April 2019 - Womens Post

Women of the Week April 25, 2019

Kyla Fox: A better vision of body image

Behind someone’s success there is always a vision. When that vision is connected to a personal experience, it makes its outcome all the more fulfilling and empowering. To use the words of Jonathan Swift, “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” I had the pleasure to talk to a modern local visionary, Kyla Fox, founder of The Kyla Fox Centre, an outpatient Eating Disorder Recovery Centre and Women’s Wellness Centre in Toronto.

A social worker by background and an eating disorder survivor, Kyla has dedicated most of her life “helping people to live full and honest lives, without harm, and to raise awareness of eating disorders and issues surrounding women’s health.” In her late teens-early 20s, Kyla suffered with an eating disorder so acute that it put her life at risk.

Opened in 2012, the Centre is a space where people can access help with the support of a multidisciplinary team, placing emphasis on individualized treatment for each client. After having been in practice for 10 years, Kyla felt “there was a massive gap in the services for those affected by eating disorders in a comprehensive way”, and so she created The Kyla Fox Centre. And because women who don’t identify as having eating disorders/disordered eating were wanting to access care at the Centre, Kyla launched, in 2018, the Women’s Wellness Program
— a space for women and those who identify as women, “to receive care, support, and treatment in a way that will support and improve their lives.”

Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are not a young white rich girl’s disease. Although eating disorders do not discriminate and cross over every race, gender, and every socio-economic status, they are not equally distributed amongst genders as disproportionately more women than men are affected.

As an individualized treatment centre, clients are provided with supports and services that meet their unique needs. Kyla knows that eating disorders are not exclusively about food or the body. Moreover, “what happens with food and the body is a manifestation of much deeper things that are going on with a person. The ability to be well in life is about confronting those things.” Therefore, using individual, family, couple, and/or group therapy in order to get to the root causes of the harm
—combined with food and body work—is how treatment at the Centre is designed. Nutritionally speaking, the work is to break down the rules and rituals that those suffering present with. As the approach is “unconventional”, because no two people have the same needs, incorporation of meal support, meal prep, cooking, food outings, and groceries shopping can be part of that work. In terms of the body and reconnecting to it, clients may incorporate naturopathic medicine, yoga, meditation, reiki, acupuncture, mindfulness, meditation, or a combination of all of the above. Art therapy, creative and expressive therapies are also in place to serve the clients’ needs.

“The success rate is very high,” Kyla states, “partly because our clients seek us out and work with us generally for the long haul. Typically, treatment lasts six to 12 months.”

In a world where we are bombarded with images and messages, I wonder how much social media platforms, such as Instagram, and more specifically pro-ana sites contribute to the rise of eating disorders amongst people. As Kyla states, “If it was as simple to develop an eating disorder by looking at images on Instagram, then every single person would have one. It’s not contagious. If it affects us, it’s because something in our lives makes us vulnerable and if it doesn’t, it’s because we have other protective factors in place. “

Kyla now deeply appreciates her body and “all it has done to forgive her, and join with her.” Giving birth to her two daughters has been “the most miraculous part of living well and living free.” As a mother, she is certain that her history will not compromise her daughters’ wellbeing because she has confronted her demons before embarking on such an endeavour.

Kyla has been an avid yogi for over 20 years. She also teaches it as a hobby at a yoga studio. It was introduced to her when she was acutely ill and since then it’s been a spiritual practice that makes her stay connected to herself. She also loves being outdoors in nature, cooking, and being in the company of “people who lift me up” and inspire her to grow and evolve.

Kyla is a public speaker, writer, and advocate for eating disorder awareness, mental health, and women’s wellness.

Editor's Journal April 7, 2019

The arts industry in Barbados

I’ve always believed that artists hold a special role in society. Their desire to make the world just a little more beautiful has a way of inspiring those around them. I’ve become fascinated by the role that artists play in rejuvenating communities and creating societies that are open to new ideas and embracing change.

I grew up in the core of a small city in Canada. It was the late 70s and many city centres were suffering because big box stores and sprawling suburbs had pulled people out of the city core. In our city, most of the old homes were boarded up and the tree-lined streets had seen much better days. Our local government was desperate to find a way to rejuvenate the city and had thrown all their funds behind an arts centre. It was the best decision they could have made.

The art centre acted like a beacon, drawing people in from the sprawling suburbs. It attracted all ages with programs in painting, ceramics, weaving etc. The classes were the normal arts offerings you might expect, but what we didn’t expect was the way the centre worked to ignite creativity within the community. Over just a few years the boarded up homes started to be fixed up, people moved back in from the suburbs. The video arcades and discount stores that had taken over the main street were replaced by restaurants and high-end boutique shops. The families that moved into our neighbourhood were entrepreneurial and creative.

There is a lot of research on the impact the arts have on cities, but what caught my attention were the articles on struggling communities that improved significantly simply because a non-profit, or a social enterprise, created an art centre for creative learning.

Like the small town in Canada where I grew up, many communities around the world have felt the positive economic impact that creative education stirs up. Take for example Ballycastle in Northern Ireland. Ballinglen Arts Foundation was founded by an Amercian couple who wanted to “boost local confidence and economic security by bringing international art practitioners to stay and work in the area.” They offered residency programs attracting artists from all over the world. Over the years hundreds came, people moved into the area and the local economy grew. There are hundreds of stories of small towns that have created learning opportunities in the arts, that have invested in culture, and have become stronger and more sustainable because of their investment.

