Yarns for the Soul
"Yarns" is a common way for New Zealanders to describe having a chat, a conversation. We might say 'I had a great yarn with Nicole the other day!'. For me, a yarn can go in many different directions, often including multiple tangents and side stories. It also involves having deeper discussions and diving into some vulnerability, before coming back up to a lighter level with some sarcasm or dark humour.
Yarns for the Soul was born out of a desire to champion more honest and vulnerable conversation (but also feel like you're sitting on a friend's couch with a cup of tea having a yarn with them- and that friend is me!).
I believe in the magic and power of story-telling, and everyone has stories that deserve to be shared with the world. We are all experts of our own lived experiences, and I hope by sharing these we can foster more curiosity and compassion for others and the world around us.
I yarn with my guests on a range of topics, often delving into subjects that are still considered socially taboo or not spoken about enough. In my mini-yarns, I also share parts of my own stories, and reflect on things that I'm learning while I continue to muddle my way forward and follow my nose!
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If you'd like to get in touch, or follow my journey, you can find me over in Instagram @yarnsforthesoulnicole. See you there!
Yarns for the Soul
Episode 39- Mini-yarn on femininity and why I wear black
BONUS MINI-YARN
On this cheeky bonus episode I yarn about what femininity means to me, and the journey I have taken to feeling confident in my own version of being feminine. I talk about my experiences growing up in a rural part of New Zealand, and the transition from a small primary school to intermediate in 'town' where I was first introduced to what I thought being feminine was "supposed" to look like. I also discuss the fact that school uniforms for girls always involved skirts, and the subtle message this sends.
I yarn about how full-time work and practicing as lawyer meant I spent so much time in a world of masculine energy, that it took time to reconnect with my own feminine energy when I left. It took me many years to realise that just because what makes me feel confident and powerful may look different to others, that doesn't mean it is any less feminine.
I also reflect on the blue/pink gender binary, and realising how much this rigid structure impacted on my ability to feel confident as who I am. I never resonated with the colour pink, and any version of femininity associated with it, so I was then left wondering where it was that I fitted in. I disagree with the way we continue to assign kids a colour at birth, rather than letting them pick their own colours as they grow up (I'm either blue, purple or black, depending on the day).
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If you enjoyed this episode I would love to hear from you, or if you have suggestions for mini-yarn topics in the future. If you want to get in touch, you can find me over on Instagram @yarnsforthesoulnicole- see you there!
