#rebelliouslytiny

[ambivalentlyyours]

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!! Rebelliously Tiny - Episode 11: Hannah & AY

When we set out to create a podcast, we didn’t have much (okay, any) experience in podcast making. We had a few goals and ideas, we found inspiration in other podcasts we admired, and we relied on support from the amazing Oboro artist-run center in Montreal. Mostly, we had a lot of feelings: a desire to talk about and give time and attention to things belittled or demeaned in the mainstream, tenderness towards the questions sent to AY online, feminist fueled frustrations. In this first episode from the next series of Rebelliously Tiny, we reflect on Season 1, we share the process of creating a second season, talk about the challenges of our Kickstarter campaign, and we discuss our own passions and careers. Use this episode to catch up with us and learn more about Rebelliously Tiny, or even to hear a few tips on starting a creative project from scratch with limited resources and funds.

In keeping with our formula from last season, each episode explores a question received by AY on social media: “I'm about to finish a degree in writing, and I'm struggling with my next step. What I really want to do is publish novels, but I worry that it won't pay the bills (and I guess it never might). I'm worried that if I don't get into a field related to my degree, I will never use it. Family are putting on the pressure to just get any job, get money coming in. What should I do?”

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley

Find us on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or at www.ambivalentlyyours.com/podcast/2018/8/15/episode-11-hannah-ay

[canvasandcassette-blog]

One of our favorite illustrations by our friend @ambivalentlyyours 👁 In addition to being a great illustrator, Ambivalently Yours runs an amazing feminist podcast called #rebelliouslytiny. Go listen and then head over to their kickstarter and help make Season 2 a reality. 💕

[dmnsqrl]

#Repost @ambivalentlyyours (@get_repost) ・・・ Hit a wall when trying to talk to a family member, co-worker or friend about Feminism? Donate $25 CAD to my Kickstarter campaign (✨link in bio✨) and I will do some of the emotional labour for you and get the conversation started by calling that person and reading the definition of Feminism to them 💁🏻!!! #ambivalentlyyours #selfcare #rebelliouslytiny #supportthearts #feministpodcast #feminism #podcast

[ambivalentlyyours]

New Rebelliously Tiny podcast episode!! Episode 12: Sunny Listen here

or  SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES SUBSCRIBE ON STITCHER 

*Content warning: this episode deals with issues of racism, body shaming, femme phobia and contains some harsh language.

Here’s the question that inspired this week’s episode: "I look way older than others my age because I'm more curvy. I'm also biracial, so my skin is more light brown and I’ve got curls. I like pink, I like dresses. mainly boys have called me things like "stupid fat black b*tch" as soon as I stood up for myself and some of my friends who claim themselves as feminists tell me that I can't really be a feminist because of my obsession for girly things. although i act like it doesn't, it does hurt me."

This week’s episode is dedicated to the fangirl living inside of each of us. The question we respond to deals with the struggle of loving “girly” things like the colour pink and dresses, fangirling over pop culture, stumbling through activism, and learning to be a feminist… a few of our favourite things. To work through this question, we reach out to AY’s friend Sunny, a blogger based in Australia. Despite the 14 hour time difference and grainy Skype connection, we got to hear Sunny share some wisdom about the role of joy in activism, the importance of respecting, rather than belittling, and how to build inclusive activist movements by prioritizing diverse perspectives.

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley

[ambivalentlyyours]

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!! Rebelliously Tiny - Episode 10: Coming Out (Bonus Episode)

*Content Warning: Sharing of personal coming out stories, the good, the bad and everything in-between.

In the first season of Rebelliously Tiny, we talked about the personal, the political, the complicated, the intimate, the relatable and all the ambivalence in-between. With these discussions, we hoped to foster tenderness, friendship, love, understanding, learning and unlearning. We are currently working on a second season of our podcast but before we share our new conversations we decided to take a moment to reflect on Season 1. In this in-between-seasons episode, we hear familiar voices as they discuss “coming out” and help AY answer this episode’s question: “I need help coming out. I don’t know how to do it. I want to do it in a creative way.”

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley

Find us on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or at http://www.ambivalentlyyours.com/podcast/2018/7/18/episode-10-coming-out-bonus-episode

[ambivalentlyyours]

This drawing was made in response to an anonymous message on Instagram. 

