I recently reached out to a dog trainer who I love on Instagram and has helped me to provide a better life for my animal and also structure my new life as a neurodivergent dog Mami. My best friend and service dog Oli came into my life in 2020 after a prayer in the mountains of Mayaguez during a very strict COVID quarantine on the island. I was praying for guidance and to understand if I were to continue on the path of nomadic life or be present in the archipelago of Puerto Rico for something new. I was not sure what that newness would entail but during that night of solo camping in the rainforest on a path that was untouched my humans, I had a vision of a puppy flopping his ears. 

7 months later, Oli came into my life after being rescued from the beach. It was an unexpected blessing and change. Today, I can’t imagine my life without him and oddly enough, neither can the small business in our rural coastal town. Sprit Shells exists in tandem with my digital career in graphic design, social change and water aerobics class. The pool is the only place that Oli cannot come with me, but it is an important time for me to decompress on my own. During a walk to the bead shop this morning another client visiting the store asked the owner if she had gotten a dog. Oli was quietly sitting at the doorway enjoying the A.C.. She said, “No,” but that Oli is one of her clients. 

It was not until I started working with a neurodivergent and deeply intuitive dog trainer that I realized the type of business that I have built that works in colloboration/rhythm with the natural world. This was my intention in 2020 however the model that existed in world of social impact, like decolonization, felt like a far reaching goal in my head versus being. It was not until folks began reflecting back at me that I realized I was living my dream and had become the very type of person I have always wanted to be. I felt it, but I couldn’t see it. I have always found solace among animals. In the quiet moments of creation, when I am shaping a Spirit Shell piece or reflecting with a client, my cat Karaya is quietly sitting behind me and Oli and I both go foraging for shells together.

Sometimes it’s the rain that keeps me creating in my studio instead of being wild in the surf or the feeling of Karaya’s tail brushing past my ankles that reminds me to stretch and that there is so much magic and kindness in the air regardless of what kind of experience I may have online or in person. My animals and I both live by natural cycles. We rise with the sun, seek rest with shame, and respond to our environments honestly. In Spirit Shells and the ways that I organize my life, I honor the rhythms of the oceans, moon and elements. Working with my animals reminds me that slowing down is sacred as well as turning up and being rowdy when needed. Their protection, like mine, is gentle and fierce at the same time. I feel this in all of the work that I do regardless of the medium.

This season I am moving deeper into aligning my working with the natural world and my own desires. It can’t be forced, no matter how much I try and control it. I am learning to listen more closely to the cycles of my body as well whether I am creating and or holding space for someone else’s story. I invite you to take a deeper listen to the world around you and your own cycles. What would it look like to let your own internal tides rise and fall without resistance? Whether’s it through a piece of jewelry, a coaching session or a pauses to watch your dog and/or cat nap in the sun, there is wisdom there and all around you.

Enjoy it!