Ali Owens | The Art of Empowered Living

I'm Ali, and I'm glad you're here! I've been a writer since I was old enough to hold a crayon, and this blog is where I share my experiences relating to personal growth, creativity, and social justice, in the hopes that my stories can inspire others.

Posts are sorted into three categories:

Personal Empowerment

Mental health, self-love, self-care, healing from trauma, growth, self-awareness, and body image.

Creativity & Expression

Poetry, photos, songs, art, and anything connected to the essential human practice of creating.

Liberation & Justice

Anti-racism, feminism, intersectionality, oppression, social justice, identity, and diversity.

Browse the blog topics below, search by tag, or learn more about me here. Thanks for stopping by!

All Posts
Personal Empowerment
Creativity & Expression
Liberation & Justice

5 Things I've Learned (So Far) As A 30-Something College Student

The education I'm receiving extends beyond academia and into the realm of self-awareness.

Unity. But First...a Reckoning.

I'm not willing to smile and make nice with people who think human rights for anyone are up for debate.

P.S. I'm Queer

I am queer. And after over a year of navigating the process of owning this piece of my identity...I finally came out publicly.

On Mental Illness, Medication, and Toxic Positivity

Depression has been making life difficult at the best of times and unmanageable at the worst. Why should I feel shame for taking meds?

The Power of Perspective (and How I Let It Convince Me I'd Failed)

In my last post, I shared how in 2004, I failed all my college classes and dropped out. Turns out, that's not what actually happened at all.

The Cage I Built - and How I'm Breaking Free

The saddest stories of all are those of the doors that remain closed for no reason other than that we don't even think to open them.

White People: 4 Questions for Diffusing Our Defensiveness About Race

When our defensiveness comes up in conversations about race, how do we deal with it and ensure we don't do harm?

Gifts From Quarantine: How the Great Pause Changed Everything

I've invested so much energy into trying to do, be, and have MORE that I never bothered to question whether what I actually needed was LESS.

A Thorough Examination of My Whiteness in a Racist Society

I haven’t done enough. I haven’t done NEARLY enough. And for that, I take full responsibility.

Poem: The Deep

Give me the deep / for I am comfortable in the pool of my own darkness / It no longer frightens me.

4 Tips for Speaking Up, Setting Boundaries, and Self-Advocating

I advocated for myself when other people did things that made me uncomfortable - and it did NOT go well. What now?

5 Ways to Feed the Inner Muse

What if, instead of just waiting around for the muse to show up...we simply invited her in?

Joy In Motion, Part 6: On Dismantling Shame

I've begun to advocate for the well-being of my fat body. That advocacy - that ownership - is a direct result of dismantling my shame.

Joy In Motion, Part 5: Nature, How I've Missed You

I loved exploring the mountains, partly because I love nature...and also partly because being fit and active made me feel morally superior.

Joy In Motion, Part 4: The Reawakening Body, and Everything That Comes With It

I'm noticing some shifts - most of which feel positive and empowering, and one that feels like a setback.

Winter: A Love Poem

"Hold on," says Winter, and taking a pause, she summons the snowfall and sits beneath it, letting things be as they are...

Joy In Motion, Part 3: What Does It Mean to Love My Body?

I want to be fully present in my body, and feel it, and move it…AND love it. All at the same time.

Goodbye, 2019: Journaling Prompts for Reflection and Intention

Nothing shows you how far you've come quite like examining where you used to be.

Joy In Motion, Part 2: Dissociation, Trauma, and the Body

It’s interesting to me that, for someone who is so aware of the bulk of her body, I am hardly ever really inhabiting it at all.

9 Ways to Put Yourself First During the Holidays

Self-care can get shoved to the side when things get busy. Here are some ideas to prioritize your own well-being over the holiday hustle!

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being a student (3)
body image (8)
coming out (1)
depression (6)
domestic violence (2)
epiphanies (6)
family (1)
fatness (1)
feminism (6)
LGBT (1)
limiting beliefs (6)
living with intention (1)
mental health (7)
mindfulness (5)
nature (1)
ownership (10)
perfectionism (4)
personal growth prompts (5)
poetry (2)
politics (1)
racism (4)
resistance stories (1)
self advocacy (5)
self love (9)
self-awareness (15)
self-care (4)
sexual assault (1)
social commentary (8)
spirituality (2)
tough stuff (6)
trauma (1)
witchery (1)
wordsmithing (2)

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