For almost six years now, I have been replying to the messages that people write to me on social media with pink drawings. I've answered hundreds and hundreds of messages this way, and I still have over 1000 waiting in my inbox. I love having these tiny interactions with strangers online, then sharing them publicly. There is comfort in healing together. But there are many questions that I just can't answer on my own. That's why I started a podcast. It was a way for me to reach out to my community and ask for help. The nine episodes of season 1 of the Rebelliously Tiny podcast are full of harsh realities counteracted with tender emotions. I love doing this work, but I can't do it alone. So I am asking for help again, to fund the second season. I want to keep sharing great conversations and I want to be able to financially compensate my team and collaborators for their emotional and creative labour. If you are able to share or donate to our kickstarter (here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1942182488/rebelliously-tiny-a-podcast-by-ambivalently-yours), it would not only mean the world to me, but I believe that by supporting each other emotionally and financially we can shift the imbalance of power in our media and communities. Also, please keep sending me your questions either via DM or email at ambivalently.yours[at]gmail.com. I can’t always answer all of them but I read each one several times and try my best to answer those I can. 

Thank you. Take care of each other.

[ambivalentlyyours]

Please support Rebelliously Tiny podcast, season 2.

(thank you!!)

[ambivalentlyyours]

Except of Rebelliously Tiny Podcast Season 1, Episode 9: Johanne

To learn more or to support the podcast, click here.

The hardest part of my day is usually the moments between waking up and getting out of bed. The moment when everything seems hard and heavy. The moment where my depression and anxiety  join forces to create a sort of anxious apathy that seems almost insurmontable. It is those moments that I usually talk about with my mom when we have our big mother-daughter talks, and it is those moments that we talked about together in episode 9 of the Rebelliously Tiny podcast. If you are feeling a little sad and overwhelmed today and need some encouragement, I would recommend listening to that episode. Take care of yourselves.

[ambivalentlyyours]

One of the prizes of our Kickstarter is a custom original drawing from me to you. (Makes a great gift!) Info here

[ambivalentlyyours]

Want to support an independent feminist podcast and get a cute patch in the mail? Then please consider supporting the Rebelliously Tiny podcast. Last monday, we launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund season 2! Those who pledge $50 (little Canadian dollars) or more will receive a Rebelliously Tiny woven patch (we have a lot of great other prizes too). All the money we raise will help fund the production and equipment rental, and help pay our collaborators! 

Please support or share if you can! Every little bit helps!!

Here’s the link to our campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1942182488/rebelliously-tiny-a-podcast-by-ambivalently-yours

Thank YOU!!!!

[ambivalentlyyours]

I NEED YOUR HELP!!

The first season of the Rebelliously Tiny podcast premiered in May 2017, and features conversations about growing up, feminism, anxiety, sexual, gender and racial identity, sexual violence, body image, toxic masculinity, depression and more. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and now we are ready to start working on season 2. We just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund our studio time, production costs and allow us to compensate our collaborators. I hate asking for help, and I hate asking for financial help even more, but this project means a lot to me, and if we fund it ourselves, then we can do it right without having to compromise our vision. 

Please help support this project by donating to our campaign and/or by sharing it with your online network, family and friends. Thank you!

Here is the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1942182488/rebelliously-tiny-a-podcast-by-ambivalently-yours

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Music by Greg Barkley

[ambivalentlyyours]

Rebelliously Tiny Podcast Episode 9: Johanne (season finale!) LISTEN HERE Or subscribe on ITUNES or STITCHER

*Content Warning: Discussions of depression, mental illness and suicidal thoughts.

Welcome to the season finale of Rebelliously Tiny. Here’s this week’s question: “Hey there, I just wanted to let you know how much I love your art and how it makes me feel so understood and a little less alone. I'm 21 years old and for the past few months I've been feeling so alone and so afraid of what the future holds. I feel hopeless and useless. Most days I can't even get out of bed. I feel like I'm wasting my life. I need hope and motivation. Honestly I need a bit of a reason to live. Do you ever feel this way and do you have any words of wisdom?”

As we mentioned in the first episode, this podcast began as Ambivalently Yours’ way of asking her community for help. This is why she decided to end our first season with the person she has turned to the most throughout her life: her mom, Johanne. Together they discuss what to do when you wake up with negative feelings and have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. Johanne then shares tips on how to stay motivated, in a way that only a mom could. Johanne and Ambivalently Yours also use this opportunity to look at their personal relationship and family history, and the influence it has had on the way they face the world. They also talk about the challenges of becoming more emotionally open and the advantages of learning how to ask for help. 

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at (with their technical and financial support) Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley

[ambivalentlyyours]

Rebelliously Tiny Podcast Episode 7: Laura LISTEN HERE Or subscribe on ITUNES or STITCHER

Welcome to another episode of Rebelliously Tiny. Here’s this week’s question: “Are all traditional values bad? I was brought up where my mom did a lot of the basic "housewife" things but my father never demanded her or disrespected her or belittled her… I recently saw a peer post something against traditional values and she identifies as a feminist am I wrong or a hypocrite for having a different opinion? Does that not make me fit to be a feminist (I'm still trying to learn about the feminist movement and wish to have your perspective on this) thank you if you read this.”

