Herminia Zavala - Art by HZ

Meet Herminia Zavala, Mizhuckii Ashiik/ Naazhkii Ashiik, from Treaty 3 Territory.

In 2022, this blog series was created to highlight Indigenous businesses from all Treaty Lands and Unceded Territories across Canada! Our goal is to uplift fellow creators & business owners; and create space for all. We’ve asked Herminia a few questions and we hope you enjoy getting to know her story!

- Denisse Peters, “Their Story” Creator & YBB Team

My name is Herminia Zavala and I love to create. I have always enjoyed expressing myself through art. Things really took a turn with the pandemic when I couldn't work my job as an Esthetician, so I was able to spend more time making things and learning new ways to create. I have always painted or drawn on paper, but I wanted to try something new.

I became interested in digital art and the thought of being able to bring all my supplies with me wherever I go. I did some research online, purchased a tablet and stylus pen then began watching YouTube videos to teach myself all I could about digital drawing.

Since I've opened my Instagram I have become a mother of a beautiful little girl and left my position as an Esthetician to pursue my dream of being an artist. I continue to post many of my drawings, some paintings and most recently a combination of bead work and painting.

I don't restrict myself to one art form and would love to learn more in the future. It all depends on how I am feeling in the moment. I love to learn new things and teach myself all I can about subject. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and I use the skills in my day to day life.

My art has been very helpful to me on my journey of healing and spirituality. It helps me express myself in ways words could never describe. I hope that through my creations I inspire people to be themselves, not be afraid of change and share their gifts with others, whatever they may be.

NAME OF YOUR BUSINESS, AND HOW LONG YOU’VE HAD IT FOR?

@Artby_HZ, 2 years

WHAT DO YOU MAKE, AND HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DO THAT ART FORM?

I create digital drawings, paintings and beaded earrings.  I have always had a passion for creating things, but when Covid hit I really had time to put more focus on creating. I bought myself a tablet and stylus then taught myself through YouTube videos with lots and lots of patience. No matter what I'm creating I sketch out my idea and brainstorm from there.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PROJECT SO FAR?

So far my favorite piece would have to be a digital drawing I made into a painting that was also made into some earrings by another artist (@BellaLoveleeBeads on Instagram). It is an image of my daughter Hermosa and I. It was created a few months before she was born <3.

WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE THINK OF WHEN THEY THINK OF YOUR TREATY TERRITORY?

The water and forest. Our area is full of beautiful lakes and forests that we enjoy all year long.

(Photo credit: Ontario's Sunset Country)

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT YOUR LAND?

I wish more people were aware of the fact that residential schools took place in our own backyards. We still have people who are clueless or refuse to acknowledge what happened in our recent past. It still affects us and our families, but we are working hard to heal ourselves.

Wherever you reside, make an effort to understand its history and how it came to be.

(Photos from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School courtesy of the Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives)

WHAT ARE SOME FUTURE GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

I would love to make it full-time and continuously create new designs for prints, apparel and jewelry. I hope to create my own website at a point, have merchandise on hand and travel to set up shop in the future.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE FOLLOW YOU/SUPPORT YOU/BUY FROM YOU?

INSTAGRAM

HOW DO YOU SAY “HELLO” AND “GOODBYE” IN YOUR LANGUAGE?

"Boozhoo" and "Agawaaba min miinawa" meaning "I'll see you again". We have no word for goodbye. The word goodbye is so final. We are never truly gone in this life or the next, I will see you again.

Thank you Herminia for sharing your story with our community!

The REAL story intro- What writing a book is actually like…

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to become an author? I can pretty much guarantee you that the idea in your mind is TOTALLY different from reality.

I think of it like this. ——————->

First, I’m excited because over the next few months, we’re going to dive into all the juicy behind-the-scenes of the book-writing process. This was a gigantic project that taught me a lot about myself, brought up ALL my stuff, and required continual uplevel. If you want to write your own book or you’re looking at some other big project, buckle up. It’s worth it and insane all at the same time.

“Why?” 

This is the question most people miss when they start. Why take on that project? Why start that business? Why sell that product? And for me, why on God’s green earth do I want to write a book? 

And it’s a good question. I’m a mom with 2 small-ish kids and a 2-year-old business with a full client load. I host a podcast, I sing at church one weekend a month, and I’m generally busy. Not “busy as a status symbol” busy, but life is full and it’s usually intentional. Which means that if I’m choosing to take on a new project that requires a significant amount of time and energy, I better have a solid reason. Ps. Being that intentional and questioning my motives flies in the face of the impulsivity that often accompanies ADHD. But that’s a story for another day…

Anyway, back to why. Here’s what’s interesting - I met a lot of authors over the last year. A LOT. And a lot of “would-be” authors. And a lot of “I’m in the middle of writing my book and have been for 8 years” authors. And a lot of people who think it would be cool to write a book someday. Guess what separates the ones that do from the ones that don’t? 

A part of it is this - the ones that do have a reason why, and that reason is usually bigger than their ego. Here’s what that looked like for me: I’d gone on a faith-led journey of walking out of burnout, fear, and a total lack of fulfillment. I’d rediscovered who I was and why I was here, and I moved out of a life that was misaligned with that identity and purpose. I’d stepped into my calling, finding excitement for life again, a sense that what I was doing mattered, confidence and self-worth, and breathing room. There was a process that showed up in that journey, and that process was also changing the lives of my clients in profound ways. But more people needed that clarity and transformation than I could support in a one-on-one capacity. How could I do that? How could I walk massive numbers of people through, step-by-step, that journey of fear to freedom?

A book!

