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Love is My Medicine

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Johan Danno has lived a life most dreamed of. Selling everything after college and leaving on a one-way ticket to Australia at 22, Johan left South Florida with a degree in marketing, IT, partying, surfing and music. Rising to the top as an IT consultant in the corporate world, a series of highs and lows personified in a moment that changed his life and inspired him to quit his career to become a travelling musician & songwriter.
Setting out chasing his dreams, Johan went from love to heartbreak, and from empty bars to packed shows with stages. A positive and happy face, his battles within and in private at times would rip him to shreds… until his work with plant medicines, meditation and spirituality, became his medicine for his anxiety, depression, and reason to create music.

Using breakdowns to inspire breakthroughs, it was performing and living on the road out of a suitcase meeting people from rich and successful, to liars and drug dealers, Johan discovered what connects us all, and the richness life has to offer when the journey matters more than the destination. It’s the unexpected turns. The moments shared with others we feel that is how we guide the ego, feed the soul, and bring light to keep us through our darkest moments.

Join us on a tale of an artist and poet in the truest sense, telling stories where passion, ambition, talent, anxiety, hope and depression cross into an inspiring journey told authentically. Vulnerable. Real insights from what it takes to chase your dreams, befriend your demons, and discover how to travel the distance from your head to your heart.

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Labour Pains

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Invisible labour, as work which is unpaid and minimally recognised, has been a hot topic for a while and something more comprehensively explored, given the increased number of women in the workforce today. Invisible labour is still an issue today with the amount of work outside of paid employment that people still have to complete. Previously I have written about “the grind” and “the hustle culture” which is rampant in society, where the style of how we work is to be juggling a bunch of things related to work and including work in order to get ahead and achieve. Whilst there is this shift towards considering mental health and wellbeing, what I feel is not being included in our work model when considering work-life balance is the work which people are required to do at home, for themselves and their family. A lot of people seem to be experiencing this prioritisation of work over many other things in life. Paid work is definitely a priority but at times it feels as though it’s not a choice for many people, and it appears as though the rest of life gets left behind.   Previously more women stayed at home to complete most of the standard household chores like cooking, washing, cleaning, groceries, errands, child care and other caring responsibilities to say the least. Whilst this has shifted to more women working in paid roles today the amount of invisible work remains. Perhaps in some instances in a two-person relationship it is more convenient if there is one person who undertakes paid work and the other who looks after unpaid work. However, it is such a complex issue to consider as most people today can’t afford to not work and a number of people actually want to work to do something that they are passionate about, outside of a home and family life. The question still remains as to how to manage a genuine work-life balance today, considering the increased expectations from paid work, outside of paid work activities related to work, social and family life, exercise and wellbeing, leisure, chores, life administration and other general tasks.   A lot has been discussed about moving towards a 4-day work week, where some countries around the world have put this to trial. Naturally I hear a lot of praise for this model and seeing people being all for it. Having an extra day off work can be really valuable, considering if salaries were to remain the same. The amount of times I have said and have heard other people say “if only I had an extra day on the weekend…”. Having this extra day would mean I could invest a lot more in consistent cleaning, chores and the endless life administration which I cram into my weekday evenings; so that I can have more of a break on the weekends, and not spend the entire weekend racing around. It would be ideal to being able to slow down, work meaningfully, effectively and enjoy.

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The Gathering

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Maureen Pickstone began her life in a little town on the South Island of New Zealand 86 years ago. At the young age of 13, Maureen’s mother passed away and she had to leave school and raise her 4 siblings. Eventually travelling to Australia and surviving a marriage of 13 years of domestic violence, Maureen left her husband and discovered 40 acres of Virgin bush with no power or water. She worked the land for 2 years. The land healed her. In 2005 she opened her land to others by creating a healing space called Kupidabin Wilderness. A place of peace and harmony with the goal of helping to preserve the beliefs, traditions and ceremonies of indigenous cultures of Australia and world wide. Since 2007, Maureen has hosted the Bi- Annual Gathering of the Four Winds. A diverse group of Cultural Leaders, Teachers, Elders of Aboriginal, Hawaiian, Pacific Island, Maori, Native American come to share their Traditional Teachings.
Maureen also sponsors a program for high functioning ASD (Asperger’s Syndrome) students in her Cultural Centre on the land restoring their lives back to Peace and Harmony Learning Social and Life Skills.

