Herbalist Soapmaker Elan Fraser on Finding your Artistic Medium and Supporting Black Creatives [episode 27]

Elan Fraser shares how she found her way to herbalism after the Black Lives Matter protests in 2016. You’ll also hear about: Being a fatigued Black American woman Herbalism as a way for Elan to re-connect to the resilience of her ancestors On being your own boss and writing your own narrative Growing up in a strict religious family  ♥♥♥ Join The Earth Speak Collective Membership!  Join like-hearted folks in a sacred container and community where you'll: Connect deeply to yourself, others, nature & spirit Learn to trust your intuition Activate your Earth magic Expand your healing & divination skills Put your intuition into practice in everyday life Stop feeling lonely on your spiritual path Embody & express your creative power & truths Experience safe space without agenda or judgement When you join the Collective, you get access to all of our past workshops, any live workshops happening while you're a member, live weekly energetic reset calls, monthly community rituals, all the secret episodes, member-run meetups to explore magical topics, and a lively members only forum (that's not on FB!). ▶▶▶ Learn more and sign up for the Collective membership here: https://www.earthspeak.love/collective ***** Elan Fraser is a Black American woman, artisan soapmaker, herbalist, mother, and homesteader living in the Catskill Mountains, New York. She has switched gears from architecture, cartooning, and music, to soapmaking, herbalism, farming, and crafting. Elan sells her naturally made, sustainable, and herbal soaps through her one-woman business Fern Valley Botanics. Her artisan soaps are infused with the medicine, wisdom, and benefits found on Mother Earth, and are naturally dyed with plants that she has lovingly tended to, harvested, and cultivated relationships with. Follow Elan on Instagram to see her beautiful soaps that so sweetly reflect natural landscapes! In this conversation, Elan shares her relationship with the land she lives on, of asking consent from the land, and of dreaming and healing with, the space and place she calls home.  In this episode, we talk about: Homestead living Growing up in the city in a strict religious family Why Elan didn’t mesh with the world of architecture How Elan found her way to herbalism after the Black Lives Matter protests in 2016 How the herbs speak to us and through us  Why Herbalism was a way for Elan to re-connect to the resilience and integrity of her ancestors Seeds as revolution Elan’s desire to be in relationship with plants from seed to seed How the service industry takes from marginalised folx Elan’s job working in the woods wild harvesting ginseng  How the 2017 racist Dove ad, inspired Elan to create soap for her family How Elan’s business was born from a desire to be financially independent whilst raising her baby  Seeking a creative medium and outlet  Elan speaks to how soaping gave her confidence Growing up with racism  Why society is not set up for Black people to thrive  On being your own boss and writing your own narrative Why Elan has had little time to sit with grief, since opening her business in March That Black creatives and makers are seen only during times of collective trauma How algorithms reflect white folx racism and bias Implementing support from Spirit and the ancestors, into business and creative work  Ways white folx can support Black folx and engage on social media How Elan’s life shifted after Ferguson  Acknowledging the hierarchy and bias in spiritually  How the land dreams stories with Elan  Tending to the land as a ritual  Making a conscious effort to ask for consent from the land  Elan shares that what you ask from the land, it will always provide  And more! Bonus Secret Episode! Get the secret episode with Elan Fraser on preparing your body for ritual baths with herbal soaps, https://www.earthspeak.love/secret. Links: Learn more about Elan’s offerings at www.etsy.com/shop/FernValleyBotanics  Connect with Elan on Instagram @fernvalleybotanics // https://www.instagram.com/fernvalleybotanics/  Connect with Elan on Facebook @fernvalleybotanics Get the secret episodes at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret References: Ancestry DNA test https://www.ancestry.com.au/dna/ The Fountainhead // Book https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead New Jersey Institute of Technology https://www.njit.edu/  Black Lives Matter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter   Adirondack Mountains https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adirondack_Mountains Ginseng https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginseng Agroforestry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agroforestry   The 2017 Dove ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAz6MBjvM8c  ► Leave us a written review on iTunes, and get shouted out on the show! Theme music is “It’s Easier” by Scarlet Crow http://www.scarletcrow.org/ and “Meeting Again” by Emily Sprague  https://mlesprg.info/ Learn to trust your intuition and activate your Earth magic + sign up for our delightful newsletter at https://www.earthspeak.love Follow Earth Speak on Instagram and tag us when you share @earthspeak https://www.instagram.com/earthspeak