Fierce-Gentle: The Courageous Voice Podcast

At 23 years old, I left England on a journey to see how far I could go without flying. I now live, work, and play on Naam, land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. This land is colonially known as Melbourne, Australia.

In this episode I unpack the poem Hiraeth. It is titled and inspired by the Welsh word "Hiraeth" which means a profound longing and homesickness for a home that no longer exists.

It felt like a suitable poem to unpack considering I am now back in the UK for the first time since the COVID outbreak began.

In it I look at my connection to my cultural identity, to my land, my bloodlines and my people. I also look at how connecting to those parts of myself have impacted my responsibility and regard for racism, systemic racism, and colonisation. I reflect on being a first generation settler on colonised land and also on my own genetic history (WAF: WhiteAF haha). I touch on my deep connection to the beautiful country and land I was born on and how grief and homesickness play in my heart.

Hey babes!
If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

In this episode I unpack my poem Hiraeth

You can request a poem of mine for me to do a Behind The Poem episode about. I take requests from my Patrons, join me over on Patreon and just send me a message through there.

If you would like a copy of this poem you can find it here:
Book - Virago: A Poetic Manifesto

Or check out some of my other work here:

Book - Sex and God

Album CD - Unhear This

Album Download - Bandcamp

Audio stream - Spotify

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

At 23 years old, I left England on a journey to see how far I could go without flying. I now live, work, and play on Naam, land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. This land is colonially known as Melbourne, Australia.

In this episode I unpack the poem Hiraeth. It is titled and inspired by the Welsh word "Hiraeth" which means a profound longing and homesickness for a home that no longer exists.

It felt like a suitable poem to unpack considering I am now back in the UK for the first time since the COVID outbreak began.

In it I look at my connection to my cultural identity, to my land, my bloodlines and my people. I also look at how connecting to those parts of myself have impacted my responsibility and regard for racism, systemic racism, and colonisation. I reflect on being a first generation settler on colonised land and also on my own genetic history (WAF: WhiteAF haha). I touch on my deep connection to the beautiful country and land I was born on and how grief and homesickness play in my heart.

Hey babes!
If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

In this episode I unpack my poem Hiraeth

You can request a poem of mine for me to do a Behind The Poem episode about. I take requests from my Patrons, join me over on Patreon and just send me a message through there.

If you would like a copy of this poem you can find it here:
Book - Virago: A Poetic Manifesto

Or check out some of my other work here:

Book - Sex and God

Album CD - Unhear This

Album Download - Bandcamp

Audio stream - Spotify

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Have you ever been told that you are “too much” or "intimidating"?

OR

Have you ever looked at another woman or femme person and thought “She’s so…”, “Ugh, I can’t believe she…”, or “I hate when they…”?

It’s taught to us from a very early age. We see it in movies, cartoons, magazines, books, even songs; women competing against other women. Women fighting for love interests, jobs, social status, women comparing their motherhood skills, their home decor, their talents and their body shapes. Women comparing themselves against each other, pulling each other down, or putting themselves in the shadow of another.

We get taught to slut shame, body shame, success shame, class shame and so much more.

A few days before recording this podcast I was having a chat on Instagram with a dear friend of mine, Serra. I admitted to her that I had struggled during our 9 year friendship with competition and comparison. I had found myself swinging from having a mega crush on this babe to comparing myself to her, and even internally shaming her for her juicy, vibrant, personality.

We got into a vulnerable chat via private messages and, on her suggestion, decided to pause it and record the conversation for all of you to enjoy.

In this episode we look hard at ourselves, at our own habits and how we not only treat other women but how other women treat us. We pull apart the toxic ways we have been taught to interact by society, but also delve into the vulnerability of grappling with all that shame ourselves. As two women who have both been told we are “too much” and “Intimidating” we also reflect on how to bridge that gap and find our place with other strong women in our life.

If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

This show features an interview with Serra Stone.

"Serra is an everchanging practise of pulsing, writhing lifeforms, held together by lichen and dawn.

Currently taking form as a queer, neuro-diverse, sex worker, eco-sensual, writer, wildlife carer and artist; Serra considers her most important work is done in ritual with animals who have been killed.

Her written and visual musings are the awkward, painful, decomposing truths of our world with a touch of satirical armour to soften the treacherous path.

She is a (proper) bird nerd, earl grey loving, many book at a time reading mother of one caramel eyed Pitbull currently breathing with Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Central Victoria, Australia."

https://www.instagram.com/serra.stone/

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.hancock.756/

https://medium.com/@connect_92174

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Have you ever been told that you are “too much” or "intimidating"?

OR

Have you ever looked at another woman or femme person and thought “She’s so…”, “Ugh, I can’t believe she…”, or “I hate when they…”?

It’s taught to us from a very early age. We see it in movies, cartoons, magazines, books, even songs; women competing against other women. Women fighting for love interests, jobs, social status, women comparing their motherhood skills, their home decor, their talents and their body shapes. Women comparing themselves against each other, pulling each other down, or putting themselves in the shadow of another.