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Social Same

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A lot of social activism appears to be about change and supposedly changing for the better. This in a way makes sense although I also think it’s important to recognise the values and behaviours from the past which were good and strive to maintain them; or work towards bringing some of them back. Today I’m seeing a lot of discussion about traditional values and how they are dismissed. Whilst I recognise that certain traditional values can be harmful and may not be for everyone, there is merit in some of them. For example, I believe that the emphasis on community and family were stronger in the past and a lot of what conservative activism tries to work towards is promoting this. I think that the concept of change has become something to constantly work towards but it’s worth considering the goal of change when doing so.   Things are constantly evolving without us even being conscious of it. I wonder if there is an increased rate of change because today we have so much more stimulation, goods and services at our fingertips that the competition for attention is more intense. The challenge to remain relevant and interesting is difficult so ongoing change almost appears to be the way to go. Fashion trends change all the time but even with these changes there is still this reverting back to different decades of fashion and style, which are reignited as trendy. I see the appreciation of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s styles today. From this I understand that whilst there is change there is also a fluctuation of ideas and trends being recycled and being returned back to when there is the appreciation of hindsight. I don’t think that this applies to just style and fashion but also values and behaviours.   There was previously an emphasis on knowing how to look after and repair things in your home and car whilst having useful skills like sewing and cooking. A lot of these important life skills appear to have diminished and lost a lot of their value. However, with the trend now to live the simple life, and people wanting to be more removed from a lot of recent technology and busy city life, these values and skills are now beginning to be more appreciated again. It appears that a number of people are realising the value of being able to look after themselves and their homes.   I know that often people romanticise the past particularly when the present isn’t as exciting and the future not so promising. However, nostalgia is a very valid feeling and I think it should be considered more as a tool for what needs to be included in the present, and what is really significant. Everyone knows the power of hindsight and I think it can be used as a way to bring back what was important. I believe that it’s worth having a holistic society which is accepting of people who are more traditional whilst being open to new ideas.

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In a Barbie World

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Barbie is iconic and an unbelievably contested product and topic of discussion. Decades have passed since the doll and brand was introduced and I believe it’s still as relevant today, if not more, than it was initially. Barbie had the goal of being progressive and dedicated to young girls having private play time to envision their adulthood. However as many of know and can attest to, the impact which Barbie had and continues to have on our lives is much more than its original goal. This is not to solely criticise Barbie and its creators as I believe that Barbie is a symbol which brings attention to complex issues; including body image with extreme dieting and unrealistic/exclusive beauty standards, gender roles, femininity and fashion. Barbie is indicative of many cultures and sub-cultures. At times Barbie may not be as present but the aspiration for the plastic and perfect look is prominent. With the development of social media there is an influx of superficial and self-promotion, sometimes using filters and other digital modifications. There is even the rise of people who are admitting to wanting to look like Barbie and look plastic. I selected Barbie as a topic for my year 12 Society & Culture major work. I wanted to explore this as to why she’s so popular and the impact she has on people. Whilst I understand that I was inexperienced with research and framing questions I still feel that I never came to a solid conclusion as to her relevance and impact. What real impact does it make to say that you won’t allow your children to play with Barbie dolls when the cultures which Barbie represents infiltrate society in numerous ways. There may be people who have barely played with Barbies as children but have a strong consciousness about self-image and beauty. These are traits associated with Barbie so it’s not as simple as just removing Barbie as beauty standards, fashion and gender roles are ever present despite Barbie. Representation matters but has it changed anything? I remember when I was interviewing someone for my major work and they mentioned that they had a few Barbie dolls, not all were Caucasian and blonde, but the blonde one was still their favourite. The interviewee could not describe why they were the favourite. It’s clear how complex Barbie is as and how they impact people’s lives, not always at a conscious level. Many of us express hatred and anti-Barbie sentiment but there’s still this gravitation, love and sometimes obsession with the dolls. Even with Barbie changing over time with the addition of different careers and outfits to complement her, was there really a positive change? Did the discussion and impact of Barbie shift from body image and beauty standards? How relevant is Barbie to people today? Even when Barbie changes to have the standard doll body template modified and altered to be more inclusive and realistic, it’s not necessarily positively received or results in sales being boosted because of it. Is it Barbie that needs to change or the cultures and norms related to her?

