behind the scenes

Most of us don’t fit into boxes, categories or easy definitions, and those who do, should get out and run for their lives.

As long as we’re still alive, every moment is a sweet invitation to break free and return to our original, most natural selves. Every second is an invitation to take the path of our heart’s deepest desires.

Every failure can make it all better, and every attempt is a step toward soulful duty, of warriorship — of transforming all the broken into new and the destruction into the ressurection of a more alive, better version of you.

Most people spend their life in the perpetual waiting room. We wait for the perfect time, for our turn to share, to shine and to explore the realm of unique creativity of ‘living’ that exists within every cell of our body.

And while we’re waiting, the life we’re waiting for passes.

But your life is already an organic work of art.

It happens in your walk, the twinkle in your eye, the way you express yourself, the depth of truth within your thoughts and within your honest, most authentic reactions to the world. It’s sewn into the resistance, the excuses, the insensitivity and all the other distractions and reasons we procrastinate.

But it’s happening as we speak and every second between the rising and setting sun.

Every heartbeat is creation.

Every breath is a second chance.

After years of trying to find our way through a desolate labyrinth, we suddenly realise that there was never any door to be found. Only one to be created…by us. So we begin from scratch. But neither of us is a carpenter.

So we collect tools and sketch blue prints all the while fully knowing that we could never return to the life we had been pretending to live.

We’re all going to come back different than we were before and the ride starts now.

Are you with us?

 

Co-Rebelles in Creative Crime

We’re a virtual, dynamic team covering almost ever continent on the planet! And we might just be coming to a neighborhood near you — soon.

So take a moment to look around, our pretties. There are Rebelles infiltrating all the right and tight spaces. Our tribe is growing fast and someday our dream will come true, to ground our creative super powers in some old, charming rickety warehouse where we can all stare into each others eyes versus these screens all damn day.

And with a deep curtsy and bow, meet the warm bodies who make the magic happen. We present to you, with the hint of a smile, Les Rebelles:

 

Andréa Balt

Co-Founder.

Unfinished book with a love for greens, bikes and poetry; raised by wolves & adopted by people; not trying to make art but to Be Art. Holds a BA in Journalism & Mass Communication, an MFA in Creative Writing & a Holistic Health Coach degree from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. Aside from spilling her creative guts at Rebelle Society she is also co-founder and Wellness Alchemist at Rebelle Wellness & Creativity Curator at Creative Rehab.

In her work she tries to reflect the wholeness of the human experience by combining Art & Health + Brains & Beauty + Darkness & Brilliance into a more alive, unabridged and unlimited edition of ourselves. She is also on a quest to reinstate Creativity as one of our essential Human Rights to (hopefully and soon) be included in the UN Declaration.

Connect with her in the Social Media Jungle via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr & Google+ … and sign up for her Monthly Stroke of Rennaisance. You can also contact her via email at andrea@rebellesociety.com or via handwritten letters sent with a carrier pigeon.

P.S. Her name is pronounced un-DREH-ah (like “Andrea Bocelli”). If you call her AYN-dree-ah, she won’t answer. 

 

Tanya Lee Markul

Co-Founder & Editor-In-Chief.

Co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of Rebelle Society (you are here). She’s convinced that she once swam the deepest ocean’s depths and in the next round, grew over two hundred feet tall. In this life, she’s a vulnerable creation in process. She has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism & a Master’s in Business. Tanya is also the creator of Rebelle Society’s mascot, Thug Unicorn and the hostess of Rebelle’s yoga combined with writing outlet, YogaWriteNow.org.

In 2009, surrendering to the good fight within, she became a certified teacher of Yoga. Now a full-time devoted student to the sacred art of self-discovery and creative expression, she spends her days on her Yoga mat, in wellness experimentation and tilling the fertile soil of Rebelle Society, sharing bouts of black sheepish rebellion, self-acceptance and the beauty of darkness and well-being. She’s also Co-founder and Wellness Alchemist at Rebelle Wellness.

Get to know her on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn & Twitter. Sign-up for her her weekly, quirky and free Newsie and contact her via email at tanya@rebellesociety.com.

 

Christian Hoegsberg

CFO & Advertising Manager. 

