My Totem Pole

-

For my totem pole, I would have to start with an owl being carved. This is for multiple reasons, the first being that owls are seen as a symbol of intelligence and wisdom, as it is the symbol of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, which being intelligent and doing well with my studies has always been an important part of me since grade 1. Secondly, owls started to become my favourite animal after learning the Greek connection to intelligence, so I have many decorative objects of owls now. Lastly, owls are seen in connection to the moon and can be a symbol of femininity, which showcases how I have become more comfortable being born female and having this body as I was growing up.

The next object I would want carved is a cross with the breast cancer awareness ribbon around it, pictured below. This is for my Grandma who died from breast cancer when I was around 10-11 years old. Religion was important to her, but she never pushed it on anyone or forced us to go to church when we were young, which has helped guide my beliefs on how to practice Christianity. She was one of my favourite people and her death has definitely had an impact on my life, so I would like to honour her on my totem pole.

(https://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/TheBradfordExchangeCanada/0126683001)

The next object on my totem pole would be the flute. I had liked to play the flute in public school, but I really developed my skills in high school. Along with my twin, we got accepted into senior band a year before students were usually accepted, which helped me get over some shyness. While I do not play much anymore, learning the flute and practicing new songs was an important part of me in high school.

The fourth carving would be a phoenix. In grade 11, I became really depressed, often missing school and having unhealthy habits. It took a lot out of me to even wake up, but I eventually got some help once someone noticed some scars, got on anti-depressants that worked for me, and was involved in a safety plan for me at school. The phoenix is an animal that rises from the ashes, often seen as a mental health animal that depicts people learning to live with their mental health and become a healthier person, which I believe I've learned to live with my struggles.

The fifth carving would be a butterfly. Butterflies are a symbol of transformation, hope, rebirth, and more. Since coming out as non-binary a bit before college, I have started the journey to accept myself for who I am and what my body looks like. It took me a while to understand my identity and what it means to me, but I believe I have 'transformed' into a better and healthier me.

The last carving on my totem pole would be a peacock. This would be the last object as it depicts me in college and that is where I am right now in life. Peacocks can be a symbol of self-love and self-confidence. Through college, I have found myself becoming more confident, speaking up in class, talking to classmates, and becoming more social. I no longer feel uncomfortable being called upon or divided into groups with strangers, I've started to embrace it and I've noticed it makes a difference in my mental health as well.

My resources used were:

Owl Symbolism. Pure Spirit. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2022, from http://www.pure-spirit.com/more-animal-symbolism/400-owl

Moore, S. (2021, June 20). Meaning of the Phoenix. Black Phoenix. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://blackphoenixapparel.com/blogs/phoenix-guides/meaning-of-the-phoenix

Butterfly. Dictionary of Symbolism. (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2022, from http://websites.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/B/butterfly.html#:~:text=In%20its%20metamorphosis%20from%20the,over%20the%20physical%20prison%2C%20the

Harris, E. (2021, August 10). Peacock Spirit Animal. Spirit Animal Info. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.spiritanimal.info/peacock-spirit-animal/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Self-Care Tip: Swimming

-
Another self-care idea that's on the more physical side is swimming. Some benefits to swimming, not focusing on the pillars of wellness, is that it can be fairly affordable depending on where you go swimming. I used to live 10 minutes from this small beach and that's free. There's also a variety of activities that you are able to do, such as water volleyball or Marco Polo. You can also decide to spend time with friends or swim alone if wanted. This is also a great activity for kids as it is usually seen as a fun activity and is not as formal as other exercise options may be. Now, going through the health benefits, swimming works your whole body and builds your strength and endurance while toning muscles. Swimming also strengthens your heart and lungs and is a low-impact exercise that makes it safer injuries or other conditions that make high-impact exercises difficult or dangerous. This is because the water is only a gentle resistance when swimming and other exercises, such...
Read more

My Introduction

-
Image
Good day, My name is Abigail Acland, though everyone calls me Abby. I'm 21 years old and I'm non-binary, using only they/them pronouns. As far as family, I have my parents, a twin, and an older brother, as well as all my extended family. The picture below is a couple years old, but I haven't changed much and it took me a while to find even this one picture of myself. I went to TDSS, Temiskaming District Secondary School, for high school. Afterwards, I didn't know what I wanted to do, but my favourite teacher taught chemistry and I liked learning science, so I went to the University of Waterloo for a Bachelors degree in Chemistry. I didn't make it through the first year, but luckily found a future job that interested me; Telecommunications. I am now at Durham College for 9-1-1 Emergency and Call Centre Communications. For telecommunications, I'm starting as a volunteer at Community Care Durham, but I want to work at Concentrix working as an OnStar Advisor, then e...
Read more

Pillars of Self-Care and Resilience

-
There are eight pillars, or dimensions, of self-care and resilience. Self-care is how you take care of yourself to stay healthy and resilience is how you 'adapt in the face of tragedy, trauma, adversity, hardship, and ongoing significant life stressors' ( Strategies for Self-Care and Resilience ).  Your overall health and wellness is sustained by these eight pillars; physical, occupational, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, financial, and environmental.  First, the physical pillar includes how you maintain a healthy physique and body for your body type. This pillar includes how you exercise, the amount of sleep you get, the meals you eat, and paying attention to your body for signs of illness or anything unusual to seek help and answers when needed. The occupational pillar is how you keep a healthy work-life balance, enjoying what you do and appreciating what you contribute. Being able to work a certain amount of hours and have enough hours to rest includes students....
Read more