In this episode we speak to Melanie Gnau - a small living expert. Melanie teaches about creating a sustainable and beautiful home through DIY, shopping second hand, gardening and living mindfully. Her blog A Small Life and social media sharing highlight how to make small, but life altering changes to how we live - that can benefit us as individuals, but also the planet as a whole. We also talk about her Isleta Pueblo heritage, how neurodiversity can be a consideration of functional design and even how cleaning can create compelling content. We talk about the different aspects of minimalism - beyond the aesthetic. Melanie also shares how she balances the different aspects of her business and how the personal and political aspects of sustainability can intertwine, creating a meaningful life that benefits ourselves, our community and our planet. We recorded this conversation before the devastating floods in Australia and the invasion of Ukraine. Seeing horrific events like these and knowing that there are other global events receiving less media attention really shines a light on what a privilege it is to have a safe, comfortable home - even though it is a human right, it is not something we can take for granted. We hope that this conversation can both help us all create a functional and nurturing environment within your own home, and enhance our capacity to help others - maybe through volunteering, contributing to grassroots fundraising, political lobbying or making ethical purchasing choices. One of the huge benefits of ‘living small’ is that it can free up energetic and financial resources that enable us to have a bigger positive impact. Links Melanie's Website: asmalllife.com Coaching: https://asmalllife.com/coaching/ Instagram: instagram.com/asmalllife Trans Handy Ma'am: https://www.tiktok.com/@mercurystardust Indigenous people as conservators: https://report.territoriesoflife.org/ Shavonda Gardner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgardnerstyle/ Support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/flowartistspodcast Receive a 10% discount when you use the discount code MAKFLOW at https://makarlu.com