He has a Master’s in International Business and a Bachelor in something long forgotten.  He spends his working hours juggling multiple personalities like the business develpment consultant, the creative writer, the co-founder of a pro bono online forum for recycling and the rather self-taught and exclusively self-employed accountant.

In the real world, he spends his time on clay tennis courts, on his rusty old bike, inspecting nearby natural areas, on a Yoga mat contemplating his lack of flexibility, in the company of his furry, mouse-chasing best-friend, or in his apartment searching for his keys, his wallet, his phone or whatever he might currently have misplaced.

He has a sweet tooth but continuously tries (and fails) to substitute cakes, candy and ice cream with fruits, nuts and other pretenders.

He edits and blogs at Rebelle Society (You Are Here). You can also find him on Facebook or contact him via email at christian@rebellesociety.com.

 

Soumyajeet “Jeet” Chattaraj

Managing Editor / Rampicorn (a rather curious mix of robot, vampire and unicorn).

After a more socially acceptable start to his academic and professional career, which included standing first in his High School exams (and joint seventh in all of India in his education board), a BE (with Honors) in Mechanical Engineering from one of the top engineering institutes in India (BITS Pilani), a 2250 in GRE with absolutely zero preparation, and a first job at Infosys, one of India’s top IT concerns, Jeet decided to venture out into the big, bad world to ditch bookish education and substitute it with an experiential one!

In his spare time, which is sparing at best, he loves engaging his geeky side to the fullest extent – and obsessively engages in absorbing random trivia, and solving puzzles of any and every kind, primarily crosswords and sudoku – one of his proudest achievements being able to completely solve the New York Times crossword 137 days in a row before being forced to break the chain due to 18-hour workdays that included weekends.

Having gone up to a High Red belt in HapKiDo, before being forced to move due to a job change just before his Black Belt test, he hopes to get back to it some day, and credits Yoga and his newfound love of running for staying in somewhat of a decent shape, while always being mindful of the ever present room for improvement.

He also wishes to go back to writing poetry some day, something which has always occupied a special place in his heart, and helped him win awards in college. A universalist when it comes to approaching people from all over the world, he considers himself to be a global citizen first and foremost, instead of identifying with any exclusive and divisive tags.

A lifelong and certifiable black sheep (irrespective of skin color, since that would have qualified him as a ‘brown sheep’), Jeet feels uncomfortable with certainty and strives for a meditation-driven comfort in uncertainty. In spite of English and Mathematics being two of his greatest loves, his engineering degree placed him in IT, which is where he tries to make himself useful during regular work hours, and spends the rest of his time trying to accommodate other social and extracurricular activities, with an optional and approximately four-hour gap for sleep.

Other than his work as a Jack-of-All-Trades and Managing Editor at Rebelle Society, he tries to spread positive awareness through Facebook , random acts of kindness, and recruiting of fellow dreamers — a la John Lennon — to be his kindred souls in this short journey called Life. You can also email him at jeet@rebellesociety.com.

 

Kristin Diversi

Assistant Editor-In-Chief. 

Kristin is a star-child. She is convinced that she has control over the space time continuum, but she has a hard time remembering to eat breakfast. A unicorn/monkey hybrid, she spends her days hopscotching dreams and moonbeams. After graduating magna cum laude with a BA in History and an MS in Nutrition, she delighted her parents and the student loan companies by deciding to follow her heart and do absolutely nothing related to any of her degrees. Currently pursuing a 500 hour certification, she was a yogini before yoga was cool. She invented the low back tattoo, as well as second lunch.

She is deeply flawed and terribly whimsical.

During her downtime, she enjoys slow and juicy yoga, discovering new worlds in the words, traveling to wild places on whims, and stirring the world awake. Dream big. Be bigger.

Find her on Facebook or email her via kristin@rebellesociety.com.

 

Jessica Hesser

Wisdom Editor.

Jessica has always gone her own way. An official soul rebel — always loyal to her heart,  but rarely one to follow the rules — Jessica has traveled down many paths and led many lives. Finding grace and transformation along the way, Jessica is honored to share her journey as it helps facilitate healing for others.

