However long it takes, whatever you need to heal from, here is your permission slip to take all the time you need.  May you have the strength to face it. May you create something beautiful from it.  May you rise from it.   Edge of a Memory I stood at the edge of a memory Fearless and full of fear Not sure if I should jump Daring myself to dangle from it’s pain Toes inch back deciding not to jump Instead I dove Into it’s wasted space Tousled through tears and doubt Banging against jagged walls of shame Echos of embarrassment from every direction Falling falling falling falling falling falling Through time. To the girl on the other end of the memory. Curled up and crying. To lift her chin. To stand her up. To dance naked in the living room to the beat of her blood. Arms flickering above her head like flames Hips hot Swaying and swirling And when I knew she would keep dancing, I could return to its edge. Elbows on the table. Hands tucked under my chin. Grin of satisfaction. And watch her dance at the edge of a memory. -Jaime Lara Shannon Kurowski

Ever feel like a plant?  Standing tall, wilting or wild?  Do you resist the directions of how you are "supposed" to care for yourself (and your plants. LOL).  Do you remember your resilience and how you rise day after day or year after year like a perennial?  Well, here's a little poem for you.

Ever heard someone say, "What are you going to do with all this?" or "You don't ever finish your projects or follow through with anything you say your going to make."  Have you ever bought all the things for stained glass, cake-pops, video editing, scrapbooking, playing the piano, candle making... and then decided it wasn't for you? Are they collecting dust? Did you tell yourself that was such a waste of time or money? Did you lose trust in yourself in what you keep saying you are going to do? STOP doing that! Do you ever think about making someone's day by offering your supplies to them!?   OR do you have all the things and long to "play!?"   If so, it's time to write yourself a permission slip to STOP or START the damn thing!   I would love to hear from you!  What is it that you had the audacity to start back up?  Get rid of?  Do you feel the sweet taste of freedom?

I beg of you.  Get still.  Find your passion. Create it. Love it. Claim it. Share it.  We need you.   My story of doing this and a poem that was born of the stillness.  

Let me introduce you to the Hussies! My college best friends for the past 30 years! (That’s a story for another day.) For now I am here to tell you that two of them had the awe-dacity to CLIMB A FREAKIN’ MOUNTAIN!!! Well, Dave has climbed around 15 of them, but this was Lauren’s first! Come hear how the hussies interview off the cuff. What does it take to climb a mountain? Fears? Gear? Food? Water? Wearing your pants on backwards? What the heck is a marmot? Changing your underwear? Crapping in a bag? What it’s like at the summit? Sounds? Guardian angels? Views? We asked it all! Although, honestly, how is it even possible to put that experience into words? I personally will never know. Lol. Listen to how these badasses handled it like a BOSS! It would make me so happy if you shared with a friend who might enjoy a little more audacity in their lives!

Some of the biggest moments in my life started by accident.  Where I went to college, how I ended up in New Mexico for a year, teaching in Northern Virginia, writing poetry, starting a driftwood business, quitting my job, buying magenta glasses, and even starting this podcast!  My biggest dream is to collect the stories of bravery, so that you might say, "I listened to your podcast and it gave me the audacity to____."  I want to start a movement!  So, what's your big dream?

Hello and welcome to the Awe-dacity Podcast. I’m your host, Jaime Kurowski. You may also know me from my driftwood business,She Makes. I am a collector and creator of the words that make us feel like we can flip a car, travel, curl up with a book, and sit in stillness and beauty.  On this podcast, I want to collect your audacity!  The audacity to love, leave, lead and take leaps of faith.  I have spent many years practicing audacity, conquering fear, and finally learning what it means to love myself first. In my life, I have had the audacity to leave a marriage, quit a job, sell my art, start a business, buy magenta glasses, and start this. very. podcast, to name a few.  Maybe you asked for help, told someone no, spent money on YOU. Maybe you hiked a mountain, got a tattoo, took up tap dancing, took a solo trip, or dyed your hair purple! I want to hear it all! My hope is to empower listeners to see this beautifully worn path of bravery. Let it be a tenacity tour of possibility. A gumption guide back to yourselves. Now, grab a fresh notebook to jot down all the reasons you should try it too!