We get taught to slut shame, body shame, success shame, class shame and so much more.

A few days before recording this podcast I was having a chat on Instagram with a dear friend of mine, Serra. I admitted to her that I had struggled during our 9 year friendship with competition and comparison. I had found myself swinging from having a mega crush on this babe to comparing myself to her, and even internally shaming her for her juicy, vibrant, personality.

We got into a vulnerable chat via private messages and, on her suggestion, decided to pause it and record the conversation for all of you to enjoy.

In this episode we look hard at ourselves, at our own habits and how we not only treat other women but how other women treat us. We pull apart the toxic ways we have been taught to interact by society, but also delve into the vulnerability of grappling with all that shame ourselves. As two women who have both been told we are “too much” and “Intimidating” we also reflect on how to bridge that gap and find our place with other strong women in our life.

If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

This show features an interview with Serra Stone.

"Serra is an everchanging practise of pulsing, writhing lifeforms, held together by lichen and dawn.

Currently taking form as a queer, neuro-diverse, sex worker, eco-sensual, writer, wildlife carer and artist; Serra considers her most important work is done in ritual with animals who have been killed.

Her written and visual musings are the awkward, painful, decomposing truths of our world with a touch of satirical armour to soften the treacherous path.

She is a (proper) bird nerd, earl grey loving, many book at a time reading mother of one caramel eyed Pitbull currently breathing with Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Central Victoria, Australia."

https://www.instagram.com/serra.stone/

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.hancock.756/

https://medium.com/@connect_92174

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Hey babes! We hit 1000 DOWNLOADS!! Amazing!
This week I asked my awesome Facebook Followers "What does it mean to live with integrity?". The responses were varied and came in thick and fast.

Instead of unpacking a poem, like I would usually do on a non-interview week, I have actually decided to explore the concept of Integrity. I share my own experience of what it means for me to have integrity in life and intimate relationships. I also share how I identify integrity in other people, and how I gauge my own capacity to trust, and invest, in that relationship.

This is far from a scientific unpacking on the topic, however, it is true to me at the time of recording. I'd love to hear what this episode leaves you thinking and how you sit with Integrity as a concept.

If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-Gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Hey babes! We hit 1000 DOWNLOADS!! Amazing!
This week I asked my awesome Facebook Followers "What does it mean to live with integrity?". The responses were varied and came in thick and fast.

Instead of unpacking a poem, like I would usually do on a non-interview week, I have actually decided to explore the concept of Integrity. I share my own experience of what it means for me to have integrity in life and intimate relationships. I also share how I identify integrity in other people, and how I gauge my own capacity to trust, and invest, in that relationship.

This is far from a scientific unpacking on the topic, however, it is true to me at the time of recording. I'd love to hear what this episode leaves you thinking and how you sit with Integrity as a concept.

If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-Gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Hey babes!
If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

4 years ago this week, a poem was written that ripped its way through me. Then, in March 2018, when it was released, it sky rocketed, went viral, and lit fires in the hearts of women all over the world. In this weeks episode I unpack my poem Witches. This is a big one. It feels scary to do because I know it's a poem that holds SO MUCH WEIGHT for so many people. I hope this episode does service to the impact this poem has had on you.

I also trialed something this week, and recorded it with Patrons watching live via Zoom. You can access a video recording of that, and the subsequent QnA session I did afterwards, by becoming one of my Patrons.

You can also request a poem of mine for me to do a Behind The Poem episode about. I take requests from my Patrons, just send me a message through that platform.

My online program RISE Speaker Training starts its next live round on Oct 20th. Click here for more details.

If you would like a copy of this poem you can find it here:
Book - Virago: A Poetic Manifesto

On my album, Unhear This:

Album CD - Unhear This

Album Download - Bandcamp

Audio stream - Spotify

You can also see the video of it by Uplift Connect which went viral in 2018 here.

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Hey babes!
If you love this podcast please consider supporting it by joining me on Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Fleassy

4 years ago this week, a poem was written that ripped its way through me. Then, in March 2018, when it was released, it sky rocketed, went viral, and lit fires in the hearts of women all over the world. In this weeks episode I unpack my poem Witches. This is a big one. It feels scary to do because I know it's a poem that holds SO MUCH WEIGHT for so many people. I hope this episode does service to the impact this poem has had on you.

I also trialed something this week, and recorded it with Patrons watching live via Zoom. You can access a video recording of that, and the subsequent QnA session I did afterwards, by becoming one of my Patrons.

You can also request a poem of mine for me to do a Behind The Poem episode about. I take requests from my Patrons, just send me a message through that platform.

My online program RISE Speaker Training starts its next live round on Oct 20th. Click here for more details.

