Ali Owens | The Art of Empowered Living

^ Top

Well-Being

Mental health, wellness, mindfulness, self-care

Personal Growth

Empowerment, self-love, self-awareness

Journal

Writing, for writing's sake

Food & Recipes

A look at what's in my kitchen

Lifestyle

Sustainability, alignment, balance

Equality & Justice

Anti-racism, social issues, privilege

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.

Recipe: Pineapple Chicken

Served over Jasmine rice, this is a quick and easy dinner that's a little sweet, a little savory, and a lot delicious!

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.

Recipe: Peach, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Summer Salad

The sweetness of the peaches blends perfectly with the strong gorgonzola, and the walnuts give an earthy essence and satisfying crunch.

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.

Recipe: Homemade-From-Scratch Flour Tortillas

After many attempts and lots of tweaks, this is one of the recipes we've settled on that produces a beautifully soft, pillowy tortilla.

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.

{"items":["5f31d3db0cfc0800178bf55c","5f1a1f467fdfa900176450c5","5efc14e619e4fd00174809c7","5eee215cff0ba800174e5879","5eee1fdcf970a00017af8769","5ecd7f42ca878b001716a980","5ecaa595f070ef0017d9dd7a","5ee7c48587c83600175cef01","5ee9acd1d25ff70017abd52b","5ec862c704455b0018bb60e0","5e5fc27217281b0017227fe6","5e453bc2db7aa700178b8dda","5e42ef56c46b8d0017ca6035","5e2cad182d74860017a8ca06","5e20eb1d9a3a6100175df693"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":940,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":16,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"useCustomButton":false,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryHorizontalAlign":"center","galleryTextAlign":"center","galleryVerticalAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"expand","fullscreen":true,"allowSocial":true,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":false,"loveButton":true,"loveCounter":false,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowTitleExpand":true,"allowDescriptionExpand":true,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"AUTOMATIC","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"titleDescriptionSpace":6,"customButtonText":"","customButtonBorderWidth":1,"customButtonBorderRadius":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(245,244,244,0.75)"},"galleryLayout":2,"modifiedGallerySize":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":1440,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}

Well-Being

Personal Growth

Journal

Food & Recipes

Lifestyle

Equality & Justice

Recent Posts