Stories Within Us

with Lisa Bush

Conversations with writers, poets, educators, activists, artists, and researchers whose work is questioning, disrupting, or altogether transforming how we view ourselves and each other.

Stories Within Us explores how our lived experiences—and the process of sharing those stories— has the power to connect, heal, and change.

Welcome to Season 7

S7:5 Changing the world with better stories with Natalie Meisner

When Natalie Meisner started her career in theatre, she was cast for roles that didn’t represent the women she knew or the women she wanted to become. So, Natalie started writing her own plays. In today’s episode, poet, playwright, and professor Natalie Meisner discusses the importance of LGBTQ2S+ representation in all stories. Natalie shares how comedy can be a catalyst for social change and how her book, Double Pregnant: Two Lesbians Make a Family, lifts the veil of silence around fertility and pregnancy while making us laugh at the same time.

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S7:4 Parenting in the age of AI with Leslie Salgado

In the second episode of our two-part series, journalist, photographer, and AI researcher Leslie Salgado guides me step by step through AI ethics, ChatGPT, and parenting in the age of AI. Leslie explains, “Their world is going to be heavily influenced by AI… For me it’s not about prohibiting or denying that reality. It’s about educating them and educating ourselves.”

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All Episodes

S5:11 Healing and Music with D’orjay

Country music artist, healer, and author D’orjay speaks to us about healing, music, and her book, SHIT MY SHAMAN SAYS. D’orjay shares her healing journey and how it led to her work as a Shaman and Pranic Healer. Dorjay explains that a shaman is, “Someone who sees light in the darkness.”

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S5:10 Motherhood Tax with Dr. Maki Motapanyane

Today’s episode with Dr. Maki Motapanyane explores the ongoing, unceasing tension that exists for women navigating motherhood and careers. I found this conversation refreshingly validating; Maki doesn’t downplay the challenges mothers in the twenty-first-century face.

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S5:9 Radical Self-care and Communal Self-care with Dr. Bri Wiens

In this episode, I speak with activist-scholar Dr. Bri Wiens on radical self-care and communal self-care. Bri and I discuss the invisible labour that women are currently expected to do in the academy and in other places of work. Bri shares her research on feminist shadow networks, explaining, “They are quiet when they have to be; they are loud when they have to be.”

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S5:7 The importance of empathy, conversation, and action with Nagwan Al-Guneid

In today’s episode, I speak with sustainability leader, mother, and activist Nagwan Al-Guneid about her life-long passion for politics and her vision for the future of energy. We discuss the importance of empathy, conversations and coming together in order to create a just energy plan. Nagwan states,  “I believe energy transformation is about having conversations in diverse settings with diverse perspectives. It involves everybody.” 

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S5:6 Getting Unstuck with Miche Priest

In today’s episode, recovering hustle culture disciple Miche Priest walks us through the process of getting unstuck. She provides three steps we can take to finding solutions: widening the lens (not hyper focusing on two binaries), getting missing data, addressing the risks/fears holding us back. 

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S5:5 Have the audacity to dream

Why we need to dream—and dream big—especially during challenging times. I share my thoughts on why we must dream our own dreams and not what society expects us to dream. I tell a story involving a spreadsheet (because spreadsheets are beautiful) about how taking ownership of my dreams is something that I still struggle with to this day.

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S5:4 Modern Sexism and Anger

In today’s episode, I discuss something that has been on my mind for a while—Modern Sexism. Recently I’ve either experienced it or seen other women become entangled in it. However, I didn’t have the vocabulary to express what was happening.

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S5:3 Finding the helpers amongst the chaos with Crystal Reynolds

In this episode, Crystal and I discuss her journey as a creative, her design work with Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s campaign and how Crystal is finding individuals who help her make sense of the world that we are currently navigating. Crystal shares how we can stay grounded—both as parents and as creatives—during times of chaos. 

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