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Kelowna artist explores diverse experiences of motherhood in new podcast

Lady Dia makes her podcast come to life following a $10,000 Telus Storyhive grant
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Lady Dia (Photo Credit/Asif Ahmed Shagor)

Inspiration matters.

It awakens us to new possibilities and pushes us beyond our ordinary experiences and limitations. Kelowna’s Lady Dia knows this to be true. It’s been nine months since she, and 15 other recipients, received a $10,000 Telus Storyhive grant, the competition’s first-ever round of podcast funding. On her MOM:ENTS podcast, she talks with mothers, including, but not limited to Indigenous, Black, women of colour, creatives, artists and dreamers, sharing their journey through motherhood.

She checks in on what her inspiration means to her regularly.

“I ask myself that question, especially when fear and doubt get in the way,” she says. “I can best describe it as fulfillment and this feeling of not wanting to blame anything else for a lack of want I want to achieve. I know if I don’t follow my dreams, if I don’t keep pushing then I will ultimately feel regret and won’t feel fulfilled.”

Lady Dia’s podcasts focus on inspiring moms from all walks of life, trying to balance their creativity, family, and work lives.

“It’s really about relationality, and understanding that we have a certain paradigm we are living in and how to navigate within that paradigm,” she adds. “Life can be very different for a black boy than a white boy. We need more information to cater to us, to uplift us, and to help nurture our growth and understanding. These women, they do that in their different spheres.”

Hearing, and sharing those stories, have led her to be more kind to herself, and “let the dance of life happen.” It’s given her the power to see possibilities everywhere in her life and feel like it’s a story others want to hear.

“Also, the need for creative mothers, creative parents to come together and fight for each other to have space to create and build a community for our children,” she says.

The stories she relates have also inspired her to ask about “radical motherhood”.

“Radical motherhood looks like still not needing to sacrifice yourself and your being for your child and your family, but still being to be there for them and still accomplish your dreams. How can we do that together as a collective?” she explains.

The response to her MOM:ENTS podcasts have been positive and exciting, with mothers she doesn’t know reaching out and asking her to tell their stories.

“It’s extended beyond just wanting to hear stories to actually gathering mothers and children and wanting to do something on the ground, she says. “To have spaces for mothers to create and have their children with them at the same time.”

Lady Dia credits Telus Storyhives for helping her get her inspiration off the ground.

“It was a huge learning experience to understand the standard of what Telus wanted,” she adds. “They really help you go through the steps of editing your podcasts and recording, so now my own work has levelled up. Telus has been very supportive.”

Her website is Lady Melodia and her email address is ladydiamelodia@gmail.com.

Read More: Lady Dia selected as City of Kelowna’s artist in residence


@GaryBarnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com

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Gary Barnes

About the Author: Gary Barnes

Recently joined Kelowna Capital News and WestK News as a multimedia journalist in January 2022. With almost 30 years of experience in news reporting and radio broadcasting...
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