Magical Humans

In this episode, the final episode of season one of Magical Humans, I talked to Drea Johnson and Alyssarhaye Graciano. This episode was a special presentation taped live as a part of Portland Textile Month at Portland Center Stage at The Armory. These are two textile artists, two women of color, and two insightful and thoughtful human beings that I was so excited to talk to. Alyssarhaye is the woman behind BlackSheepMade, a fiber art business based in Portland, OR. What started as a way to fund an internship abroad while in college has become a business that puts on public installations, pop-ups, and traveling workshops. Plus she just finished writing a book! Drea is the woman behind Hidden Opulence, a Design House focused in apparel sustainability and upcycling. The business works with brands for small batch production and batch alterations, as well as individuals for tailoring, mending, or reimagining garments.  Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Hana Nobel is a writer, storyteller, and adventure seeker about her career. Hana is a freelance writer who writes her own pieces as well as writing copy, blogs, newsletters, and more for other brands. In 2015, her article about eating at the worst-reviewed San Francisco restaurants on Yelp went viral! Hana goes on the most AMAZING adventures and her life is filled with color and silliness. Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Hana Nobel is a writer, storyteller, and adventure seeker about her career. Hana is a freelance writer who writes her own pieces as well as writing copy, blogs, newsletters, and more for other brands. In 2015, her article about eating at the worst-reviewed San Francisco restaurants on Yelp went viral! Hana goes on the most AMAZING adventures and her life is filled with color and silliness. Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Rachel Burke is an Australian artist, designer, and mom. Rachel has a huge Instagram following, where she posts photos of her amazingly colorful, joyful creations: jackets and dresses made of sparkly rainbow tinsel, floral headdresses, wild jewelry, and pom poms. In addition to her business making clothing and accessories, Rachel also has an art project called Apomogy, which features anonymous apologies - both lighthearted and heartbreaking - attached to brightly colored pom poms.  Reserve your seat for our live recording of the season 1 finale! Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Rachel Burke is an Australian artist, designer, and mom. Rachel has a huge Instagram following, where she posts photos of her amazingly colorful, joyful creations: jackets and dresses made of sparkly rainbow tinsel, floral headdresses, wild jewelry, and pom poms. In addition to her business making clothing and accessories, Rachel also has an art project called Apomogy, which features anonymous apologies - both lighthearted and heartbreaking - attached to brightly colored pom poms.  Reserve your seat for our live recording of the season 1 finale! Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Corissa Saint Laurent is a powerhouse of business and marketing. As a speaker and trainer, Corissa helps female entrepreneurs transform their lives and their businesses. Her new project called Hear Me Roar is helping women find their voice and use it in a powerful way in whatever realm they choose.  Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Corissa Saint Laurent is a powerhouse of business and marketing. As a speaker and trainer, Corissa helps female entrepreneurs transform their lives and their businesses. Her new project called Hear Me Roar is helping women find their voice and use it in a powerful way in whatever realm they choose.  Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Patty Delgado is the CEO and designer behind Hija de tu Madre, a brand that celebrates being Latinx. After the 2016 election, Patty wanted to take a statement and create a wearable statement about her identity, so she sewed a sequined Virgen de Guadalupe to the back of her denim jacket. She got such a positive response that she decided to create a business making Latinx fashion statements.  Connect with Vania Vananina at vaniavananina.com and on Instagram @vaniavananina! Produced by Puddle Creative Music by Megan Diana Art by Vania Vananina and Maia Buzbee

Karen Pride is a chef and wellness entrepreneur. Karen started her career off by opening a restaurant in Portland, which is no easy task. One restaurant quickly became three and was followed by a yoga studio called Yoga Pearl. Karen still owns Yoga Pearl but sold her restaurants late last year. She’s enjoying her freedom from the food industry - she bought a van and has been driving around the country, traveling for fun and to pursue her love of adventure.

Today on the podcast I am talking to Paloma Medina, a coach and owner of 11:11 Supply. Paloma wanted to combine her love of retail with her passion for psychology, neurology, and how those things can make our workplaces and our lives better. At her store 11:11 Supply in Portland, OR, Paloma curates office supplies and other organizational tools to help her customers boost productivity and happiness. The shop also hosts workshops that share knowledge not only about productivity, but also creativity, inclusivity, and more.