Living With Endometriosis, Grieving Biological Motherhood & Making a Nontraditional Path Beautiful with Julie Freeman-Mullins, of Anam Cara Clay Goods
It can be difficult to find courage to talk about endometriosis and the effects of the disease on fertility. In this episode, Julie shares: her personal story of how circumstances beyond her control have shown her what her life's path is meant to be and how she has embraced walking it; dealing with the loss of something she may never have; the importance of finding the right people to support you; and how turning to creativity and making beauty in hardship was the catalyst for her business, Anam Cara Clay Goods. Julie Freeman-Mullins is a Tennessee girl at heart, having lived most of her life in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. She has been blessed to journey through life with her husband and best friend, Josh. They have been married since 2012 and have 2 fur babies: Saydi, a yellow lab/pyrenees mix, and Pearl, their sweet cat baby. Julie has had a varied career, mostly in nonprofit work with a concentration in hospitality where she worked as a professional chef for over 15 years. Moving to central Virginia in 2018 was a big change for her, but also a change that has brought new and amazing opportunities into her life. Most days you can find Julie working as the Volunteer Recruitment and Communications Coordinator with Innisfree Village, an amazing community of folks that has been like a second home for her. And in her spare time, she is also the proud owner of a small business, Anam Cara Clay Goods, where she creates handmade polymer clay jewelry. Her distinct jewelry design gives her the opportunity to share her passion for art while also creating beautiful things for the world to enjoy. It is also a means by which she can give back in meaningful ways, most specifically with raising awareness about the effects of endometriosis and how we can make a positive impact for the millions of women worldwide being affected by this disease. Anam Cara Clay Goods is about more than just the products Julie creates, but the intentional ways she can encourage and empower women to explore their own creativity, to feel good about themselves in their hearts, minds, and bodies, and to believe that-- just like a pair of earrings, we are all better together. You can connect with Julie and find her colorful work on Instagram via @anamcaraclaygoods and through her website: www.anamcaraclaygoods.com Sign up for Juile's Soul Friend Newsletter Learn more about The Endometriosis Society of America Learn more about Innisfree Village ----- You can connect with Lauren on Instagram via @lauren.samay and @mymourningroutinepodcast, on Facebook @lauren.samay.coaching or through www.laurensamay.com How delicious would it be for your soul to share the parts of loss that greater society doesn't acknowledge? What if you had a safe space to gather with others, to lighten the load of your grief, and let your heart be heard? ... Now you do! Join Lauren for a special, supportive monthly check-in. One hour, over Zoom, from the comfort of home, in sweatpants. Newsletter subscribers receive a special session discount code to use for 22% off Monthly Grief Circles-- forever, so sign up first here! If you are tuning in and finding value in these episodes, please take a moment to rate and review My Mourning Routine on Apple Podcasts-- it means so much and helps make a bigger, connecting splash in the podcasting pond!