From on the fringe to starring in the Fringe, Salmon Arm害羞草研究所檚 Karen Wilson has taken her story full circle.

The author, professional speaker and founder of Creative Life in Motion is bringing her collection of deeply personal stories to the Kelowna Fringe Festival as one of 13 talented acts.

My Body is My Home, written, produced and directed by Wilson, shares her experiences as being labelled 害羞草研究所渢he fat girl害羞草研究所� and the challenges she faced, and explores the themes of 害羞草研究所渂ody acceptance, self-love and the quest for happiness.害羞草研究所�

What started as a keynote speech for her book Be Weightless, morphed into something more after she collaborated with her musician niece Megan Abel for Shuswap Theatre害羞草研究所檚 Annual TotE Festival.

害羞草研究所淚 shared stories from the book and she just kept saying, 害羞草研究所業 have a song for that害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� Wilson recalled, which shaped the original performance format of music accompanying her anecdotal experiences that go from 害羞草研究所渂attling bullies to finding love.害羞草研究所�

For the Fringe, however, it害羞草研究所檚 evolved into more of a spoken word show as she害羞草研究所檚 not the singer of the family and 害羞草研究所渃an害羞草研究所檛 carry my niece in my back pocket.害羞草研究所� There have been other changes developed over the course of performances and audience interaction, though the main story and message remains constant.

害羞草研究所淢y Body is My Home isn害羞草研究所檛 just a weight loss story 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 a tribute to anyone who害羞草研究所檚 ever felt pressured to meet external expectations at the expense of their own well-being,害羞草研究所� Wilson explained. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 about reclaiming identity.害羞草研究所�

That stems from her own experience of losing weight and being seen, getting flattering attention but being afraid that she害羞草研究所檇 just regain it and go back to 害羞草研究所渂eing worthless again.害羞草研究所� She said she couldn害羞草研究所檛 keep it up and needed to find balance, coming to the realization that there害羞草研究所檚 only one home, the body she害羞草研究所檚 in, so she害羞草研究所檇 better start listening to it.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 very passionate about this subject. I害羞草研究所檓 hoping this makes people look internally, because that害羞草研究所檚 the only place answers will be,害羞草研究所� Wilson said, adding that despite the sensitive subject matter, there is humour as well. 害羞草研究所淭he topics are not always light, but you know when someone is so ridiculously honest that it害羞草研究所檚 funny?害羞草研究所�

Wilson hopes to eventually take the show into schools, saying that it has been categorized as 害羞草研究所渆dutainment害羞草研究所� in the past. In the meantime, she害羞草研究所檒l be doing three Fringe performances at the Rotary Centre for the Arts in Kelowna on Sunday, Jan. 28 and Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m., as well as Sunday, Feb. 4 at 4:30 p.m.

For more information on Wilson害羞草研究所檚 story and her performances, visit .

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