The Possibility Fellowship Alumni
Journeying with Marika
My core gift is helping others to authentically know and celebrate who they are. I give this by helping them to understand their thoughts create their reality, see the beauty in everything, and create opportunities for play, so they can shine their light to inspire others. – Marika, The Possibility Fellowship 2023
A story from The Possibility Fellowship, written by Nicola
Marika’s curiosity and love of play enticed her to come along to the taster session for the Possibility Fellowship 2023. When I asked her “Who is the Fellowship for?”, she replied “Everybody… Because the more people are sharing their gifts, the more diverse we are, the more we can integrate with our community, know who’s there, and…build that community!”
Marika, a Noongar woman from Ballardong Boodja, was born in Fremantle (Walyalup) and grew up in Kalgoorlie (Wongi country) surrounded by the warmth and security of a large family. “My Nan had nine kids. Our family lived with Nan and Pop, and all their grandkids. We were out playing in the bush or biking around town all day, every day. We had that safety and security in the family.”
Life presented some challenges when Marika became a single mother. She longed to recreate that sense of deep belonging for her own children. “I moved around my whole life. I made friends wherever I went, but when you’re a mum, it’s a different kind of lonely,” she shared. What Marika found most challenging was finding people she could genuinely connect with on an emotional and intellectual level. She also sought something accessible for single parents.
During an early session of the Fellowship, engaging in a human-centred design activity with art materials, Marika envisioned a community hub. This hub would support single parents and their children, providing a sanctuary where families could co-work, play, network, exercise, and access childcare. It’s an ambitious dream, but Marika is committed to taking small, sustainable steps towards it.
As a certified coach and accomplished artist, Marika plans to offer a series of nature journaling workshops. She said, “In Noongar culture, we have six seasons. Back in the day, we’d move every two months, with each season, allowing the ground to renew.” Nature journaling, she believes, offers a soothing pathway back to ease and connection – with nature, oneself, and the community. It’s an invitation to reconnect and understand that “we’re held by the universe … and that we’re all one.”
Through the Fellowship, Marika discovered more about herself and her potential. “Before the Fellowship, I knew I had mindset and manifestation skills to share. But the Fellowship helped me see how others saw me,” she reflects. Recognising her talent for creating safe spaces, she understood the importance of making her offerings welcoming and accessible for all.
Marika’s Fellowship journey taught her that she can create the sense of community she longs for by offering connectedness to others. This realisation has graced her with comfort in embracing uncertainty and confidence in her journey.
As she charts her path forward, she carries with her a profound understanding: “Most people fear what they can’t see,” she reflects. “But when challenges are up close, they’re not really that scary. That’s what I’m experiencing now.”
This story was gathered in partnership with Marika as she concluded her experience in The Possibility Fellowship 2023.