If I wrote a book, I could empower more people to live their purpose and love their lives. To wake up and know what they were doing matters and to be passionate about not only their work but their whole lives. And more people living that way makes the world better, more filled with love, more compassionate, and more just. Well, that’s simple enough right? I’ll sit down and map out that journey, write down a bunch of stuff about each stage, and then I’ll have a book right? That’s cute… and entirely not the case. And this is where it can either turn into a “something I’ll do one day” or an actual commitment. Guess what happened? I put a tab in my task manager named “Book”, added a few tasks, and pushed their due dates continually for about 6 months. I fell right into the camp of “I should do that at some point… I’ll wait until I feel REALLY called and then I’ll do it.” 

photo cred: Emilie Iggiotti

It’s embarrassing, but true. Coach Juli, who is living her calling and continually stepping through fear and getting out of her own way, got in her own way and let fear drive. How could I write a book about empowerment if I was still getting stuck? Who would want to read it anyway? What if I wrote it and people thought it sucked? 

“Why” isn’t enough on it’s own because of FEAR. At the core of it, I loved the idea of being an author. I loved the idea that I could spark and support more people. But I was scared. I would have told you that I was scared it would take too much time and energy (which was true, but not the main thing). Or that I needed to learn more to make sure I was equipped to do this (which was an excuse). Or that my business needed to be more stable first (also an excuse). But really I was scared of failure and rejection. 

As it happens fear of social rejection is the #1 fear people have, period. And it was up in my face. So I let myself be distracted for a while. It’s easier to be distracted than lean into the discomfort after all. But that couldn’t hold - because I did have a why. 

In September of 2021, I had an opportunity to participate in a 5 day “Map Your Book Out” challenge that one of my author friends was speaking at. I wanted to support him so I popped on for a few sessions, downloaded the worksheets, and tried to put together an outline. And that’s when I realized how tough this was going to be. 

Let me explain. My thought process pretty much looks like this —————->

So despite my client work, guiding people through a journey largely by intuition and feel (and definitely not a consistent linear path), I was faced with trying to put everything I do in some kind of order. I wrote ideas on the planning pages. I rearranged those pages all over my office floor. I sat and stared at them. I added ideas. I stared at them some more. I got frustrated and walked away. I came back and added more ideas. I rearranged them again. I got frustrated again. And then decided to start over and plan on the computer. I figured, maybe if I tried something that’s a system, it might work better for my brain. This is normal for me - you should see me write a talk. Anyway, it was like living in a brain that’s imploding from too much input and not enough capacity to organize the information.

Eventually, I sorted it out, found a system that worked for me, and mapped something out that resembled a book outline. It would change about 86 times between that point and publishing, but I had a start. And then, like the time I left my 500k/year real estate business in the dust because I got the “Go Now!” from God, I got a “Drop everything and write the book”.

SIDENOTE: The nudges or pulls in your soul to go after something often come with opportunities to take a step if we watch for them.

Now, I’m a service-based entrepreneur, and all service-based entrepreneurs know that the most important thing we do (other than taking care of existing clients) is finding new clients. I had a plan for that October to be networking and relationship building. I’d signed up for all the events I could find, planned and advertised a masterclass, and set up a bunch of coffees. My social media was planned out. My newsletters were planned out… It was going to be an epic month for my business and the people I would have the chance to serve. And all that planning meant that “Drop everything and write the book” was met with an “Are you kidding me?!?” 

I also knew though, from experience over the last few years, that when I’m called it’s better to not fight with God. So I dropped everything. I missed events. I postponed coffees indefinitely. I cancelled my masterclass (that one hurt my pride and I mulled it over for days before I pulled that trigger). I cleared my schedule as much as possible and built “no for now, but not forever” boundaries. And then I signed myself up for book writing Bootcamp because I know that I need accountability and deadlines to move on things. I also needed to be in an environment where I would be continually brought back to “what’s the next step?” Instead of focusing on the big picture that was TOTALLY OVERWHELMING at that point in time. Yup, even coaches need coaches. 

And then the writing began. Which is where we will (likely) pick up next month. Stay tuned, that process included a lot of time, tears, wasted time, and imposter syndrome. 

Xoxo,

Juli

Written by: Juli Wenger

Author of Fired-Up, Fulfilled, And Free

Follow Juli at @juliwenger

————

What if you could ditch fear, leave “not-enoughness” and “too muchness behind,” and answer the questions “who am I?” and “why am I here?”

What would it be like to live a life that you know matters? To have real fulfillment? To confidently and fearlessly step into the purpose you were created for?

This book is a roadmap back to yourself and a guide to help you get out of your own way so you can live that purpose with fearless confidence. To help you step out of your patterns and your commitment to not-enoughness. To be reminded that you are worthy because God put you on this earth and He makes you worthy. There is an assignment for you that can’t wait any longer.

This is your invitation into a life that is Fired-up, Fulfilled, and Free.

Heather Bowie - Flare Mortgage Group

Heather Bowie is a mortgage broker with Flare Mortgage Group who brings a rare combination of financial expertise and heart to every client interaction. As a former accountant, holding her CPA designation, Heather leverages her deep understanding of numbers and strategy to guide clients through the mortgage process with clarity and confidence.

She works with a wide range of clients—from first-time buyers to seasoned investors—ensuring each mortgage solution is tailored to their goals, lifestyle, and long-term success. Known for her integrity, education-first approach, and commitment to client care, Heather is a trusted partner at every stage of the home financing journey.

Heather Bowie

(780) 919 3025

310, 849 Premier Way

Sherwood Park, Alberta

EMAIL

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | LINKEDIN