If you would like a copy of this poem you can find it here:
Book - Virago: A Poetic Manifesto

On my album, Unhear This:

Album CD - Unhear This

Album Download - Bandcamp

Audio stream - Spotify

You can also see the video of it by Uplift Connect which went viral in 2018 here.

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

In this episode musician and absolute babe, Kerryn Fields, and I have a chat. We look at love, anger, and the impact of debilitating illness. Her relationship to vulnerability when It was something that was enforced upon her by the challenges that life threw her way. And because she's a huge walking Care Bear, we discuss the power of loving ourselves through it all.

We also talk about life as a musician in the age of digital music, and what it is to take up space on a stage with commanding confidence, and profound connection and love.

Kerryn Fields links:
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/kerrynfields
Linktree with other relevant links: https://linktr.ee/kerrynfields

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music and editing by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Kerryn Fields Bio:
Fuelled by humility, integrity and a raw clarity of vision, Kerryn Fields paints enduring musical portraits that detail the colour and feeling of everything that makes us human.

Drawing comparisons with the likes of timeless creators, Cat Stevens, Townes Van Zandt, Joan Baez, Neil Young, and more, Fields’ trademark warmth of character - evident in both life and music - fuels a creative offering that’s equal parts captivating, refined and heartrendingly insightful.

It’s for good reason too, because life is something this artist has lived. Fields grew up in Te Kūiti, NZ, a farming community in which both her family and others’ work hard to make ends meet. With Mum on guitar and Dad fuelling an obsession with radio, cassettes and vinyl LPs by all of music’s greats, there was a life lesson in every song of Fields’ childhood.

With one hand on guitar and the other firmly upon heart, music moved Fields through a time when chronic illness, family separations and the weight of life changes presented this artist with her biggest challenges yet. It would be her relocation to Melbourne during which Fields would settle into her most significant relationship to date: that with her newfound network of fellow career singers, songwriters and performers. Life as she’d known it would change forever.

Newstead Live Music Festival’s Troubadour Artist of the Year (2019), winner of the MLT Songwriting Award (NZ Country Music Awards 2019) and New Zealand’s Best New Broadcaster (at age 19), Kerryn Fields has released a range of celebrated records including debut LP, Rascal (2015) and award-winning, critically acclaimed single, Mamma (2019).

Sure, her music speaks volumes. But it’s the captivating warmth and courage of this artist that really leaves the audience shining from the inside-out.

In this episode musician and absolute babe, Kerryn Fields, and I have a chat. We look at love, anger, and the impact of debilitating illness. Her relationship to vulnerability when It was something that was enforced upon her by the challenges that life threw her way. And because she's a huge walking Care Bear, we discuss the power of loving ourselves through it all.

We also talk about life as a musician in the age of digital music, and what it is to take up space on a stage with commanding confidence, and profound connection and love.

Kerryn Fields links:
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/kerrynfields
Linktree with other relevant links: https://linktr.ee/kerrynfields

---------------------------------------------------------

This podcast was recorded in Naam, on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.

Fierce-gentle was made possible and supported by a Banyule City Council Business Grant.

Written, recorded and hosted by Fleassy Malay:
https://linktr.ee/fleassymalay

Reclaim your Voice, Courage, and Power in Fleassy’s online course, RISE - Speaker Training.
https://coursecraft.net/courses/z9VdE/

Music and editing by Rory McDougall:
https://soundcloud.com/myshyte

Kerryn Fields Bio:
Fuelled by humility, integrity and a raw clarity of vision, Kerryn Fields paints enduring musical portraits that detail the colour and feeling of everything that makes us human.

Drawing comparisons with the likes of timeless creators, Cat Stevens, Townes Van Zandt, Joan Baez, Neil Young, and more, Fields’ trademark warmth of character - evident in both life and music - fuels a creative offering that’s equal parts captivating, refined and heartrendingly insightful.

It’s for good reason too, because life is something this artist has lived. Fields grew up in Te Kūiti, NZ, a farming community in which both her family and others’ work hard to make ends meet. With Mum on guitar and Dad fuelling an obsession with radio, cassettes and vinyl LPs by all of music’s greats, there was a life lesson in every song of Fields’ childhood.

With one hand on guitar and the other firmly upon heart, music moved Fields through a time when chronic illness, family separations and the weight of life changes presented this artist with her biggest challenges yet. It would be her relocation to Melbourne during which Fields would settle into her most significant relationship to date: that with her newfound network of fellow career singers, songwriters and performers. Life as she’d known it would change forever.

Newstead Live Music Festival’s Troubadour Artist of the Year (2019), winner of the MLT Songwriting Award (NZ Country Music Awards 2019) and New Zealand’s Best New Broadcaster (at age 19), Kerryn Fields has released a range of celebrated records including debut LP, Rascal (2015) and award-winning, critically acclaimed single, Mamma (2019).

Sure, her music speaks volumes. But it’s the captivating warmth and courage of this artist that really leaves the audience shining from the inside-out.