An Immigrant’s Life

I had the pleasure of having a thoughtful conversation with Anya Keyes an artist and pharmacist originally from Kyiv, Ukraine that now resides in Portland, US. Our discussion delved into her experiences growing up in Ukraine and her current life in the US. We talked about her love for being a mother and living in a multigenerational home, but how she still craves peace and tranquility, which she finds in her art studio. Anya's passion for promoting Slavic culture through her art was evident as she spoke about the inspiration behind her creations. One of the highlights of our conversation was discussing why we make art and how emotions like fear and sadness can inspire us to create something beautiful. Anya talked about how difficult it has been to cope with the war in Ukraine and how quickly it was forgotten by many people. 

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🔻Connect with Anya🔻  

Website: https://www.anyakeyes.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anyamirk 

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Nolan Yuma is a writer and host of “Without Borders” He came on the podcast to talk about his experiences as a third-culture kid, not feeling "White guilt" and “checking his privilege”, how American culture influences Spanish culture, experiencing sexual harassment's double standards, his funny and interesting book "Living with the In-Laws," figuring out when cultural traditions become wrong, what constitutes an idea, how AI is affecting writers, and his educational podcast "Without Borders."

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Website: https://www.withoutborders.fyi 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withoutborders.fyi 

YouTube: http://bitly.ws/Ekex 

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Victoria Fils-Aimé is the owner of “A Stitch At A Time”  

She came on the podcast to talk about how, when she was 19 years old, she moved from Haiti to Montreal in search of a better future. But just as she was settling into her new life, the pandemic struck, leaving her feeling stuck. She then took a brief vacation to Haiti to visit her family, but while she was there, they were attacked at their house, resulting in her dad being shot and her mother being abducted. She suffered from depression and PTSD as a result of the incident, which caused her to seek medical attention. A psychiatrist diagnosed her of "Major Chronic Depression," which allowed her to identify the issue and move on to recover. She also talked about how she developed a successful business from her hobby of crocheting. 

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🔻Connect with Victoria🔻  

Website: https://www.asaatcrafts.com 

ASAAT IG: https://www.instagram.com/asaat.crafts 

Personal IG: https://www.instagram.com/vickyyfa 

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Daniel Mullings is a Professional basketball player and a mental coach. He came on to talk about working hard and remaining true to yourself, being raised by an immigrant single mother and the lessons he learned from her that he is now using to raise his own daughter, what he loves about being a dad, winning for his people, winning the 2014 NCAA Western Athletic Conference Basketball Player of the Year, how the NCAA treats its athletes unfairly, changing his mindset when he didn't make the NBA but remaining at peace with it, dealing with criticism, playing all over the world and quickly integrating into new cultures, how he discovered that the weather could cause depression and how that affected his game play, how he used anxiety to succeed, his brand "Unlocked Soulz," that helps athletes unlock their potential. 

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🔻 Connect with Mully🔻  

Coaching Website: http://www.limitlessperformance.ca 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/91mully 

Unlockedsoulz: https://www.instagram.com/unlockedsoulz 

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Divya Sharma is a student of University of Manitoba studying Global Political Economy. 

She came on the podcast to talk about why equity is more significant than equality, the propensity of indigenous people and immigrants to share resources, how her grandpa instills in her the value of volunteering back in India through the concept of Seva, the ridiculousness of the IELTS exam, how we can eliminate the "Canadian Experience," and her work creating care packages for first responders during the pandemic that has been acknowledged by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. 

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🔻 Connect with Divya🔻  

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divyasharmx 

Global News Interview: https://bit.ly/3LT9dbJ 

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Burak Yilmaz is a published author and a Registered Nurse.  

Abandoned by his mother at a young age, he was sent to live with a family that physically abused him, landing him in the ICU. From there, he was shipped off to a religious boarding school where he suffered sexual molestation and beatings, and then sent away again. He lived on the streets and endured homelessness.  

 Despite these hardships, Burak never lost hope. He found solace in writing and eventually became an author. However, his struggles did not end there. After being arrested for homosexuality, he was beaten and tortured until he signed a release paper promising to stop being gay, and after being freed, he was able to leave Turkey for the United States.  

 However, life rarely asks us what we want. Burak worked as a model for adult publications and some of New York City's busiest nightclubs. He experienced moral bankruptcy and depression as a result of his poisonous life.  

