you truly believe in what it is. Stand true to yourself. That's the empowerment.
[1:06:48] Thank you so much Marina!
INSTAGRAM | @artofmarina
Podcast Host
Valerie LaVigne
Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!