Her greatest desire is to serve, and she does this with authenticity and integrity, creating a nurturing and sacred space for people to experience their divinity, strength, and grace. Jessica writes, teaches Yoga, creates jewelry and art, and has a healing practice in beautiful southern Florida, where she lives with her family and copious amounts of sunshine.

Jessica is certified in Yoga, Personal Training, Holistic Fitness, and Reiki. You can find her on her website: Mantras and Miracles. Also follow her on Facebook.

 

Hope McGehee

Yoga Editor.

Coffee fanatic, Spotify junkie, avid runner, and Yogi. Inspired by those who follow their bliss and are captivated by the breadth of this life. She holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and Music, a testament to her ongoing thirst for balance between deep study and creative expression.

Her days are spent as a Clinical Coordinator in lung research at National Jewish Hospital, teaching Yoga from her home with her partner-in-crime roommate, and exploring the vast beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

Her recent graduation from Vital Yoga’s 200-hr teacher training in the fall of 2013 has  deepened her craving for the openness of Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (King Pigeon pose), the sweet release of inversions, and complete surrender of Shavasana. In practicing under Denver’s mecca of influential instructors, including Ian Maxwell, John Friend, and the Springer sisters, she continues to nurture a love for self-exploration through asana and the philosophy that is Yoga.

 

Chantele Theroux

Poetry Editor.

Chantele is a writer, artist, and editrix extraordinaire based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Her works express the resonance of personal creative force driven to reflect the real and random brilliance buried in the dark and shadow of the soul.

She is also a Yoga Alliance Certified & Prison Yoga Project Yoga instructor who specializes in leading sessions for under-served groups who may not otherwise have exposure to the transformational benefits of Yoga. These include incarcerated individuals, and people afflicted or affected by addiction, suffering PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), victims of crime, at-risk youth, and persons under very high-stress life conditions.

First training in Los Angeles with James Fox, she has guided Yoga classes at San Quentin prison, and done extensive work with the John Howard Society of Edmonton.

With an educational background and nearly 10 years of professional career experience in the criminal justice field, she has gained extensive experience and exposure to understand who and where Yoga can serve best. She also leads classes at a few of the finest Yoga studios Edmonton has to offer.

Reveal the rock n roll + Yoga + art + writing of your soul, and it will be the exquisite end of life, as you know it. Come rock your world at chanteletheroux.com.

 

 Dana Gornall

Editor.

Dana is a mom of three crazy kids and a dog. She has been writing stories since she could put words into sentences, and is completely in love with language. She has edited for a variety of online publications and loves the heart and soul at Rebelle Society.

She also works as a licensed massage therapist, a certified sign language interpreter, and is always looking forward to even more personal growth. While not interpreting, giving massage, or being with her family, she loves going to Yoga. You can connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Ulli Stanway

Creative Alchemista & Site Content Editor. 

Ulli is a soulful earth angel with an angelic hunger for love, light and yoga. She regularly skips breakfast and enjoys sushi at all times of day, preferably at midnight. She loves running barefoot through the forest on a blood moon and diving into the ocean’s waves at the earliest of all morning hours.

Ulli is a rising Poetess, who wakes up with ink-smeared fingers on most mornings, after she suffered from an acute writer’s attack during nighttime. She often finds herself wearing clothes that are completely mismatched, featuring socks in different colors, which are worn inside out. She is a creative stardust sprinkler and founder of the blog “Desire Your Own Happiness”, where she is writing out loud to her heart’s content.

Ulli is part forest fairy and part unicorn, with a wolfish heart. This sacred trinity allows her to be the queen in her world of organized nuttiness. She has been known to hug trees and smile at strangers before 6 am in the morning.

Ulli is an evolving wordsmith and she loves to inspire others to also follow this ancient trade of wisdom. She is encouraging like-minded pen folk to raise their quills and Write.Out.Loud. She is a former law student and business graduate. However, these days she has left those worlds behind to roam the widely open spaces between her heart and soul. She follows her own rhythm.

Ulli’s mantra is RIP Pinocchio, your strings have served you well but now it is time to cut you loose, so you can skip down your own path. Barefoot, if you wish. No more strings attached. Be you. Be all of you. Her loving footprints can be found in the hearts of many. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Desire Your Own Happiness and you can email her via ulli@rebellesociety.com.

 

Sharon Pingitore

Field Anchor & Connector. 

Sharon Pingitore, better known as Mamaste, is a yoga teacher by passion and supreme people-connector by default — in other words, by nature. Her interwoven talents include (but certainly aren’t limited to): mother, mentor, yoga teacher + connector, eVision board designer, editor, ambassador, interviewer, blogger, Pinterest pro, Facebook fanatic, and head cheerleader.

She has an uncanny magnetism for bringing people together and is a firestarter for ideas, concepts and more than anything — Believing In You. She will help you get to know anyone, anywhere. She uses her sixth sense to project you further into your dreams and into living a life you absolutely love. She believes in the power of a supportive community and if one gets there, we all do. Connect with Mamaste on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn and on Instagram. Email her at mamaste@rebellesociety.com.

 

Jessica Durivage-Kerridge

Rebelle TV Host. 

Jessica Durivage-Kerridge is the founder of Where is My Guru — an intimate in-person and virtual learning center for spiritual, personal and professional development. She works with small businesses and individuals in the wellness, spa and yoga industries offering an extensive portfolio of services including mentoring, strategic marketing and visioning and training development.

She is known through her interview style, yoga teaching and writing for her mindful, practical and humorous approach to life and practice. Her writing has been published in Mantra Yoga + Health Magazine, Origin Magazine, Rebelle Society and Elephant Journal,  Her greatest accomplishments are her amazing children – Ellis Roy and LeeAnn Michelle. Connect with Jessica: @whereismyguru.

 

Tracy Wisneski

Relationship Manager.

Tracy has a BA in English Education and is currently working on her MA in Mass Communications at USF. She’s called Mom by countless children, even though she only gave birth to two of them.

She has the obnoxious habit of blasting out of bed each morning before the sunrise, eats left-over dinner for breakfast and can’t stand coffee. Her favorite place to work is on the enchanted porch her hubby built where she’s surrounded by birds, koi and her two cats. She is fascinated by nature and can only thrive in warm, sunny climates.

Nothing upsets her more than people’s inability to see themselves in others and it is her life’s goal to chip away at that disease one story, status update and encounter at a time. When she’s not clacking away on her laptop, she loves to find empty trails so that she can dance with her shadow as roller-blades and fears she will one day become the next viral video.

Other than at Rebelle Society, you can find Tracy on Facebook, Twitter, elephant journal and her blog on Parenting. You can also email her at tracy@rebellesociety.com.

 

Kristi L. Stout

Social Media Editor & Writer.

Kristi L. Stout is a loving spiritualist, inquisitive adventurer, and die-hard dreamer.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Arts and Animation. Spending the entirety of her current life believing she was an artist who enjoyed writing, she later learned that she was more a writer, who enjoyed drawing. But then in further discovery, she learned she pretty much loved any and all things creative. Creation is the source of life!

Her current endeavors are with Rebelle Society as a contributing writer and social media editor extraordinaire. She also owns a publishing house called The Angel Publishing, LLC and has just published her first work, The Quest of Heart: An illustrated, allegorical short-fiction which is the first in a series.

The following is a compilation of various words, all of which Kristi dominantly associates with, but is not limited to: Lover. Mother. Daughter. Warrior. Goddess. Seeker. Do-er. Dreamer. Writer. Artist. Scientist. Existentialist. Spiritualist. Naturalist. Idealist. Realist. Romantic. Ninja. Jedi. Unicorn.

She loves the smells of Scotch-tape, roses, day-old cologne, fresh-roasted coffee, rain and the forest floor. Is riveted by angels, sand dunes, thunder, black Andalusian stallions, silk and the Pacific Northwest. Participates in dance, aerial acrobatics, aerial Yoga, social coffee drinking, astrological study, philosophy, vegetarianism and emotions—every kind of emotion. Has been brought to instant out-of-the-blue tears by seeing the Milky Way from the Andes, a music venue by Jónsi, the movie Avatar, reading Harry Potter, and a handful of times by extra precious things her daughter does.