 As a result of living a toxic lifestyle in New York City, He experienced moral bankruptcy and depression that led him to attempt suicide before finally checking himself into a psychiatric ward for treatment.  

Through it all, Burak remained committed to spreading kindness in the world and using his experiences as inspiration for others. His journey towards healing is remarkable.  

Visit the link in my bio to listen to this episode if you're curious to learn more about Burak's story. 

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🔻 Connect with Burak🔻  

Website: https://burak212.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burakny212 

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Christy Kioko is a Creative, a philanthropist, and a proud Seattleite. As the daughter of Kenyan immigrants, she’s fortunate to have parents who nurtured her artistic talents. However, despite this fortunate upbringing, Christy still experienced the challenge of identity crisis between two cultures, and the insecurities that come with feeling different from her classmates. Her complicated relationship with her hair only added to these struggles. But as an adult, she is now deconstructing these old and limiting mentalities by practicing the art of enjoying the moment and embracing the idea that consistency is more important than perfection. Additionally, singing at church has given her confidence and a sense of purpose.  

Driven by her passion for philanthropy, she traveled to Uganda to volunteer for an organization that claimed to help kids in need. However, upon witnessing firsthand the mistreatment of these children and the lack of transparency within the organization, she was inspired to take matters into her own hands. This led her to start her own charity drive, initially called "Operation Christmas" and will be later renamed "Operation Ukambani". Utilizing the power of social media, she was able to solicit donations and support for young children in need in Kenya.  

Christy's dedication and drive to make a difference in the world is truly inspiring, and her story serves as a reminder that anyone can make a positive impact, no matter how big or small. 

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🔻 Connect with Christy🔻  

Website: https://linktr.ee/christykioko 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christykioko 

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Drew Thach is a Digital Artist of Ahhdru Art and a professional Dad. 

He spoke about how his parents fled the violence in Cambodia only to settle in another violent place, Detroit, Michigan. He also discussed how the war's ugliness affected his family, causing his father to abandon them when he was only two years old and leaving his siblings to raise him while their mother worked tirelessly.  

He spent most of his childhood in the hospital waiting while his brother was undergoing continuous dialysis, there, he discovered his love of art and drawing during this period. 

Despite his difficult upbringing, he is now a proud stay-at-home father to three adorable children, while his wife works to pursue her dreams, which got us talking about how becoming a father helped him become a better person and inspired him to pick up martial arts again and take up digital drawing. 

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🔻Connect with Drew🔻  

Website: https://linktr.ee/ahhdru_art 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahhdru_art 

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Nicholas Leffel is a filmmaker from Madison, Wisconsin. He was adopted from a Russian orphanage as toddler by a couple from Washington DC area. 

As an adoptee, he shared how he struggled with identity issues growing up and often felt like an outsider. However, he used videomaking as a way to express himself and communicate his experiences. He also talked about how taking a DNA test gave him a more direct sense of identity, but at the same time, still feels survivor's guilt, and how the ongoing war in Ukraine is affecting him personally. As a filmmaker, he discussed the advantages and challenges of having limited resources, and his hopes to have Central Asian representation in mainstream media through his work. 

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🎥Connect with Nick📽 

Website: https://nickleffel.squarespace.com 

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user84653521 

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Growing up in Burundi, Stecy Baragengana had to avoid landmines and bullets, but somehow, it helped her be grateful. Her childhood was filled with fear and uncertainty, yet she still looks back at those times as fun. However, as She grew older and started to face the harsh reality of the world. It wasn't until She sought therapy that She began to understand the impact of her childhood had on her. Therapy allowed her to find ways to heal from it. It was through this process that she realized how important it is to find the right therapist for you. Someone who understands your unique experiences and can help guide you towards healing. As a Black woman in Montreal, finding her "black experience" was not easy. But eventually, she found her place and started exploring new opportunities. One of which was modelling - something that allowed her to express herself creatively while also breaking down stereotypes and barriers within the industry. Through all these experiences, I've come to realize how important it is to build a sense of community around us. That's why she co-created the Le Bond Is Real podcast with her brother. They wanted to create a platform where people can come together, share their stories, and feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.  

We hope her story inspires you in some way or another.  

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🔻Connect with Stecy🔻  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stecybarag 

Help fund the Le Bond Is Real Podcast: https://linktr.ee/lbir 

We hope her story inspires you in some way or another.  

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