About Me
My journey has been — and continues to be — anything but linear. And (most) every step has been one my most authentic leadership, shaping what I hope will be a lifetime of lasting change and transformation.
On the surface, I am: multifaceted, eclectic, creative, smart, educated, sex-positive, relationally conscious, natural teacher & coach, musician, birder, ceramic artist, facilitator, plant-based, a spiritual naturalist, healing through laughter (mostly at my own jokes).
Where I Stay
I stay in and around the land governed by the Council of Three Fires or the Three Fires Council, a long-standing Anishinaabe alliance of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi nations. I believe this imbues everything about the Colonial City of Chicago with this air of rebellion. It’s a city where a lot of power lives with grassroots Community Organizers working for the people, it's hard working, it's a little bit dirty (though, not as smelly as New York (so I feel like we have that going for us), incredibly and unpretentiously creative, colorful, and it's the land that cut my teeth and shaped that spicy, raggedy side of myself and maybe gave me a few trust issues.
My People
The relationship map the bottom right only maps my closest connections. But that starburst lives within a constellation of connections that have nurtured my growth even in the rooms I could not see.
Those who light the unseen are: Deeply loved Mentors, beloved peers and esteemed professors at University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources where I am currently studying to earn an MPS in Leadership for Sustainability. Former colleagues, Mentors and friends at Rockwood Leadership Institute and Chicago Foundation for Women where I learned how to turn my passion for justice and love for relational, transdisciplinary problem solving into non-profit initiative design. Mentors, friends and peer-coaches at Coaching for Healing Justice and Liberation Mentors and The Yoga Therapy Institute who taught me how to turn love into acts of service for others. Bernadette at Lincoln Park District, Rebecca Toon at Old Town School of Folk Music and my Pre-K students who reminded me how to play — of the light and joy in it. And so many many more including my ancestors, family and satellite friends.
Connected by Love
I am learning, even in conflict to remember that we all bring more than just ourselves into a room with us. That we all require space to laugh, breathe, rest, and play in this life. And that in the honoring of who we each are — as our most liberated selves — there is both tension and beauty.
What I “Do”
Through creativity, love, and leadership, I help ideas come to life. Every project I take on is an opportunity to learn, grow, and do something meaningful. I am a ceramic artist, yoga instructor, pre-k teacher, youth mentor, singer, facilitator and coach.
Let’s Work Together
Use the form below to be in connection, email me at melanie.anne.conway@gmail.com or text me at (773) 993-9643.