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The “Me” Culture

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“Never has a generation so diligently documented themselves accomplishing so little.” I saw this post several years back and it stuck. One can’t miss its manifest prevalence on social websites and platforms. At times, we need not even go online; it’s played out right across the table (or at your own) as you dine out with family or friends in a restaurant. In morning walks along the boulevard, the novelty of anyone suddenly breaking into a groovy dance is long foregone; heck, even the nice lady who sweeps the sidewalk does it – dancing to the camera. People are not engaging with people; they talk to the camera or their phones. The “Selfie” phenomenon ‘Selfie’ made it to Time’s top 10 buzzwords of 2012 and became Oxford English Dictionary’s ‘Word of the Year‘ in 2013, beating the close runner-up, “twerk”. I couldn’t resist sneaking that trivia in and leave you to your own takeaways on these insightful word choices. “Selfie” is said to be an Australian slang for self-photo snap, making its online debut in 2002 on an out-of-focus close up post of a man’s swollen lip after a drunken night out. Selfies are often associated with narcissism and vanity but they do have beneficial value. It’s all about intent and impact that make them good or bad. Photo Journal. Digital technology has removed practical constraints of self-documentation through photos anytime, anywhere. It has enabled us to capture and share not just our significant milestones and events but even the trivial details of our daily life. It could just be the outfit and look of the day, being in some place or with someone, or anything inconsequential that’s happening in the moment. Selfies can serve as a photo journal keeping track of one’s progression and journey through life, visual tools to help relive and look back on those moments in retrospect. On the flip side, self-documentation can distract you from fully experiencing the moment when you’re too invested in documenting instead of being present in it. Living through filtered lens. Selfies can be a form of self-expression. It is empowering to be able to make a statement through your self-photos. It gives you control over the image you want people to see of yourself. For those too concerned with appearances, smartphones come loaded with features to ‘enhance’ your looks; else there are applications that take care of that as you please. How many times have you known people through their photos who don’t quite lived up to them in the flesh? Yes, authenticity can be compromised, not just by appearances but also by perception when selfies are posted through contrived and filtered lens. I vlog “Me” Video blogging is another phenomenon taking place on the You Tube platform. According to CfDS, data analyzed by Global Web Index show that two out of three Internet users (65%) have watched a vlog. You Tube, with 1.3 billion people using it, has successfully established a social media lifestyle and is potentially becoming a new source of creating and getting information. Many are turning to You Tube to vlog about themselves and their lives. Some have even quit their 9 to 5 jobs to go full-time in creating these contents. The “Me” culture Incontrovertibly, advancement in technology and the internet have laid the foundation for these phenomena to happen. Lawrence R. Samuel, Ph.D wrote an insightful piece about the rise of the “Me” generation noting in particular that, “this  rise has run on a parallel course with a loss of faith and trust in large institutions…people all over the world rebuff external control in favor of sovereignty of the self.” One can only speculate how the “me” culture will play out far into the future.     REFERENCES: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/19/selfie-australian-slang-term-named-international-word-of-the-year https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/12/04/top-10-news-lists/slide/selfie/ https://cfds.fisipol.ugm.ac.id/2017/02/01/the-phenomenon-of-video-blogger-on-youtube-as-a-shift-in-peoples-culture-in-creating-and-getting-information https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/future-trends/201808/the-rise-me-culture

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Thank You!

