Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharai Mustatia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sharai, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
Growing up in a traumatic household meant growing up without a lot of tenderness and oftentimes, without a lot of nutrition. Because I remember vividly what it is like to go without feeling loved or fed adequately, I can easily put myself in another person’s shoes and imagine what they must be going through. Being the eldest of four children living in poverty also gave me a sensitivity toward the needs of my siblings. Something that has carried through the rest of my life and in all my relations with others. I feel very strongly about being a positive role model and example for personal accountability in regards to growing up in trauma. To live with PTSD does not exclude the need for accountability. I expect myself to do everything in my power to heal my life and be an example to anyone who may want to create healing in their own life. I don’t have a lot of biological family I can go to for advice, support or connection and belonging but I do have a handful of people who are my Chosen Family. It is these relationships that help me when I am feeling lost or stuck, as well as provide me with a sense of having a place and inclusion.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Following a decade of trauma recovery and deep work in that, I am in a place in my life where I can focus on creating a career for myself. I have levelled up from merely surviving, into a thriving phase in my life, which is a very new, exciting and at times, terrifying place for me to be. I am an artist, a wife, a dog mom and Chosen Auntie to a few of my closest friends’ kids. I’m also a professional driver and can drive 53 foot tractor trailer combination vehicles!
Over the years, I have been developing my skills as a communicator and someone people in my community can come to, to consult about anything related to interpersonal dynamics. I am very interested in conflict resolution and accountability.
I also have a deeply playful side to me. I love to clown around and have been told I am pretty funny.
Currently I am in the launch and implementation phase of my analogue photography business – Princess Shredder Productions.
Princess Shredder Productions does analogue photography, with a twist. We create unique art photography in the forms of portraits of people and pets, art and decoration, murals, events and ceremonies. Princess Shredder Productions also teaches a workshop on how to do some of the unique film and camera tricks we do, as a way to facilitate creative self expression through the lens of an analogue camera.
Princess Shredder Productions is my way of showing that healing is possible and through personal accountability, we can all heal if we want to.
Recently I decided to pivot my photography work to include digital photography for live events such as concerts and performances.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Going to trauma therapy for almost ten years and regular types of therapy before that for 20 years, is my foundation for my life journey. Everything I do, comes from a place of wanting recovery. The various therapies and programs over the past few decades are where I learned how to value and love myself, as well as to learn how to let love in that is real and true.
Self reflection is integral to personal and professional growth. Being able to see what role I have in any situation no matter positive or negative, allows me to hold myself accountable to all my thinking and believing patterns of behaviour.
My advice for anyone who wants things to change in their life is to KEEP GOING. No-one is going to do the work for you. There are helpers out there though so watch out for those people and let them help you if they offer. Then be accountable to that help. People want to see us succeed. People Love us and want the best for us. They can want all those things for us but we still are the ones who have to do the work and make it happen. Have dreams? Figure out all the steps between having the dream and reaching the dream. Dreams can’t come true without setting and reaching goals.
Watch for Green Flags. Watch for what is good and real in your life and nurture that. Let everything else that doesn’t feel correct, fall away and stop holding yourself back by holding onto people and things that don’t support you naturally. When you feel uncomfortable with something being offered by someone, listen to that. That is your Inner Knowing doing its job to protect you. If you don’t trust something or if it feels too good to be true, listen to that and honour yourself with protection from things that do not feel not good for you. Forgive yourself for not knowing better or how to make them stop, when someone hurts you. Learn from that and move forward.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Collaboration is one of my favourite ways to work. I am looking to collaborate with other artists and creatives who want to make amazing photos together. I do a lot of experimental style photography and it is super exciting to work with people who have never experimented with photography. It is really fun to work with folks who are more experienced than me, so I can learn from them. I look forward to collaborating with artists of all genres. I am excited to get to shoot live concerts and performances and to create amazing images with people who want to make art photography. I am also very excited to continue to teach people how to do the kind of photography that I do, through my analogue photography workshops.
If anyone reads this and is interested in collaboration, I’d love to hear from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.princessshredder.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/princess_shredder/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shredderprincess
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@princessshredder
Image Credits
All image credits and copyright belong to Sharai Mustatia
