We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Hemphill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I used to believe that if I just worked hard enough and smart enough, I could arrive at this destination of balance. I imagined balance feeling like effortlessness and ease. Not only was this concept of balance pure fantasy, it drove me further from a truly sustainable lifestyle. Over time, my relationship to balance shifted substantially. I started to appreciate balance as a dynamic process like in the human body. Balance is achieved in the ability to shift, by sending energy and attention where needed in each moment. This new relationship to balance created space for more self-compassion and permission to be in the human experience. Instead of ruminating over the others life arenas I wasn’t doing “enough,” I became more present, showing up more fully as a mother at home, as a leader at work, and as an athlete in training.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been crocheting and macrameing since I was a little girl. It was a side hobby until I found myself in an active Post-Traumatic Stress Response. Creating fiber art with my hands became a way of reconnecting to the physical world, stimulating both hemispheres of my brain (important for healing trauma!), and simply iterating–trying something, failing, and trying something new. It became a beautiful model for my iterative recovery journey. Knot Okay is about creating hope–about taking something that looks like nothing and turning it into beauty. For those who purchase the art, it’s a visual reminder that we aren’t alone in our struggles. Suffering is a shared human experience and everyone deserves compassion in their times of darkness. I’ve certainly been held by many loving hands. I’ve also been creating patterns so that the therapeutic experience of creating macrame art can be shared.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a biologist by trade and therefore a huge fan of nature and gardens. Top places on my Miami itinerary would be The Kampong, National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my children: Oliver, Vivian, Henry, and Clark. They are my toughest and most loving teachers on Earth.

Website: sweetmotherofhealth.com

Instagram: @sweetmotherofhealth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hemphill-57394399

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.hemphill.102

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ju7uTuqzH0RHUnn-ABaSw/videos

Image Credits
Family picture credit: Marisa Taylor Photography

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