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“Thank you” is an overused phrase, perhaps also the most undervalued, diminished by constant use. Ironically, it may also be one that we don’t have enough of on a deeper level. Gratitude, experts say, is a thankful appreciation for what one receives. In life’s convoluted web of relationships and social entanglements, it’s refreshing to indulge in simple acts and pleasures. Dr. Dona Matthews affirms the power and grace of Thank You. Many others, experts and non-experts alike, extol the benefits of gratitude. There are voluminous research studies undertaken that validate this but let’s not geek out on it. Here’s the gist: Gratitude makes one happier, healthier, and hardier while navigating through life’s ups and downs. There’s a caveat – one has to make a habit out of it to reap the benefits in good measure. Start each day with gratitude Wake up with a thankful heart. You’re blessed with another day, another shot at life and all its potentials. Appreciate the people with you and around you Give someone a thank-you note or express appreciation for the little things someone does for you. Build on this gratitude practice to nurture relationships and strengthen social support. Forsake ego / pride It takes selflessness to be grateful. Self-entitlement or ‘all about me’ attitude leaves hardly any room for appreciation. Let go of self-centeredness, yield to gratitude in all its gratification. Keep a gratitude journal Note down not just the good things but seek out the gains, even from the negative circumstances. Try a different perspective. Be grateful for your weakness or inadequacy that may have kept you grounded and motivated to strive harder, the hardships that made you strong, the pains and heartbreaks that taught you to endure, the obstacles that trained you to overcome. These are easily overlooked when you don’t consciously seek them out. Gratitude walk Go out and take a leisurely walk. Focus on the sights and sounds that please you along the way. Interact positively with the people you meet, seize opportunities to engage in small talk, work out a sweat, let those endorphins out – enjoy the moment. Pray or meditate It helps clear your mind. Focus on the people, things, and events you are grateful for. Let gratitude be your prayer or thought anchor. Getting into the habit of gratitude may be a struggle at first but it gets easier and more natural with persistent practice. The potential benefits are worth going the mile to do it and do it repeatedly. It improves your physical, physiological, and mental health, reinforces relationships, and enrich the overall quality of your life. The next time you instinctively say “thank you,” take a moment to think what you’re truly thankful for and savor it. REFERENCES: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/going-beyond-intelligence/202207/the-power-and-grace-thank-you https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-gratitude-research-questions/ https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/going-beyond-intelligence/202207/the-power-and-grace-thank-you https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain

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Fast Food for Thought

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We live in a binge culture. There’s literally a TV and movie streaming platform called ‘Binge’. Today many of us consume so much of a product or service to such an extreme in such a small period of time. We do it with video games, TV and movies, food, drugs, alcohol, shopping, dating ETC. Bingeing something like food and alcohol is not necessarily a new phenomenon but it’s those excessive behaviours in conjunction with more of what and how we are consuming today, that makes it all that much more intense. Recent technological advances like laptops, phones and applications which compliment these make it so much easier to access information and resources. Previously, before computers were more readily available, if you wanted to complete an assignment you would have to travel to a library, reserve books and extract the information that way; making it more time consuming for some. Whilst many of the advances in technology have improved our access to information as well as enhanced our efficiency, we are then sometimes inundated with more work because we can be more efficient with our improved gadgets. Similarly, we experience this influx of people via social media and an ongoing supply of TV and movies. I remember when I was in school having to watch TV and movies at the scheduled time which they were on TV, or at the cinema. It was always annoying if I wasn’t able to make it home in time and missed parts but I remember enjoying the experience of TV and movies more. Nowadays, it gets to the point for me where watching all the TV and movies available isn’t as enjoyable as it was in the past because it’s just incessant. I think about how we binge with so many things and I notice that this is reflected a bit in our social scene as well. I don’t feel as though the social binge is about trying to see and meet people all the time. It is slightly more complicated because I feel as though today some people won’t see friends or others as much in person but veer towards “keeping in touch” through social media and scrolling through news feeds. It’s almost like getting a dose of socialising without having to do much work or organisation. It’s a similar experience with online dating where you can swipe left or right for ages where people will just consume this material for hours on end. In that way I see it as a binge. In social spaces I feel that there appears to be a bit of a disposable culture developing where people aren’t as good at interacting and connecting. Many will revert back to their phones as a way to communicate and if things don’t work out between people there’s this security blanket of social media and online dating to remind ourselves that there’s plenty of people out there. With all of these technological advances and methods of communication I always wonder if we are more efficient and productive, if we communicate better and overall if we really are better off.