She currently resides in Southern California (though she has moved more times in her life than she can count).

In addition to Rebelle Society, you can find more of Kristi’s work here or connect with her on Facebook. You can also email her at kristi@rebellesociety.com.

 

Shanna Atchley

Twitter Editor. 

A writer, artist & dreamer, Shanna has been potentiating talent since childhood. She is moved by nature, the arts, and academia, along with the vast mysteries of our inner and outer worlds. She has novels, art installations and several creative projects living inside her mind, each of which will eventually outgrow the cranial limits of both space and time, serving as proof that dreams grow into reality.

Shanna has a BSN, and has spent the majority of her career caring for others. She is now exploring new and novel ways to nurse the world back to health, tapping into the powerfully creative powers of Love and Compassion along the way.

When she’s not writing or dreaming her future alive, Shanna acts as an agent for evolution, raising up the world’s children so that they, too, may one day change the world. She can be found any place under the sun or moon, and prefers life on the road to living in a box.

It is possible to share your dreams & talents with Shanna by emailing her at shanna@rebellesociety.com and you may connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. If all else fails, she’ll likely find you in a dream, in which case, please feel free to introduce yourself.

 

 Anna Schoener

Dream Scout & Recruiter. 

Anna has a BA in Humanities and Religious Studies, but her real education has come from traveling the globe on her own and witnessing firsthand all of the love this world has to offer. A mermaid at heart, she is learning to embrace her humanness, but hopes to one day go back to the sea to be with her people.

For now, she’s more than happy to soak up as much sunshine as possible, run through open fields of wildflowers, and smile at as many people as she can. She loves the idea of meditation, but finds impromptu dance parties bring her closer to her Soul. Anna calls herself yogi, traveler, writer, dreamer, but in truth, her bliss comes from being whoever she needs to be in each and every moment. No labels or boxes necessary.

 Anna is based in Malmö, Sweden and in her spare time you can find her practicing Yoga, drinking coffee, making her own beauty products, and dabbling in website development. You can connect with her on Tumblr and Pinterest or contact her via email at anna@rebellesociety.com.

 

Jenny Binovec

Facebook Editor.

Jenny is an Australian who currently lives in Prague, Czech Republic. She studied to be a classical musician and plays clarinet and saxophone. She loves performing and creating music with others and is currently working on opportunities to dispel the myth that classical music is only for the elite. Jenny is also a teacher and is passionate about teaching music and seeing the way music can enrich lives. She also has a love affair with words and stories, narratives of lives, and is interested in the connection, meaning and healing words can bring.

Jenny is passionate about many things in life and loves meaningful conversations about just about anything. Jenny can be found gazing up at the shining stars in the velvet night pondering life’s great mysteries, with her nose deep in a good book or knee deep in her recently discovered obsession – cacao avocado pudding! Connect with her via Facebook or email clarijenjen@gmail.com.

 

Kelly Owens

Pinterest Editor.

When first encountering Kelly, she will hit you between the eyes with her contagious giggle and genuine smile. She believes that the world would be a much better place if everyone practiced bearing the beams of love in all that they do. A William Blake enthusiast, she is trying to find a scientist who will agree to bring him back from the dead so that she could have at least one cup of coffee with him.

She graduated magna cum laude from Centenary College with a bachelor’s in English and Secondary Education. She believes that reading literature can save the world and that the greatest historians are artists and poets.

She’s a Jersey girl that gets overly annoyed by every other car, believes speed limits are just “guidelines,” and that more people need to be educated on the purpose of the left lane. A warrior who is battling Crohn’s disease, she takes odd pride in knowing that no one is tough enough to kick her ass other than her own immune system. Kelly is a lover of science, a believer in pantheism, a seeker for the sake of seeking, a moon-bather, stargazer, spreader of smiles, and giver of giggles. She falls in love every day with people who have beautiful minds, but thinks the most beautiful mind is her husband and Partner in Crime, Sean – and she doesn’t think she’s biased about that, at all.

She likes the fact that most people aren’t necessarily laughing at her quirky jokes, but instead are laughing at how funny she thinks her jokes are.

She feels the world at a cellular level, loves strongly, and overthinks everything. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and her website.