Making Meaning
Voices of courage: purposeful work from the indigenous creators
Welcome to the sixth volume of Morning Pages, a newsletter sharing inspirations at the intersection of culture and identity, creative experiments, and studio updates.
“What is in it for you?"
“What do you want, really?”
“What’s the meaning of your work?”
Last weekend in my coaching training, I came to face a set of questions on the purpose of my work and life. Introspective questions like these always challenge me to think about what makes my work meaningful and how my skills and experience can lead me to a higher purpose in life.
On the Indigenous People’s Day, I re-listened to the podcast interview of Amy Yeung (@lilacreative): How to Choose Meaningful Work. Her soul journey from corporate fashion designer to social entrepreneur shows that inside each of us lies the power to create positive change. Amy is the owner of the Orenda Tribe lifestyle brand. She lives and works with artisans in the Navajo community to create upcycled clothing and share indigenous culture.
When asked about her decision to leave her corporate fashion design career behind, her words definitely resonated with me.
It came to that point where I kept going higher and higher up to where I thought I am supposed to be going. I realize that I was not getting any happier.
Take a long hard look into your life, your relationship, and how you spend your time. Eliminate the noise.
Indigenous culture is deeply rooted in human relationships with the land, the sky, and the water. I loved Amy’s wisdom on connecting with nature to eliminate the noise and get clarity on our deep desires. Coincidentally, I went on a camping trip recently near the Pacific Ocean. It helped me uncover where my near future holds. There’s something magical about being in the wide-open nature with no distractions.
Next time when you’re in search of meaning, take a road trip with your thoughts.
October 12, was the Indigenous Peoples' Day. This volume is dedicated to highlighting some of the inspiring indigenous artists and projects that I've been following personally.
The Red Road Project - Documentary Photography
The Red Road Project documents the inspiring and resilient stories of Native America. These stories, not often told, highlight people that are doing positive things to help their communities prosper. In Native American culture, the Red Road is a positive path that guides its followers away from addiction and violence. Photographer Carlotta Cardana and writer Danielle SeeWalker teamed up to travel the US in order to meet and photograph the country’s Native American population.
Still Here - Book
Since the birth of The Red Road Project, the project received a lot of inquiries from educators around the world expressing interest in creating educational materials on Native American people and culture.
This led to the Red Road Project’s latest creation: Still Here. A quick read for people that may know little to nothing about the accurate facts and history of Native American peoples. The purpose of this book is to diminish the romanticized ideas and microaggressions when it comes to American Indian people of past and present. Author Danielle SeeWalker said: “I wanted to write a quick, easy-to-read book that addresses a lot of questions I receive as well as offer a high-level overview on particular topics of history and culture of Native American peoples in the U.S.”
The most fulfilled people are the ones who get up every morning and stand for something larger than themselves. They are the people who care about others. Who will extend a helping hand to someone in need or will speak up about an injustice when they see it.
— Wilma Mankiller, First woman principal chief of the Cherokee nation
Thank you for reading this volume of Morning Pages. All views in this newsletter are my own. If you’re enjoying this newsletter and want to express your appreciation, spread the word and support the studio for the price of a cup of ☕️.
Yuan Studio is a space that explores the intersections of global cultures and identities. Currently, the studio is incubating a series of creative projects, such as Morning Pages, and offering coaching for people of color to harness the power of their creativity and leadership potential. You can reach out on Twitter and LinkedIn.