Creatures of Change Episode #1: The Story of My Life in 10 Changes

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By Valerie Martin

Valerie Martin Creatures of Change podcast

Welp, not to make it ~aLL aBoUt Me~ 😝 but for the first episode of Creatures of Change, I thought it would be fun to talk about some of the changes I’ve made or experienced throughout my 36 years so far.

Once I finished outlining the 10 changes I wanted to touch on, I realized that in many ways, I sort of accidentally told the story of my life (in 30 minutes— buckle the F up! 😂).

That’s pretty cool to think about: my intention was to talk about changes, and it turns out that those changes were all the moments that were either pivotal in getting me to where I am today, and/or are a big part of my daily life now. This insight just reaffirms my excitement about exploring change with a variety of guests on future episodes.

🎧 To listen to the episode, stream from the podcast player below, or search & subscribe to Creatures of Change on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

More About Creatures of Change

We’ve all said it at some point: “ I’m just a creature of habit.” And sure, there’s a lot to say for consistency and routine. But what about that other saying, “the only constant in life is change”? Maybe we’re creatures of change, too…

Creatures of Change explores the concept and practice of change from a variety of perspectives: stories of folks who’ve made huge changes in the trajectory of their lives, others who have made small but lasting and impactful changes in their day-to-day lives, and— we’ll also just nerd out about the science of human behavior, and how we can get better at executing the small changes, and embracing the big ones.

Oh, and if you’re looking to make a change in your life and want some guidance and support to set yourself up well for it? We’ll also do episodes featuring coaching with podcast host Valerie Maritn, who happens to be both a therapist and self-development supergeek.

Additional Links + Resources

Did you love this episode? Please leave a review, tell a friend, and subscribe to Creatures of Change for a new episode every 2 weeks!

✨ Creatures of Change episode archives and show notes

✨ Watch the video version of the podcast on my YouTube channel (click subscribe! 💜)

✨ Want to be a guest or know someone who should be? If you or someone you know has an interesting and inspiring story about change, or want to be considered for coaching with Val on a future episode, reach out to creaturesofchangepodcast@gmail.com, or direct potential guests to our submission form at bit.ly/creaturesofchangeguest.

✨ Sister podcast Bodyful

✨ In Tennessee and looking for therapy? Check out The Gaia Center.

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✨ Learn about coaching, speaking, and other stuff Val is up to

Bodyful Episode #15: Zephyr Scott on Food System Alienation

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By Valerie Martin

Every now and then someone comes along who stops you in your tracks and makes you just want to pull out your notebook and write down everything they’re saying.

Zephyr Scott is one of those people.

They are incredibly passionate, wise, unconventional, kind, and dedicated to their work of bridging disconnections that have been ignored to the detriment of our individual and collective health.

This dynamic conversation reaches across a wide range of topics, from why eating disorder treatment facilities should consider biophilic design, to what Zephyr defines as “food system alienation,” and how a year of living as a vagabond taught them more about breaking free from the cultural script than anything they could have learned inside a therapy room.

I can’t wait to read Zephyr’s future book, and it’s clear to me just from this hour-long conversation that they are going to leave a real mark on the world.

To listen to the episode, stream from the podcast player below, or search & subscribe to Bodyful on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

About Zephyr Scott (they/them)

Zephyr has been many things: a freelance painter, international solo hitchhiker, burlesque performer, dissident, student, emergency caseworker for survivors of domestic violence, citizenship test interpreter, vagrant, teacher, and more. They have lived in moldy squats, on sidewalks, at occupations, out of a backpack in the woods, and as far from their Chesapeake Bay region birthplace as Aotearoa (New Zealand). Zephyr now lives in a log cabin with friends of varied species in the high desert wilderness on occupied Apache Chiricahua land. It is a place that they aspire to transform into a multispecies sanctuary of sorts for individuals whose bodies have been harmed by human food systems.

Zephyr is finishing their Masters of Science in Sustainable Food Systems, writing a book that examines food and body struggles from a critical food systems studies perspective, and is spending the first half of 2022 doing an intensive mentored study in regenerative architecture with a focus on the psychological and embodied impacts of existing eating disorder treatment center designs. Their upcoming projects will reimagine and radically redesign care for people who are struggling with food and embodiment. Much of Zephyr’s research and writing has centered on the weaponization of food systems by systems of power, the framework they have been creating of “food system alienation”, and the utilization and reclamation of food systems in liberatory struggles.

Zephyr believes in taking action to facilitate autonomy for everyone regardless of class, race, gender, species, and all other assigned categories.

Links + Additional Resources: