We had the good fortune of connecting with Angelina Perez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angelina, how do you think about risk?
This is a good question that I imagine lands different for everyone. When I hear this question, I think of my every day life, one interaction at a time. As I start my day I appreciate my life as I brush my teeth and see myself “seeing myself in the mirror”. How slow and present can I be with everyone and everything and see as much as possible?

This has proven to be risky as many people out compete me in many types of “jobs” as they are seemingly getting more things done on that “grind”. I am aware that we live in a seemingly highly competitive culture where the fastest, most cleaver, and possibly most cunning people seem to get “ahead”. I take the risk of being as intentional as possible with my actions and words knowing we are not in a “race” and there really is not winning and losing. I run the risk of being judged negatively. Yet, I almost always get good feedback that I made a connection of trust. We can build enduring beauty on a foundation of trust.

I am choosing to take a risk by slowing down and doing my best to feel a flow with all forms of life around me. Before I take action, I like to think about what is my ripple of impact. That is the ROI that resonates as most important for me.

I am choosing to reduce my use of technology and not invest the fastest and highest tech phones and electronics in effort to show respect for the beings who source and assemble these precious raw materials. I do still work with technology but I am making an effort to grow deeper awareness with people with my consumption habits before I vote with my dollar.

I take a risk of sharing my vision that we humans can co-create with all forms of life and promote a triple bottom line of People Care, Fair Share, and Planetary Care. This is a permaculture ethic that upholds the principals of a “permaculture” way of life. But long before that, our ancestors, no matter where we come from, knew they had to value as much as possible to reduce waste and nurture thriving communities through presence and care. With technology connecting us all around the world, we are accountable to our words, actions and creations as they ripple around the world. How do we do that with integrity? How do slow down enough to reduce harm?

Success to me, is being as present as I can one interaction at a time, one day at a time, and genuinely caring to see and support the life and beauty around me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work really hard to make art out of relationships by being of service to beauty and support of care. I think we are all co-creating a beautiful world together through careful communication even if it may be challenging.

I am learning that when I release my own expectation of a timing that needs to happen, I am able to release impatience and anxiety. I am able to be at ease with my creative flow and feel into other’s timing as well.

In digital story telling, I find there is a pace that the storytellers have that is unique to them and it has also helped me allow myself to be patient with my own timing to write and share the stories in my heart.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite nourishment is local grown and local owned as often as possible. I would take my friend to meet my friends at Nola Naturals Farm and Spring Side Cheese so we could get great raw ingredients for our meals. I really enjoy cooking as an art form, so I would cook as much as I could. We could take out some picnics to Pueblo State Park reservoir for a walk, swim and picnic. It is also fun to go to hike the trails at Pueblo Mountain Park and picnic out there too.

After all the hiking, we would likely go to Desert Reef hot springs for a relaxing soak. Puukaow Thai has an amazing lemon grass soup that nurtures the soul and is good after a soak on the way home. I would also love to show them the local River Walk down town and stop for a meal at Fuel and Iron. Fuel and Iron is a food court that has many great options for local and delicious nourishment located very close to the river walk.

These are some of my favorite places near Pueblo to visit and share with others.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shout out to my life partner, Frank Cordova. His love and support are helping me soften into my creative flow with more ease and flow.

Our parents have made many things possible in our lives by supporting the most true expression from our hearts. Frank and I have loving families that let us know we are unconditionally loved for our weird and wild ways of walking in the world.

I am so grateful for books and life long learning. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh, Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Andriotti and Conversations with God series by Neil Donald Walsh are the first books that come to mind at this time to help me calibrate my values and way of walking.

I have been supported by so many mentors in my adult life as well. I thank everyone who has sat with deep presence and curiosity to see what our hearts could co-create as we connect during a heart felt “platica” conversation regarding the state of the world and how we can serve.

Website: https://osl8.life

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osl8likeoscillate?utm_source=qr&igsh=MWJ5bWwxa2pvOHJxNw==

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelina-perez-b69ab497/

Other: email at Angeluna@osl8.life

Image Credits
all personal photos were taken by me or friend
Javier Qiuñones took the photo of me in purple at an event his logo is on the bottom

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.