Running Wild with Christine

It's a warm welcome back to Neil Fox from episode 22!! Over two years later, the host of the Cinematologists podcast is back. The movie he'd just finished is now being distributed globally next month, and we catch up on the movie industry today and the hurdles film makers may (should?) face. 

If you want the full back story, listen to the previous episode, but in brief, Neil is a senior lecturer in Film at the School of Film & Television, Falmouth University, a screenwriter, podcaster and very lovely all around human. We catch up today about what it's like teaching the next generation of filmmakers and learning from them in turn. We talk about his film Wilderness (2017, Baracoa Pictures) and how it might hold up today. It was written five years ago, and depicts social and personal themes that are quite timely. Please do consider giving it a watch. Now, join us for this conversation about the realities of our industry. 

Topics: hindsight, what stories need telling, shifts in mindsets, #metoo and #blm, the problem with the film industry, you vs. the machine, the missed opportunities for post-COVID work life, modern day exploitation vs. worthy sacrifice, rethinking filmmaking, and some hopeful notes. 

For more about Neil, go to drneilfox.com! Thanks for listening to another episode and for your continuing support. With all my love, C. 

Hello friends! Meet Thomas K Girard, an emerging scholar in the Design field. Thomas reached out to me to talk about life and its design. We meander establishing the basics: a Vancouver childhood, playing international strategy card games in high school, thinking you've learned nothing in undergrad and manifesting yourself into the 'real world'. We debunk the mythical "do what you love and the money will follow" approach and detour into TED talks and teaching. 

Topics: choosing to fail, art vs. logic, manifesting your intention, familiarity in strange places, introverts on public speaking, prototyping in the real world, community building, "wicked problems", planning in these uncertain times, faith, and MORE! 

For more about Thomas, go to thomaskgirard.com or @onthomas_tweet on Twitter! You can watch the TED talk here! Thanks again for listening, and catch ya on the next one! 

With Love, C. xo

Hi everyone! Welcome back to Andreia from episode 105! She is a Marriage and Family Therapist, based in Denver, Colorado. Today, she wanted to discuss one of the most prevalent topics that she's heard this past year: "My partner doesn't make me happy anymore." We delve into codependency in long-term committed relationships and establish some common hurdles and resources. It was so refreshing and helpful to hear Andreia talk about her personal experiences, alongside mine, as well as the theoretical frameworks that guide her practice. Listen in, even if you're not in a relationship, as there are some crucial self-worth nuggets of wisdom in here. 

Topics: therapy as a "last resort", the effects of isolation on relationships, autonomy vs connection, communication, defining individual happiness, family patterns, distinguishing and making room for someone else's feelings, codependency, where you draw self-worth from, boundaries, evaluating the myth of "marriage is boring", establishing your relationship's TOS, being lost in translation, what does "better sex" mean,  self-exploration, the biggest enemy of excitement, the three S's that can help you: Self-Awareness, Self-Soothing and Sharing. 

Reference: Family Systems Theory: "Differentiation of Self" (Kerr & Bowen, 1988), Esther Perel's Mating in Captivity at estherperel.com.

For more on Andie, go visit her IG @andies.therapy.couch! Thanks for listening.

Hello lovers! Meet Taty. She's a sex blogger, speaker and educator, currently in grad school at Widener university. Join us on this fun journey of figuring out how to break it to your Southern family that you're moving North to study sex! We talk about how other people's reactions can turn a genuine curiosity into a repressed, shameful taboo. Luckily, Taty had a great lightbulb moment that put her back on the right track. Listen in to find out more about her journey and what it takes to do what sets your soul on fire. 

Topics: shame and embarrassment, sexuality and culture, shibari, the Bible as an R rated book, the meaning of life, defining what Sex is, attending sex conferences, personality vs. sexuality, power dynamics in kink, how writing about sex affects her dating life, unsolicited propositions, watching porn in the classroom, imposter syndrome, helping people find their pleasure, and doing whatever the fuck it is you want to do. 

Reference: The Daily Show's Michael Kosta clip about Masturbation vs. the Alt-Right; Dr. Ruth. 

Thanks for listening as per usual. We love that you're here. Please do not hesitate to reach out with comments, feedback and suggestions for past or future episodes. You can find us on IG @runningwildwithchristine. For more about Taty, go to @taty_k_king on IG or twitter. Shout out to @javaydabae and @stephauteri! 

As always with lots of love, C. xox

Welcome back friends, lovers and strangers. Meet @fatpheebs! She's a superwoman, a kind soul, and a true sunshine. Today, she shares with us her harrowing story with online abuse and mental health. [TW: SI, SH, MH, SA, Violence]

Pheebs is a well-rounded activist, covering body acceptance, self-love, fatphobia, fat positivity, sexual violence, mental health and lately only abuse and harassment. We get to listen in on how one interview about "How Fat Feels" led Pheebs to discover, and own, her voice and place in the world, giving her the strength to go down the rabbit hole of activism and social work.  Please join us for this crucial conversation that should be mandatory listening. There are significant trigger warnings for this episode so please use your discretion. Pheebs is very clear about her duty of care when it comes to the topics at hand. However, it is necessary that we start developing tools to effectively deal with violence online. Please join us on this mission. 

Topics: being silenced, shame, bullying, unlearning, transparency & vulnerability, living in a fat body, trauma, mental illness, therapy, self-harm, IRL vs Online,  trolling and death threats, misogyny, fatphobia, doxing, suicide attempts, the inadequacy of resources to deal with online crime, how to protect oneself (HINT: there's no good solution yet), CALL TO ACTION (around 50').

