DIDIHOOD ~ Issue 66

Author

The Didihood
February 29, 2024

Happy August, Didis! Here's what we're up to this month... 

Our 2023 Mentorship Program Applications are LIVE!
You have until Aug. 15 to apply to be a mentor or mentee! APPLY HERE!

For our Didis based in the Okanagan we're teaming up with Roshni Wellness to do a candle making workshop! Get your ticket here.

In Toronto, we're finalizing details for an exciting event at the end of August, stay tuned to our Instagram for the announcement very soon!  

Meet the Didi:

This month we're chatting with Pearly Pouponneau. Pearly is a beloved community builder and creative based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. As the founder of PEARLY, she creates one-of-a-kind experiences through multiple artistic mediums to bring community, art and visions to life. From creative directing, producing, to curating events, she is able to bring forth a unique design experience. Pearly captures a diverse range of art forms from commercial, industrial and editorial clients with a raw and provocative perspective.

Tell us about yourself. Have you always been a creative person?  

As long as I can remember, creativity has defined my very existence. Growing up and not having much meaning, instead of playing with too many toys, I would be getting in trouble for taking down the curtains in the living room to stitch an outfit together with my mom's sewing machine. From making songs on my tape recorder, to drawing out the keys to a piano on paper so I could “teach myself,” my earliest and best memories are of me simply CREATING. Creating joy out of anything. 

You dabble in so many different things — photography, events, filmmaking — what is your creative process like working in these different mediums?

If to create is to exist, then my creative process flows through my day to day. From my first sip of tea, to feeling the sun on my skin, interacting with my daughter and husband or just laughing, the process is to be present and source inspiration from my own life. Each medium I practise, from events, to filmmaking or photography, all require presence. 

What has your experience been like as a South Asian woman working in creative spaces? 

As I reflect on my experience, I can say that I’ve had to create my own path. I have never fit into just one box but being brave enough to be so multifaceted has made me very confident in all of the things I create. However, if I’m being honest, people hate to see that so it comes with a lot of harm to be a confident woman of colour. At this very point though, I’m grateful to have a team of folks who believe in my vision and vice versa. Together we create with safety, love and authenticity at the forefront. 

You recently released a film called A Taste of Home, which explores you reconnecting with your father over a shared love of food. Tell us about it and why it was important for you to make it. 

When my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year, the doctor told us he may have 6-9 months to live with treatment. Having already been estranged for most of my life due to his addiction, I felt so robbed of whatever time I may have with my Dad. I already lived a life of grief in this realm, but now I felt like the clock was ticking. My father surpassed his prognosis and one day we decided, let’s do this! We naturally bond over food and cooking and so it authentically aligned. A Taste of Home is a glimpse of what that grief journey looks and feels like. 

What is your advice to younger Didis who want to do what you're doing? 

To the younger didis who want to enter the creative realm or do what I do, I suggest you just DO IT! Don’t wait for a certain amount of money, age or milestone. Especially don’t wait for someone's cosign. Cosigning yourself is self-love too. Trusting myself through a lot of difficult processes/transitional phases cultivated a level of self-love and confidence that I value so deeply. Cut out all the noise and just do it! You are so capable when you don’t give a shit about what others may think. 

What we're reading:

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer! See you in September! 
 

— Roohi Sahajpal

Issue 66
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