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Educating Communities

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Education inspires and transform lives.
Inequity and inaccessibility affect our youngest and most at-risk disproportionately.
Indigenous and disadvantaged children are falling further behind academically as the digital divide widens and lockdowns close schools around Australia.
By connecting remote communities to qualified tutors and teachers, we can enable
societal and generational impact through individual personalised connection.
We aim to bring about systemic changes in equity, using the internet and technology to ensure our most disadvantaged young can access appropriate education, preparing them and providing opportunities for a positive future.

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Toxic Positivity… is there?

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Toxic positivity sounds like an oxymoron, a self-contradicting phrase. Remember a time you’d been down in the dumps and you get “good vibes” shoved in your face, droned into your ears, drilled in your brains like a mantra that will work its magic and turn things around. Been there, right? Ooops wait, done that! Well, read on. Medical News Today refers to toxic positivity as an obsession with positive thinking. Like any obsession, it has potential adverse effects. Though generally well-intentioned, this preoccupation with positivity may bring more harm than good to someone in distress or depressed. Here’s how: Trivialize human emotions “Pain demands to be felt,” says the character in the novel, The Fault in Our Stars. It’s true with all other human emotions. Grief comes naturally with a loss, there’s dejection in isolation and rejection, fear in abuse or signs of it, irritation at discomfort, anger at a provocation, pain in suffering. Toxic positivity tends to dehumanize by supplanting unpleasant emotions with ‘feel good’ platitudes. Repress actions on “red alerts” Danger doesn’t always come knocking loudly on your door. Sometimes it settles safely in before you bear its brunt. Life Supports attests that cases of abusive relationships commonly start with a ‘honeymoon phase’ before tension builds up and explodes into a destructive phase. Focusing on the “positive” phase may lead one to ignore the red alerts and miscalculate the danger ahead. Stunt personal growth One’s emotional capacity can only be enlarged by one’s capability to cope. Toxic positivity, according to Verywell Mind, functions as an avoidance mechanism. Avoidance coping may address negative emotions on the surface but leaves them unresolved. People smile through it and put on a cheerful façade suppressing how they really feel inside. Tackling one stressor to another advances personal growth while denial and taking shelter in “positivity” limits it. Acknowledging that it’s okay not to be okay is a good starting point in managing negative feelings. It alerts you to seek resolution instead of masquerading them. Moreover, it allows people who truly care for you to see the problem or its severity and prompt them to give you the help and support you need. Verywell Mind suggests the non-toxic alternatives below to keep “positive vibes only” in check. Toxic Statements Just stay positive! Good vibes only! It could be worse. Things happen for a reason. Failure isn’t an option. Happiness is a choice. Non-Toxic Alternatives I’m listening. I’m here no matter what. That must be really hard. Sometimes bad things happen. How can I help? Failure is sometimes part of life. Your feelings are valid. In summary, positivity in itself is good but taken to extreme makes it toxic. Next time someone gets “negative,” LISTEN. It may save the person’s life.   REFERENCE LINKS: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/toxic-positivity https://lifesupportscounselling.com.au/resources/blogs/the-cycle-of-abuse-explained/ https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-toxic-positivity-5093958

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