References: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the UK; Ep 96 with Devon.

Please, if you have any constructive input or resources to share with Pheebs, you can find her @fatpheebs on social media. You can also reach out to me if you prefer and I will forward any pertinent information. 

Today, and all days, please take care of yourselves and each other. With all my love, 

C. xox

Hi Lovers! Meet Irving, the host of Asians in Space, the man behind The Asian Canadian, and one of the participants of @menwhotakebaths. He joins us today to talk the world over. We discuss growing up in Alberta and figuring out how to do this thing called life. We then delve into what led him to creating @theasncanadian page and what matters to him most today. 

Topics: internalized racism, basketball, being a dickhead in high school, childhood vs adulthood, fears, trauma, the continuous path of fixing ourselves, perfectionism, therapy, guilt & shame, how we share and find news today, academic gatekeeping, belonging, experience vs. expertise, systems of oppression, the discomfort of the unknown, conspiracy theorists, shifting to a more sustainable system of society, cancel culture, the pedestalization of individuals vs. the eternity of the planet, the ability to be wrong, modernization theory, ... It spirals from there. Tune in you won't regret it.

Big shout out to Nicolle Hodges from episode 74 and Ji-Youn Kim from episodes 78 and 104! 

For more from Irving, I highly recommend you follow @theasncanadian on IG, or listen to @asiansinspace! Thanks again for listening my darlings and stay tuned for the next episode. Lots of love, C. xox

Hello Lovers! Meet Sommer! She's a dear friend and the bright and compassionate mind behind a new awareness IG account called @raisethatbarre. Her mission is to start a conversation, to shed light on the harsh realities of the dance world, as well as to come up with collaborative, community-based solutions to the hardships faced by dancers. She bares her heart and soul today in this very candid conversation about her experience in the ballet world and her relationship with her body. At 22, she suffered a spinal injury that would end her dance career, AND begin her healing and self-love journeys. 

Topics: the toxicity of the dance world (and ballet in particular), body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, socialization and stigmatization, shame around resting, injuries and healing, substance abuse, social pressure, health and sustainability, mental health, feeling not good enough, self-worth vs. looks/thinness, "productivity" and guilt-trips, collaborative solutions, competition vs community, SELF-LOVE and empathy! 

Shout out to @maddiebless on IG. You can go and participate in her survey via her link in bio. And many thanks to @paulazulkoskey for the happiest picture of Sommer. 

Please do give her a follow @raisethatbarre and engage in the conversation. Thank you all for listening and for sticking around. I have decided to relax my publishing schedule and focus on quality conversations, over self-imposed rigorous scheduling. Thank you for trusting me and sticking around. #humaninprogress 

All my love, C. xox

Hello friends! Change of pace today! Meet Jakub Ferencik, author of upcoming debut book titled “Up in the Air: Christianity, Atheism, & the Global Problems of the 21st Century”. Jakub just arrived in Slovakia, his homeland, to weather this COVID storm and we catch up on his travels, background and interests before taking a deeper dive. We explore where the inspiration to write came from and what he hopes to accomplish. Join us on this epistemological adventure in the fight against certainty. 

Topics: Christianity, blogging, human connection, values & epistemology, the reality of nuances and the bypassing of reality in political discourse, reducing polarization, morality, the thought exercise of defending "the opposition", drawing lines where empathy ends, the discomfort of preaching radical vulnerability vs. human rights battles, going beyond the self-affirming echo chambers, progress and regress, the meaning of life, the experience of suffering, mindfulness and guilt, social taboos and many more light topics. 

Reference: Chris Erickson's (from Ep. 9) The Poetics of Fear: A Human Response to Human Security, Jonathan Gottschall's The Storytelling Animal, Stephen Fry quote mentioned: "I believe one of the greatest human failings is to prefer to be right than to be effective."

More from Jakub at: IG @jakub.ferencik.official, medium.com/@jakubferencik, Twitter @JakubFerencik and watch out for the book this fall! Shout out to the Vancouver Podcast Community! 

Thanks so much for listening. As always, feedback is welcome as I am but a human in progress. The schedule might start to change for next few episodes as my work life begins again, but stories will always find their way here. Because stories are all we have. I love you. C. xo

Hello my lovers. Meet Ericka Gail, a non-binary, queer, Black femme [they/them, she/her] trauma therapist, known as @mentalhealthfemme! We start by catching up on the context we find ourselves in this year and the conflicting feelings that 2020 can bring up. They tell me about how their QTBIPOC focus has evolved and shifted over time, and what their recent rise in reach means to them and their work. We talk about the important people in our lives who made us who we are, and how grief can be a driver. Join us in this deep and personal conversation about what drives us as humans and how we cope! 

Topics: activism & social justice, vulnerability as a radical practice, fawning as a trauma response, writing, PTSD and anxiety, experiential knowledge, imposter syndrome, asking for help, emotional processing and empathy, public grieving, being a "people pleaser in recovery", and community care. 

For more on Ericka, go to @mentalhealthfemme on IG and DM them for the Poetry Zine. I also invite you to Venmo them at EriqooBWM or on PayPayl at paypal.me/ErickaGBey.

Thanks so much for listening to another episode of the podcast and please do share it far and wide! Lots of love, C. xox