In this episode, Ambivalently Yours turns to her best friend, Laura, for help answering this week’s question. Laura recently became a mother to twins, and has some insight on how “traditional values” are often defined. She talks about how feminism isn’t about condemning motherhood, but about dismantling systems that uphold restrictive gender norms. Together, we discuss the concept of “choice” and the importance of choosing jobs and roles that are right for us, despite societal pressures and expectations.

To learn more about Laura: @lauraka on Instagram

*Content Warning: Very brief and vague discussion of eating disorders

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at (with their technical and financial support) Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley

[ambivalentlyyours]

Rebelliously Tiny Podcast Episode 8: Armando, Michaël & Graeme   LISTEN HERE Or subscribe on ITUNES or STITCHER

*Content Warning: Discussions of gendered violence, sexism, and eating disorders.

Welcome to another episode of Rebelliously Tiny. Here’s this week’s question: “I'm 15 and my good friend at school is male and anorexic, many people shame him for this because 'male' and 'anorexic' don't seem to match in today's society sadly. There's also a girl with anorexia but people give her support, I assume because she's female. I was wondering if you knew of anything I could do for people at my school to view males with mental health illnesses differently?”

This week, Ambivalently Yours reaches out to her friends Armando and Michaël, a married couple, and to her partner Graeme, for help responding to this question. In this “double date” podcast episode, we talk about allyship, mental health, body image and its relationship to gender norms. The two couples became friends after discussing these topics, and wanted to think through this question together. We also explore the implications of gender roles in society, and our guests speak to their own experiences with masculinity and femininity as defined by mainstream culture. In addition, we think about when and how we could be including different voices into these discussions, while also making space for specificity within social justice.

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at (with their technical and financial support) Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley

[ambivalentlyyours]

Rebelliously Tiny Podcast Episode 4: Celia LISTEN HERE Or subscribe on ITUNES or STITCHER

Welcome to the fourth episode of Rebelliously Tiny. 

Here’s this week’s question: “I have severe anxiety and it's hard for me to do some daily tasks. People roll their eyes at me everyday and tell me to get over it. No one understands that my anxiety is like this demon on my shoulder. I am strong and anxiety does not control me.”

This week, we speak with vlogger, writer and feminist philosopher Celia Edell about mental health. Our question is about anxiety, and Celia has a lot of great advice, including tips about how to get help and what to do when people tell you to “just get over it.” She tells us a little bit about her personal experiences and how they have shaped her perspectives on mental health. We talk about different coping mechanisms like listening to podcasts or watching Gilmore Girls and Teen Mom, and the power of a good cry. Ambivalently Yours and Celia also share experiences of online hate and criticisms, and strategies for ignoring hateful comments. Finally, towards the end of the episode, Zhi Xi, who you may have met in our episode last week, asks Celia for some advice. 

Learn more about Celia’s work at @ceedling on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Tumblr.

*Content Warning: discussions of mental health issues; online misogyny. 

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at (with their technical and financial support) Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley

[ambivalentlyyours]

Rebelliously Tiny Podcast Episode 6: Crickett LISTEN HERE Or subscribe on ITUNES or STITCHER

*Content Warning: Discussions of Sexual Assault

Welcome to another episode of Rebelliously Tiny. Here’s this week’s question: “I'm going to uni and one of my friends got raped at the beginning of the year. It makes me sick to my stomach that such a high percentage of girls at uni get raped and yet they refuse to do anything about it. She went to the college counselors and the police. Everyone made it seem like it was her fault. The garbage male got her extremely drunk and she thought they were friends, but then he took her to his room and assaulted her. I want to help but it makes me so mad I dont want to scare her.”

This week, we talk with Crickett, the Public Education Coordinator at the Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton, Ontario (SACHA), who helps us reflect upon and answer this question about sexual assault. It is a tough question that outlines the harsh realities of the prevalence of sexual violence in our culture. Our discussion with Crickett gives us hope as it highlights the important work being done to help support survivors and combat the systems and structures that enable this violence to happen. Crickett also shares tips for friends of survivors on how to be supportive, and explains the extreme importance of “loving, trusting, and believing” each other. We tackle topics such as how the media misrepresents and blames victims of sexual assault and the failure of institutions meant to protect them. Lastly, we highlight the importance of self-care for survivors, friends of survivors, and anyone practicing resistance in the current political climate.  

To learn more about SACHA please visit: sacha.ca Facebook: @sachamilton Twitter: @SACHA_tweets Youtube: SACHAbroadcast

A podcast by Ambivalently Yours Co-produced by Hannah McCasland Recorded at (with their technical and financial support) Oboro Arist-Run Center in Montreal Technical support: Stéphane Claude Music: Greg Barkley