Lauren Shaffer
Where were you raised? Has the landscape of that place influenced your work in any way?
I was raised in Texas, just outside Dallas. Growing up looked a lot like Friday Night Lights, albeit a bit more suburban. While I love some of the charms of the lone star state, it always felt like something was missing for me.
I moved to Colorado for college and some of my most formative ‘growing up’ happened in the midst of the mountains and evergreen. All it took was this new abundance of time in nature to start seeing the world differently, and intuitively I began to understand how our whole life is connected to, dependent on, and responsible for the health of the environment.
So much of what I do now is rooted in the philosophy that our natural state is whole and healthy and that the body tends towards healing when nurtured and cared for properly. Nothing shows that better than the natural world.
How do you recharge your creative battery?
When I need to get creative juices flowing, I’ll spend time wandering through a forest or taking a winding drive through mountain roads simply listening to music. Spending time with my bestie also always does the trick — we have more creative projects schemed up than there will ever be enough time in this life.
What book are you reading?
Currently reading the Celestine Prophecy, which my meditation teacher had introduced to me awhile back via the super cheesy 90s film version. It’s a fictional adventure that delves into nine insights of the spiritual nature of the universe. Some of the core themes focus on serendipity and synchronicity and ultimately, flow… and I’m guessing it’s no coincidence the serendipitous way the book found me recently, right when I needed its message. Ah, universe.
What was the last thing that you fell in love with?
Oh, man. So many things!
The small tribe of women I spent my Reiki masters retreat with this summer I definitely fell in love hard with — collectively the group was such a blend of graceful, joyful energy and individually everyone was fascinating and complex in their own distinct way. Also, my Reiki teacher Lara Elliot, I love dearly!
Seeing the mountains every day after moving to Boulder recently after over a decade in the Bay Area.
The super textural work of artist Carla Cascales Alimbau. Always love her plays on light and shadow too.
The words of Mary Oliver.
I also fell completely in love with an incredible human this year. From the very beginning, he and I had a sense of knowing each other that we couldn't quite put our fingers on. As we’ve continued learning more of one another we’ve hit levels of presence, thoughtfulness, vulnerability, and acceptance I didn’t know were possible before I met him.
Mary Oliver
What do you love most about yourself?
My sensitivity. It allows me to connect with others really deeply, to feel so much of what they feel. I’ve only come to embrace it in recent years once I understood how to listen to it; to use it properly, to recognize the subtle energy I’m picking up in others versus my own ... before that I was often overwhelmed and an anxious mess because of it, which was really fun for both me and my therapist of many years.
What do you think is the most important quality in a human?
Openness to connection, especially in the intense state our world is in right now. The separateness is extreme and the more we’re able to stay open to connecting with others, especially anyone we feel divided from in some way, the more we can recognize that we all really want the same things -- love, safety, health, good food, and a solid laugh.
Carla Cascales Alimbau
Do you have a spiritual practice?
I do — it is constantly evolving. There’s always a sturdy foundation of reiki, meditation, breathwork, and writing no matter what else comes and goes. Oh, and time in nature always. My curiosity has led me to many other practices I’ve stashed in my spiritual toolbox too, which I often pull from at random.
Who are your role models?
I’ve dug so much deeper on Georgia O'Keeffe the last few years while spending time in New Mexico. Seriously, such a rad woman in so many ways.
Georgia O’Keefe
If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be? Is there an individual or an organization doing work in this area that you want us to know about?
Ensure easy access to healthy food for everyone.
Our food system is so off-kilter. It’s negatively impacting our health both individually and as a community, plus majorly causing damage to the environment with large scale commercial agriculture.
Supporting local agriculture as close as you can to the source is always a good thing -- farms and farmers, farmers markets and local CSAs, and organizations like CUESA, which does fantastic work to build a healthier food system in Northern California.
Before I die I want…
Build something meaningful that lasts well after I do.
Photos courtesy of Lauren Shaffer
