Meet Kelly Ricard:

Kelly Wilk cultivates a sanctuary where healing, storytelling, and unconventional family dynamics intertwine. A registered reflexologist, Reiki master, and aromatherapist by profession, Wilk’s journey through personal tragedy has transformed her into a beacon of resilience and creativity.

Storyteller, artist, and survivor, Kelly's narrative traverses the depths of grief, navigating the loss of her beloved wife, her father, and facing the challenges of fibromyalgia.

Despite the weight of these tribulations, Kelly has found solace and strength in the act of storytelling and artistry. Through the physical manifestation of her emotions, she has forged a path of healing, crafting beauty from the fragments of her sorrow. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of creativity and resilience, offering insight and inspiration to all who encounter it. Join us in this talk where Kelly shares her remarkable journey with us today.

Hear from Kelly:

I love stories. Writing them, hearing them, telling them and often never stopping for breath. I graduated from The University of Guelph with B.A Honours in Theatre and English. Over the span of 30 years I have honed my craft, written prolifically concentrating mainly on writing for social media, poetry, and memoir. I have also have renewed love of fantasy and even directed and wrote a play for my son’s elementary school. I have been featured in a number of online Zines produced by the Online Sapphic Writers Group . I was a freelance writer for Pink Play Magazine between 2011 to 2019 and also wrote their Queer Parenting Blog The Ginger Gent.

I have been published in various online platforms, a Canadian food journal called Beer and Butter Tarts, to purchase copy click here. . In 2019 McLean’s Magazine in published a personal essay in the Before You Go series, A Young Widow to Her Son, Your Small Life was so Powerful You Saved Mine. Read article .

I also have a number of social media platforms. My Brave.Creative.Me Instagram site has a great deal of my poetry, including my online project the Thirty Day Poetry Challenge. For a year I also produced Kelly’s Reading Corner on YouTube, a channel where I read a weekly picture book for one year to support children and families like mine dealing with the stress of the lockdown. I even read one of my own picture books Pinky The Christmas Elf a tongue in cheek holiday book for kids and adults! I focused on books with themes of isolation, difference, and big feelings to help parents make space for conversations with their kids.

As a holistic practitioner I consider creative writing therapeutic.

Every time I work with a client in a healing capacity it is also in a creative capacity, and creative work is absolutely an opportunity to heal. This is why I developed and facilitated my Narrative Healing Workshop Series as a healing journey using creative projects. Follow the link for more information on this service. So much can be unearthed and processed in a healthy way. I also very much enjoy supporting fellow writers and writing with peers.

To date I have completed two novels, countless projects and read my work at public events and appearances. I am excited to see what projects lay in my future and how I can share my work with the world.