Meet Leslie Avila | Project Manager and Body, Mind, and Soul Integrative Practitioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leslie Avila and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk-taking is a skill that must be learned, mastered, and embraced by all entrepreneurs. It builds confidence and character, yet takes immense amount of bravery to embark on. Risk carries a scary denotation with it, but is as common as choosing what you’ll eat today for lunch. Taking risks should come as a requirement for all entrepreneurs beginning a new venture, because it is something you will and must face head on almost everyday. I took a risk the second I told my parents that I don’t want to work for a company but start my own; I take a risk everyday when I wake up and decide to have faith in myself and my business, and not give up. If I would have never took the risk to take my business idea serious, I would not be here, with the confidence that I write today, nor with the time or experience to write for you. I am forever grateful to the risks I was presented and decided to bet on, for I now see them as beautiful. Life is not meant to be boring, you’re supposed to try new things.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Oh, art. Every single person on this planet expresses themselves differently, it just takes time to discover your unique manner of expression. I am very proud of the burst of color and creativity that hopped into my life after ingesting psychedelic medicine. I was never creative or art-driven. I was left-brain, completely and utterly in love with numbers, solutions, computers, math, and science. It wasn’t a switch I intended upon, nor one that I knew would occur. I experienced psychoactive plant medicine, and it changed my life at age 19. Plants, especially psychoactive plants, have the power to connect us with a deeper, or in other words, higher version of ourselves and the World. I felt an innate connection to natural life; our planet, trees, herbs, plants, sun, light, grass, and more. This new feeling of connectivity and understanding brought me to truly open my eyes and see the world around me. It was not easy to take what I experienced with plant medicine and create art from it, or even a business with it. But I heard a deep calling so loud, I was not able to ignore it. I started to sketch and doodle the words, images, or pictures that would circle my mind and heart during these times. Sometimes, I would receive clear images and sensible words, but sometimes I did not. I had to learn to read in between the lines, notice my surroundings, and access deep wisdom within me in order to express what I was feeling. It was not easy going from logical, reasonable human to intuitive, creative, fun spirit. I am so proud to tell you that I am a plant medicine advocate, student, and ally.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In Atlanta, I really enjoy buying plant-based milk creations from Astro Nut. I love Tassili’s.. I would take all of my friends there. They have the best raw food I have ever tasted! Calaveritas Taqueria Vegana is also an amazing Mexican vegan spot.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to Terence McKenna who showed me the wild, the fairies, magic, and the weird that exists amongst us; you gave me the courage and inspiration to not be afraid and jump right in. Shoutout to Panquetzani, who gave me a path to return to my birthright and remember my womb. Shoutout to my parents for never believing me, I had someone to prove wrong and ti fueled me – I am honored to show you, by example, the endless and bountiful reign that is here for us. Shoutout to Maria Sabina for sharing your words with the world, and for allowing the multitude of publications and record-keeping of your magic to occur – someone like me needed to hear and read them. Shoutout to Beautiful Chorus for singing me to sleep when I needed it the most. Shoutout to my siblings, Kathy, Omar, and Andres for always challenging me. Shoutout to my Cristal for always believing in me. Shoutout to all the random friends, strangers, coworkers, and family members that supported me as a human and in my career. Shoutout to Leslie, she kept going even when I wanted to quit.

Website: delightisfull.com

Instagram: @delightisfull

Facebook: Facebook.com/comewithabellyfulloflight

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8YHHUuRUdg1i63k9wWfhwA