A study done by the University of Pennsylvania found that “In lower-income neighborhoods, cultural resources are “significantly” linked to better health, schooling, and security.” Studies in education have shown a direct connection between success in academic subjects and the participation in arts programs.

There is something very powerful that happens when people learn the arts. The process of learning creativity opens people to new ideas, to new ways of thinking, and questioning the world around them.

The arts and culture industry also enhance support for environmental initiatives. When a community is open to ideas, and working collaboratively, they become a cleaner and greener community.

There are many places that still cling to old colonial views of the arts as a charitable endeavor rather than a strong economic industry. And these communities all seem to suffer under the belief that their children must become doctors or lawyers or they will be failures. It is no wonder they also lack entrepreneurs and the creative thinking that contributes to a strong economy.

Now that we are living in Barbados I find there is a feelingof hope that seems to be igniting change, not just at the government level but within the community. I have visited Barbados for over 3 decades, and never has the drive for change been as strong as it is now. Where the arts were once viewed as an endeavor needing charitable support, the industry is just starting to be recognised for the economic value it produces.

My family and I moved to the island last year to explore the possibility of creating an environment centre, but what we found was that the need for an arts centre to feed the community desire for creativity was a much more pressing issue. With the government struggling to carry the massive debt burdening the island, there is little funding available to sustain an arts centre.

Research on changes in the tourism industry has found that both culture and environment experiences are big draws for travellers. So we decided to combine them at a centre where travellers and the community will come together. By building a centre that offers environmental programming and arts workshops, we can attract local participants and affluent travellers and by combining this with a boutique hotel we can sustain the centre.

I have spent the past year meeting with community organizations, artists, and business leaders and the support, advice and encouragement they have given is overwhelming.

We have formed Canvas and Cave as a social enterprise with a mission to ignite creative education in the community, inspire entrepreneurs, and build the foundations Barbados needs to become self-sustaining. I know that we won’t succeed without support and direction from the community. When I look at the future, I believe that the process of creative learning will unlock ideas within the community, build collaboration, and inspire entrepreneurs to address the larger challenges facing Barbados.

Forward. Together.

First published in Visual Arts Barbados April 2019 Edition

Environment April 4, 2019

Bruce Poon-Tip: The giver

Usually in the Women’s Post our profiles focus on amazing women, but every now and then we make an exception by profiling men who go above and beyond in supporting women.

Did you ever have someone in your life who impacted it more than they will ever know?

Over 20 years ago I met Bruce Poon-Tip. We met backstage at an entrepreneurial awards event. As we were waiting to receive our awards, he told me all about his company GAP (now G-Adventures) He explained that it was a social enterprise set up to do social good by offering adventure travellers the opportunity to explore countries and have a positive impact on the countries doing things like picking up garbage or helping small businesses. He explained it as doing a social good while making high returns for his investors. His concept fascinated me and we kept in touch over the years while he built G-Adventures into the largest adventure travel company in the world.

When I ran for Mayor of Toronto in 2010, he asked me to help with a team-building event at base-camp (his head office ). The event was high energy to say the least. And I saw why Bruce was such a good leader. He moved around the crowded room with ease, knowing every employee by name (there were hundreds). He had a way of connecting with each of them, inspiring them to move out of their comfort zone, to step forward and step onto the stage. I still remember the way he made them feel – as if standing up and trying your best was all that mattered. I think even the shyest would have stepped onto the stage to dance or sing if he asked them to, heck had he asked me I know I would have!

I hadn’t seen Bruce since 2010 but in 2013 I read his book, Looptail,How One Company Changed the World by Reinventing Business and was surprised and honoured to see that he had mentioned my help back in 2010 with his team-building event. In his book he wrote about the struggles he faced launching his business and the people who helped him along the way. I purchased a few dozen copies of his book and have since given it out to dozens of people hoping that I might in a small way help him give back to the world.

The significant impact Bruce had on my life occurred when I reached out to see if I might run a business idea past him. When we met I told him about my dream to build a social enterprise – Canvas and Cave. It will be an eco-arts centre and hotel in Barbados with the mission to further creative education in the country and build the creative foundations needed to develop entrepreneurs. I explained how I wanted to prove the concept in Barbados and then duplicate it on other islands that were also struggling to sustain themselves.

Most people in your life will tell you what you can’t do, but Bruce Poon-Tip is the kind of person who will tell you that you can do it.

He told me that he believed in me and would support my idea. I went home and wrote a note in my journal that began “Bruce shook my hand, he believes in me!”

I wrote about all the ways we might provide another revenue stream for him. How the experiences we would create for visitors would appeal to his customers who might be looking for unique experiences that didn’t involve as much physical travel.

The confidence Bruce instilled in me ignited my creative side. We needed a way to attract two different demographics – the local community that we hoped to serve at the arts centre, and international travellers staying at the hotel. I began reaching out to famous artists, writers, actors and musicians with the idea of getting one a week to attend Canvas and Cave to speak or teach. And I think the confidence I exuded caused many of them to agree. The ideas keep coming but it all started with Bruce telling me that he believed in me.

An entrepreneur who is just launching her business needs the trust and support of friends and family who believe in her. The entrepreneurs in Barbados aren’t able to get support from friends and family simply because the culture hasn’t learned to support creativity. With the help of people like Bruce Poon-Tip we will build the creative education the community needs to recognise and empower entrepreneurial ideas. Bruce is a true giver.