We recently connected with Dawn Web and have shared our conversation below.
Dawn, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
Leaning on my support system for reassurance, including my partnerships, family, creative team, friends, and therapists. Engaging in activities that bring joy and positively reinforce my skills also is something that helps to distract myself, boost my feel good neurohormones, and redirect my energy. I love dancing, being outdoors in nature, playing music, drawing/painting, creating and journalling which is a big component of how I came to publish my first book RED CORNER. Journalling allows me to explore my emotions, mind dump, and express myself through words. I practice writing out mantras and/or words of affirmation. It is really important to step back from situations and examine all perspectives; reminding myself that I do not like everyone and everything, so I can’t expect to please everyone. Something that I relied on for a long time as a coping strategy was listening to motivational speeches, music and spoken word – which I think played into my writing style as well.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Dawn, I am a 23-year-old neuroscience graduate and I am the founder and creative director at Vivid Illusion Creative Studios. We are a Canadian multidisciplinary art space, made by artists for artists to find ways to monetize their art and find other creatives to collaborate with. We hone in on creativity, and cultivate one’s own “vivid illusion” to bring it to life, aiming to combine all creative mediums including Dance, Music, Literature, and Visual Art to amplify unique voices which is reflected in our tagline “create your own reality”.
We have been doing pop-up art events, private poetry readings and markets in both Ottawa, ON and surrounding areas as well as Halifax, NS nearly every weekend since our launch of RED CORNER: a poetry anthology written and illustrated by myself Dawn Web. We have featured other art works collaborating with Voices Dance Project, Cool Quacker Studios, Savatous, Angelina Wrona, Wool Sweater Music, Dalhousie University, Sure Print & Design, Louisa’s Custom Creations and Crochet by Ruth.
We have been hosting creative writing workshops and mental health presentations tied to our new poetry release RED CORNER for schools like St. Mark High School in Ottawa and Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS.
Vivid Illusion also donated 32 copies of RED CORNER to St. Mark HS and has been working with teachers to implement the book into the school curriculum to enhance mental health awareness, reduce stigma, open up dialogue around challenging subject matter like identity, sexual assault and navigating trauma while transitioning from high school to post-secondary.
RED CORNER is being sold in ebook, hardcover, and paperback internationally through major retailers like barnes and nobel, and amazon as well as at small independent bookstores. RED CORNER is also available on Vivid Illusions Creative Studios website (https://vividillusion.studio/) and other popular retail outlets, where books are sold. And the book is already receiving the highest praise. I have actually now been nominated for the 11th Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada to fulfill the role of Ambassador of Literature.
Audiobook release will be announced first on our newsletter for early bird specials – you can register for this on our website. Also, more information about book translation will be released shortly.
We will also be organizing more spoken word events with local cafe’s and bars, which will be announced on our instagram @vividillusion.studio.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Choosing to share your creativity and vulnerability with the world especially in the early stages is such a volatile position, because you can be easily misdirected if shared with the “wrong crowd”. Meaning, if someone says your work is shit and doesn’t actually give you anything constructive to work with, or give you any sense of praise, you can easily shut down that creative part of yourself which I think happens far too often! I think a lot of us forget HOW exactly to engage with our creativity and share this with other due to fear of judgement, or ridicule, shame or not being “enough”.
Focusing on the PROCESS rather than the product or the outcome if far more important because it gives your a story, it makes your interesting, or well-rounded even. Focusing on the process can allow that “inner-critic” or negative self-talk to step back, quiet down your mind ever so slightly to remove some judgement to create and exist freely. I think this is such a transferable skill that once practiced can be helpful in every situation whether you want to pursue a career in the arts, or start a business, or take up research, or start a family, or go back to school, or travel the world.
Do not shy away from asking for help, it is truly a sign of strength. I feel like there is so much in hustle culture and/or in the media about the grind and “do-it-all-yourself”. Yes, it is nice to do things yourself, but it is also so lovely to collaborate and learn from others, hear different perspective and lighten your work-load by delegating tasks to achieve your goal. In doing so, you form a team which cultivates a community and a sense of belonging which is beautiful.
I don’t know if this is all too cliché so far, but, what the hell.
Quality over Quantity. This principle can to applied across so many circumstances, but where it is most important in my life is my social circle. I have found myself grow into being more introverted/re-energized from connecting with myself. But it is more that I try to be very self-aware of what I allow myself to place my energy into, so I can try to maintain a balance between self-care, personal growth and sharing with others. I keep my social circle smaller, avoid unnecessary drama that does not involve me, set boundaries, and keep those around that value my opinions, teach me ways to grow, help me in times of trouble and respect my limits.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The Introduction to Internal Family Systems by Richard C. Schwartz. At the back of the book there is a diagram that describes it really well. There are parts of us which are separate from the self. The 3 main parts are the managers “the protectors which take control” like caretaker, self-critical, and planner, exiles “protectors that hold pain” like shame and dependency, and firefighters “protectors that react to exiles” like self-harm, distraction, dissociation and rage. They all play important roles during our day-to-day and helped to appreciate each of these parts rather than feeling overwhelmed by them. Overwhelm still happens, but I am better at managing it.
Contact Info:
- Website:www.vividillusion.studio
- Instagram: dawnweb
- Facebook: www.linktr.ee/vividillusion
- Linkedin:www.linktr.ee/vividillusion
- Twitter: www.linktr.ee/vividillusion
- Youtube: www.linktr.ee/vividillusion
Image Credits
josh morely & girlonfirephotography & angelina wrona
