"I was also aware that I was not really allowed to be so gifted, that I threatened their self concepts.
“Which is to say that I wasn’t really encouraged or allowed to be my full self, but I was rather being asked to act as a kind of instrument or one dimensional trophy for other people.
“And I found that it’s really hard to live inside such suffocating and dehumanizing expectations.
"But in adulthood, I have come to understand that I don’t actually need to be beholden to such expectations." - Kaitlin Smith
In this excerpt from an episode of the Embracing Intensity Podcast, host Aurora Remember interviews Kaitlin Smith, a scholar, facilitator, and founder of Our Wild Minds.
Topics in the full interview, as listed on the Embracing Intensity page, include
*Kaitlin’s journey as a scholar, facilitator, and founder of Our Wild Minds.
*The intersections between the history of mind sciences and African American studies in Kaitlin’s research.
*The challenges Kaitlin faced growing up in a predominantly white suburb and the conflicting expectations placed upon her as a gifted Black individual.
*The impact of cultural dynamics on expression and the pressure to conform to societal expectations.
Listen to the full podcast episode 266-Navigating Intensity Through a Cultural Lens with Kaitlin Smith, MSW, and learn about the Embracing Intensity Free Resource Library - includes links to blog posts, podcasts, videos, Course Membership, and more: thecreativemind.info/EI-free-resources
The photo of Kaitlin Smith and the drawing are from her site ourwildminds.com
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