Episode #1: Forgetting the Dream

Who were you before the world made you become someone?Rowena Federico Finn, a visual artist, mother, teacher, and longterm-community organizer, spent years trying to become the person she thought she was supposed to be.Until one day, her love for her daughter wrenched her away from needing to meet the expectations of a post-colonial society. As Rowena’s daughter struggled with their identity, Rowena noticed she had similar questions; and suddenly, her growing disconnection to her Filipino roots and the dreams that had been forgotten with time felt impossible to ignore.In Forgetting the Dream, we investigate whether who we used to be as children is truly the key to unlocking our happiness. Through exploring Rowena’s journey back to her art and ancestry, we investigate how colonialism and assimilation shape what children and adults believe is possible, what science says about childhood dreams and adult happiness, and why Islamic and Buddhist philosophies ask us to return to the truth we once knew.Special thanks to Aaadarei, Maryam Mustafa, Priya Patel, Tatianna Kalanioff, Gabrielle Panelo, Joanna Ye, Anika Bjupatiraju, and Julia Cai for their work on production, writing, and research of the podcast. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit decolonizedhealing.substack.com