Mo' Sibyl

사랑하는 이의 자살 후의 삶|The One with Debra Blaylock - Beyond the Shadow: Life After the Suicide of a Loved One: Episode 22 (2024)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 사랑하는 이의 자살 후의 삶|The One with Debra Blaylock - Beyond the Shadow: Life After the Suicide of a Loved One: Episode 22 (2024)

TW: This episode discusses suicide and grief.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with my dear friend, Debra Blaylock, who courageously shares her journey of grief and resilience following her husband's suicide, which took place just before the COVID-19 lockdown. The timing added layers of isolation and loneliness to her already immense sorrow, complicating the healing process. This episode aims to explore the immediate and prolonged aftermath of such a tragic loss and to share, in Debra’s words, how “the pain never leaves; it’s transferred down to the family.” Debra talks about the invisible nature of pain—how it can quietly consume loved ones and leave a permanent impact on those left behind. She reflects, “You have to realize you are not a person; you are just involved,” encapsulating how grief reshapes one’s identity. Debra stresses the importance of recognizing the signs of distress, having open conversations about mental health, and seeking support when needed. Her story is a poignant reminder that although the pain may be overwhelming, there is always hope, and no one is ever truly alone. She leaves listeners with the crucial message: “There is always hope, and you are never truly alone.” This conversation sheds light on the silent struggles many face and offers hope and guidance for anyone navigating a similar path. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. Together, we can break the silence around mental health and be a source of light and support for one another.

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: 이민과 남성성 예술|The One with Mayowa Nwadike - The Artistic Journey: Embracing Vulnerability and Self-Expression: Episode 15 (2024)

Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Mayowa Nwadike, a super-talented mixed-media artist from Nigeria who is now making waves in the United States. Mayowa’s art is special—it touches on topics like toxic masculinity and the immigrant experience, all through the magic of acrylic and charcoal.

Mayowa’s work is like a mirror held up to society, reflecting how our norms and expectations can sometimes fuel toxic masculinity. But here’s the cool part—he’s not just pointing out the problem; he’s flipping the script and pushing for a more inclusive take on gender roles. We had a great chat about this, and he opened up about his childhood in a religious household, growing up with three siblings, and how family favoritism shaped his emotional world and, ultimately, his art. It’s all about those subtle, often unspoken feelings that he captures so brilliantly.

But wait, there’s more! Mayowa also took us through his artistic evolution—from his early pencil sketches to the abstract pieces he started experimenting with during the 2020 lockdown. His art is a visual diary, filled with the raw emotions of migration, identity struggles, and the complexities of manhood. We touched on some pretty important stuff, like mental health, breaking those old-school gender stereotypes, and why it’s so crucial for men to embrace their vulnerability and express their emotions.

Trust me, you don’t want to miss this conversation!

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Selena: The Girl from Mauritius – On Island Living

Let’s explore an African country together in this episode. And no, it’s not Nigeria, haha.

Welcome to the Island, peeps! This African island boasts of enviable beaches for destination weddings. It is a religiously diverse nation, with freedom of religion given as a constitutional right and the only African country with a Hindu majority. As Hawaii is seen drifting away from the continental US, so is this country relative to Africa when viewed on a map. It’s also a country close to Madagascar and the only known habitat of the now-extinct bird – dodo.

Mark Twain once quipped that Heaven was copied after this country and Lewis Carroll was inspired by the dodo to write his famous book “Alice in Wonderland” in 1865. Life expectancy here is well higher than the world average and is well above the average for African countries.

Welcome to Mauritius – one of only four countries in the world with no involvement in ongoing international or domestic conflicts and no tensions with neighboring countries. The others being Botswana, Chile, and Uruguay.. As a result, Mauritius does not maintain a standing army.

I invited Selena – who I describe as a spunky, ethnically-ambiguous, culturally-rich, cosmopolitan, Mauritian gal - to talk about her country’s history, its unique aspects, and what her identity and nationality mean to her.

We also talked about her overcoming body image issues, experiences as a US immigrant, and how she responds to questions about her origin.