038 Making the World a Brighter Place with Mary England
I am so excited to share with you this week’s episode of Couragemakers. I think it’s fair to say that sometimes the world feels like a bit of a shitshow, especially now and I think this episode is a great beacon of hope.
For this week’s episode, I had the absolute joy of speaking to Mary England, self-described merriment maker and founder of Uncustomary. Mary's passion is to make other people happy and teach them how to love and accept themselves. After struggling with mental illness for twenty years and working in and studying the field of psychology for five, she decided to start the business Uncustomary to share her personal and professional experience with mental health in a way that translates into self-love and positivity. You can find her twirling in front of murals and leaving a literal trail of glitter in Baltimore, Maryland.
In this episode, Mary shares her journey of becoming a self love advocate and how guerilla street art was a massive part of this journey. We dive into the difference between self confidence and self love and how adding the weird to someone’s day can make all the difference.
Mary shares how she uses her art to challenge social norms and how it has taught her that people are innately good and innately curious. She also shares fantastic advice for anyone wanting to make their life more colourful, glittery and sparkly which I know you’re going to love.
We really dive into how we can often feel like frauds when we’re working with other people to help them overcome and deal with issues we have and often do struggle with, but how ultimately we couldn’t be the better person for the job.
I’ve heard a lot of noise online lately about how we can use the platforms we have to make the world a better place, and the challenges you face when you bring your own beliefs and politics into your business or projects. This is the perfect episode if you’ve been thinking about it too, and if you’re wondering how you can bring about change and bring hope to the world when things feel very dark.
This is also a great episode if you work to make the world a brighter place and sometimes struggles to keep your own light lit, if you’re looking to become more active in your community and find ridiculously fun ways to do that and if you just need a great dollop of hope in your life right now.
I love Mary’s work, her message and what she’s putting in the world. The world is honestly a brighter, more honest and creative place for her being in it. I loved our conversation and keeping up to date with all the wonderful things she’s putting in the world.
Enjoy the show!
About MaryMary England is a self described merriment maker. Mary's passion is to make other people happy and teach them how to love and accept themselves. After struggling with mental illness for twenty years and working in and studying the field of psychology for five, she decided to start the business Uncustomary to share her personal and professional experience with mental health in a way that translates into self-love and positivity. You can find her twirling in front of murals and leaving a literal trail of glitter in Baltimore, Maryland.
You can connect with Mary here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Premium Package
Things we talked about during today's show
Mary’s journey of becoming a self love advocate and how guerilla street art and performances played a huge part in her journey How important it is to get out of our routines Mixing business with politics: if you have a privilege that can help you be on a soapbox or activate change The importance of recognising your own humanity and showing you struggle too Mary’s advice for anyone wanting to make their life more colourful, glittery and sparklyThings/Resources Mentioned in Today’s Show
Improv Everywhere Keri Smith Fred Rogers - “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here
If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com
About Meg & That Hummingbird Life
I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.
When I'm not recording episodes and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.
