What if becoming yourself isn't about choosing one identity—but finally giving yourself permission to embrace all of them?

In this episode of Dare to Be Us, Ruth sits down with Mi’kmaq scientist, artist, author, model and advocate Raven Elwell Stephens for a deeply personal conversation about identity, culture, purpose and finding your voice.

Raven shares her unconventional journey from aviation to biology, her experience growing up in foster care and reconnecting with her Indigenous community, and how art became another way to preserve and share cultural knowledge.

We explore her book Painting Our Legacy, which uses makeup artistry to represent Indigenous teachings, stories and symbols, as well as her experience in the Miss Indigenous Canada Leadership Program, where she became Second Runner Up and received both the Cultural Presentation and Public Speaking Awards.

But this conversation goes much deeper than accomplishments.

Raven and Ruth talk about:

• Indigenous identity and reconnecting with culture • Foster care and intergenerational experiences • Art as storytelling and cultural preservation • The Seven Sacred Teachings • Women supporting women instead of competing • Imposter syndrome and mental health • Beauty, aging and self-acceptance • Indigenous representation in fashion and media • Using your voice when you're afraid to speak • Redefining success beyond money and status • Two-Eyed Seeing—bringing Indigenous knowledge and Western science together • Finding purpose without forcing yourself into one box

At the heart of this conversation is a reminder that our stories don't have to be perfect or linear to have meaning.

Sometimes the parts of ourselves that don't seem to belong together are exactly what make us who we are.

If this episode resonates with you, follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who needs to hear Raven's story.

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GUEST — RAVEN ELWELL STEPHENS

📸 Instagram:@ravenstephens

📸 Art & beadwork: @ravenxbeads 📖 Author of Painting Our Legacy

💛 Dare to be weird. Dare to heal. Dare to be us.

What happens when you’re doing everything you were told to do — working, hustling, trying to build a life —and it still isn’t enough?

In this episode of Dare To Be Us, I sit down with actor, filmmaker, writer, and director Taylor Olson for a conversation that goes far beyond film.

We talk about the reality many people are facing after COVID: Nova Scotia’s housing crisis, invisible homelessness, the rising cost of basic necessities, and what happens when people are working two or even three jobs and still struggling to survive.

Taylor shares how witnessing people living in encampments and experiencing housing insecurity influenced their work and what it takes, as an actor and storyteller, to step inside a character carrying that kind of emotional weight.

We also explore something we don’t talk about enough: men’s mental health and the pressure to provide.

What happens when fathers are carrying financial stress, expectations, work, child support and the belief that they have to figure everything out alone? What happens to families when that pressure becomes too much? And what happens when mothers are left carrying the emotional and practical responsibilities that remain?

But this conversation isn’t only about what’s going wrong.

It’s also about what we may have forgotten along the way:

Community. Connection. Empathy.

Taylor takes us inside their recent and upcoming projects, including an experimental horror anthology exploring artificial intelligence, the OutTV workplace comedy Sexy Touch, and an upcoming dark comedy about a stand-up comedian who discovers what can happen when career ambition becomes more important than the people around us.

We also talk about Taylor’s deeply personal AMI project Look at Me, their experience with eating disorders, mental health storytelling, and why seeing someone’s reality can sometimes be the beginning of understanding it.

Maybe the question isn’t simply:

How do we become more successful?

Maybe we need to start asking:

What is our definition of success costing us?

🎙️ ABOUT THE GUEST — TAYLOR OLSON

Taylor Olson is an actor, filmmaker, writer and director whose work explores community, identity, mental health and the complicated realities of being human. Their projects include Look at Me, Sexy Touch, experimental work exploring artificial intelligence, and an upcoming dark comedy examining ambition, success and human connection.

✨ JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Have you felt like you’re working harder but getting further behind?

What has the cost-of-living crisis changed for you or your family?

And what do you think we need to rebuild, financially, emotionally or as a community?

Tell me in the comments. Your story matters here.

Dare to be weird. Dare to heal. Dare to be us.

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Website: https://daretobeus.com/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@daretobeus

Instagram: @daretobeuspodcast

🎧 Subscribe to Dare To Be Us wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe here on YouTube so you don’t miss the next conversation.

#HousingCrisis #CostOfLiving #MentalHealth #MensMentalHealth #TaylorOlson #DareToBeUs #NovaScotia #HousingCrisisCanada #Homelessness #Burnout #Filmmaking #Neurodivergence #Community #MentalHealthAwareness

What happens when we stop judging people and start understanding their stories?

In this episode of Dare to Be Us, filmmaker Eric Orson joins me for a conversation about invisible homelessness, mental health, neurodivergence, community, and why our definition of success may be contributing to the loneliness so many people experience today.

Inspired by real life experiences volunteering in Halifax's encampments, Eric shares how storytelling can challenge perspectives, build empathy, and inspire meaningful conversations. We also explore the pressures of modern society, the importance of genuine human connection, and how compassion can transform the way we see one another.

Whether you're passionate about mental health, filmmaking, or creating a more connected world, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what it truly means to belong.

Connect with Dare to Be Us

🌐 https://daretobeus.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daretobeuspodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone who could benefit from today's conversation. Your support helps us continue creating conversations that encourage healing, curiosity, and authentic human connection.