Coping with Sickle Cell Through Spoken Word

Today's show is brought to you by the Creative Elixir segment with Mia Robinson. The Sickle Cell Community Consortium powers the VitaminSC3 Podcast. About Candis “C~Saint” St. John Candis “C~Saint” St. John was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Born to Grenadian and Jamaican parents, she was exposed to Caribbean poetry and folklore early. Something about poetry always stuck out to her, and it became her favorite genre of literature. Candis started writing poetry at the age of 9. Her gift was quickly recognized and cultivated by her English teachers. Her friends and family also saw her talent and encouraged her to continue writing by providing her with journals to write in and inviting her to speak at special events. Sickle Cell Warrior Candis was born with Sickle Cell Anemia. She has endured physical, mental, and emotional pain throughout her life at the hands of this crippling disease and other unfortunate events in her life. Candis has been able to find healing and catharsis through writing poetry. Out of her pain, she has birthed wonderful verbal masterpieces. She writes from a broken place, hoping to touch the lives of those who may be going through their pain, shining a light into dark places through words rooted in love and truth. Her raw and unadulterated poetry brings attention to some painful issues that desperately need to be discussed but are typically hidden in shame. Candis believes in finding the purpose in your pain and healing through transparency. Not only is she a healer through writing, but also by profession. Candis is an emergency room nurse but has always cherished the arts. Since the inception of her writing journey, she has published two collections of poetry, My Book of Tears and Dare My Soul to Sing, and a spoken word album, The Mixed Messages Mixtape.  Social Media Tags: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Mixed Messages Mixtape My Book of Tears Dare My soul to Sing Questions answered during today's episode: 1. At what age did you realize that you had sickle cell? 2. How does having sickle cell impact your day-to-day life? 3. How does SCD impact your interpersonal relationships 4. What’s the most challenging part about having sickle cell? 5. How do you cope with having sickle cell? 6. How do you maintain a healthy mental space? 7. How do you find freedom through your art? 8. Has there ever been a time where you lost your will to live due to SCD? Tweetable quote: "We will never move forward; especially when we talk about traumas, if we don't talk about them." - Candis “C~Saint” St. John The next episode of the Vitamin SC3 Podcast drops on Monday Please tune in next week for a new episode we will hear from the segment Caring is Giving with Elle Cole. Do you Want to Become a Sickle Cell Consortium Partner? Become a Sickle Cell Community Consortium member by clicking here to learn more. Follow their Instagram and Facebook pages to learn more about the Sickle Cell Community Consortium.