Ewen Lewis Podcast | Episode 5 | Right Turns Project | Arthur Renwick

“Sometimes you do have to blindly take a chance.  And light that match and burn that fuckin’ bridge.  And just keep walking and trust your intuition.”

Hey, welcome back. I’m really excited to share this interview with you.  I learned so much in researching and preparing for it and even more during the conversation.  In episode 5 of the Ewen Lewis Podcast Right Turns Project I had the unique opportunity to sit down and speak with Arthur Renwick, the celebrated and renowned indigenous visual artist and musician hailing from the west coast of Canada but residing in Toronto, Ontario.  Arthur’s story is one more of reinvention than transformation, which can be just as daunting.

The love child of a Scottish father and Haisla mother, he spent much of his youth refining his identity while spending time in Kitimaat Village, home to the Haisla First Nations people, and in Kitimat town, built and supported mainly by Alcan, the aluminum smelting company.  With a bright talent for drawing and visual art, he ventured out of that remote area of British Columbia to attend school firstly in the big city of Vancouver and then in Montréal.  It was here that his participation in the Oka Crisis, the 1990 standoff between Mohawk protesters and the Canadian police and army, forged a pointed direction with his photography to work towards giving a voice back to indigenous peoples.  

In this interview we go into detailed stories behind some of his most well known visual art and explore the reinventions of himself in artistic expression and in his career.  When I first knew we were going to meet at the Inter Steer Restaurant in the bustling community of Roncesvalles Village in Toronto, I was a little concerned that it might get too noisy.  However, it was really amazing to see how many people waved at Arthur from outside as we sat talking at the booth near the front window of the cozy, wood lined establishment.  You’ll even hear how one gentleman came in just to say hello to him.  It was a real testament to Arthur’s warm, open personality and big heart.

So grab a cup of tea or coffee, settle in and enjoy this insightful conversation with Arthur Renwick.  See you on the other side!

Links & Notes

Find Arthur Renwick on:
Facebook
Soundcloud
Selected pieces from the Mask series.
Selected pieces from Delegates: Chiefs of the Earth & Sky

Books:
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel by Haruki Murakami
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Ewen Lewis Podcast | Episode 4 | Right Turns Project | Cecile Gough

How do you fight an invisible enemy…for literally years?  How do you do it when all the experts & doctors tell you it's all in your head but you know it isn’t because the symptoms are crippling you and taking away your life piece by piece?  This is the story of a woman whose indomitable spirit to overcome any challenge in life was perhaps the only thing that saved her from giving up total hope.  She clung to her faith, her family and friends but ultimately had to rely on her own resilience and persistence to fight to get her health and life back.

"Honey, out of anything bad a little good will come." ~ Grandma Carrie

Meet Cecile Gough, a warrior spirit with a heart of gold. Join us as we explore her upbringing in rural Newfoundland, Canada.  Find out how she lived with mysterious symptoms that plagued her and remained undiagnosed as anything but figments of her imagination until she was finally found to have Lyme Disease in 2014.  Listen as she describes her difficult journey, her arduous healing process and how it drove her to become an advocate, educator and support for other sufferers of Lyme Disease.  Her story is one of hardship and hope but really one of a caring soul whose own pathway through pain led her to contribute so much to others.

If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe, like and share.  Also, leaving a review and rating on iTunes will be a great boon to getting this project out to those who would benefit from hearing these stories of Right Turns into authenticity.  Thanks so much for your help! 

Links & Notes

Sign Cecile's Petition to Improve Health Care in Canada in Regard to Treating Lyme Disease

Like & Share Cecile's Facebook Page

Sponaugle Wellness Institute

Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation

Ewen Lewis Podcast | Episode 3 | Right Turns Project | Aaron Amadio

Aaron grew up in a small industrial steel town in a close knit Roman Catholic family with five siblings in a place where everyone knows everyone.  A gregarious jock in high school, he played football and got into all kinds of mischief.  When he finally decided to go away for university, everything seemed to be going as they should, studying history at Wilfrid Laurier University and playing football for the Golden Hawks, until one day he had his mind blown by one of his professors.  The rock of belief that he had been brought up on had been shaken and now he was on a path searching for his own truth.

"Once you've awoken to something and seen it to be true and realize that's who you are, you can't force that consciousness on someone else.  You can just live it and hope they see you doing it."

A rebel at heart, Aaron struck out on his own and discovered a world needing compassion, especially animals.  Join us in a wonderfully winding conversation as he shares the epiphany that started his journey and the resulting impact it had on him and his family.  In many ways, Aaron's self exploration reminds me of one of my favourite books, Siddhartha.  It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to interview him and I hope you will glean as many gems of wisdom from him as I did.  Enjoy!

Links & Notes

White Lotus Animal Services | (705) 946-9100 | aaronamadio@gmail.com

Ewen Lewis Podcast | Episode 2 | Right Turns Project | Matthew Forbes

How does someone with extreme social anxiety learn to become a person who faces his fears head on and embraces others openly into his tribe? Find out in my conversation with Matthew.  Despite crippling anxiety that developed into agoraphobia in his last year of high school, forcing him to drop out, Matthew went on in life to work as a Toronto cab driver, a TV show host, a mail carrier, a barista, and many other extraverted occupations both in Canada and abroad. He is a loving husband and father and a friend to many fortunate individuals.

Listen in as we explore how he developed and then learned to cope with anxiety and a fear factor that has followed him his entire life.  In my time with him, he shared many stories that were both intriguing and, at times, extremely humourous. His eventual decision to open Matthew's Barbershop took all his courage and most of his savings, but the concept is about so much more than just cutting hair.  It's about connecting community and helping others transform.

"If you don't try something, risk something, you don't get anything."

Links & Notes

Matthew's Barbershop in downtown Guelph, Ontario.

Books: This is the book to which Matthew attributes a large part of his anxiety coping skills.  Click on the link to explore further.
Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

Ewen Lewis Podcast | Episode 1 | Right Turns Project | Allison Tait

Allison Tait

Allison has always been a talented artist and a lover of nature, especially birds, ever since she was a little girl.  However, to serve the very practical reality of earning a living, she chose to put one love aside and throw herself fully into becoming a veterinarian and building a very successful practice.  That is until a very impactful tragedy occurred and sent her on a journey of healing and self exploration.

Join us in our dialogue where we explore her path and delve deeply into her personal awakening.  Find out how she went from being an accomplished veterinarian and business woman to rediscovering and following her artistic vein to become a talented tattoo artist.

Links & Notes

Allison's Art & Tattoo Site: Toltec Tattoo

Books: These are books that were a big part of Allison's shift and she lists them as pivotal in her journey.  Click on the names to investigate further.

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein

The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram

Ten Bulls of Zen by OSHO

Dream Yourself Awake by B. Alan Wallace

The Four Agreements by Juan Miguel