Kaitie Degen ~ Sober Curious Hype Girl ~ Vancouver, BC
1. What inspires, moves or drives you?
OOF! Tough question to start with. I'm inspired by what lights people up! Nothing makes me happier than helping someone remember how awesome, cute, funny and capable they are. That and I'm driven by helping others accomplish their BIG ideas! Moved by kindness on the regular!
2. What are a few of your favourite things?
My fave colours are pinks and purples and blues. I like bubblegum sunsets and the smell of cotton candy. Dogs are life but you can most definitely find me petting any animal at any event at any time humanly possible.This is not a joke.
3. What does an ideal world look like to you?
I see a world where people care more about collaborating with each other rather than competing. I see a world without judgement and a world that supports and encourages conversation around mental health and self care.
4. What are you up to, what kind of art do you create, what kind of healing do you do, what is your "offering"?
Whoa, this is a loaded question for me! I knew I was a healer at a really young age. I could FEEL people's emotions and to a really deep degree! I first became a yoga instructor, later I moved onto reiki and then onto acupuncture... funny enough though I don't use any of those tools to help people now lol. I find my "offering" is still about how to help people feel and act like their best selves in their own bodies, but also focusing on how to feel good in your body in a SOCIAL setting. AKA I like to remind people how to have a good time without drinking any alcohol.This includes dancing, recipes, relationships, daily routines, how you show up in your life and how you let others show up in your life too.My offering is to create a space for the open-minded to get to know each other and be silly on a sober and authentic level!
5. How can we find your work or follow along with your journey?
You can find my alcohol-free products on our website: www.sobersaturdayz.ca
You can follow along my journey on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sobersaturdayz
You can attend our super silly events on Twitch under CLUB_SOFA!!
6. What are your favourite quotes or words to live by?
"For what it’s worth... it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you’ve never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.” - F Scott Fitz
7. Who are your heros/heroines?
This question is a little tricky for me, I grew up moving a lot, without many friends and with unreliable parents. I can proudly say that the person I've always looked up to the most has been myself. It's a really amazing thing when you realize that YOU are in control of your own life and once you realize you carry all that power, well the rest is history mama!
8. How will you leave your mark on the world, both in terms of community and the environment?
Ever since I was little I wanted to leave a lasting imprint on the world. I want to connect with driven people who have been through some bullshit and who are ready to use that negative energy in their life as fuel to help others. I think it's important for me to advocate and share my story about foster care, addiction and being reborn out of that! Sometimes people forget how capable they are and if I can remind them of their significance enough, we will create an army of kind, hardworking individuals who are empathetic AF! To stay sustainable, shop local, shop vintage and be creative/repurpose!!
9. What advice would the present you share with the past you?
Don't drink and go on dates, believe me your ex's were never really that funny. The only relationship/friendship (whether with family or not) that you should force is the one with yourself.You're actually not helping anyone by not helping yourself first. Dream BIG, really REALLY BIG and don't give AF what anyone has to say about it.
10. What challenges have you overcome and how?
Holy moly, okay. Even though I could list a lot of different physical challenges that I come across in business and in my life, honestly they all stem from the same internal issue and that's my views on my own self worth. I get stage fright, I worry what other people think of me, that what I’m saying doesn't actually hold any value and that I'm not creative enough to do the things I dream of doing. That being said, I've always used the negative in my life to fuel the positive. If someone tells me I can't do something... hell, I'm gonna do it, do it well and take some friggin' pictures while I'm at it! Not having parents to fall back on has always brought a lot of anxieties into my life. Growing up without a permanent family means that I don't always know how to act around other people's families/friends and because of this a lot of the time I feel like I don't fit in. This is something that used to bother me, but now I know that I should never have to justify who I am for anyone, EVER. I find my confidence by staying alcohol-free. For me This helps me to be confident in everything I say and do. I'm able to sustain the energy needed to actually be able to finish the projects I set out to do, instead of my usual get drunk/high and talk about it but complete nothing lol.
My advice is to become your own best friend. Fall in love with all your little quirks and giggles and triumphs and failures and be honest with yourself about whether you're actually doing the best you can, or if you're just foolin' yourself. That and don't sell yourself short because of what people think of you, they're going to think a certain way about you regardless, so do what you want.