Dear teachers, principals and school boards….

Dear Teachers, Principals and School Boards…

As you are probably aware, it is estimated that one out of every four Canadian teenagers has an eating disorder. That means in a typical-sized Peel school, close to 300 students struggle with a dangerous mental health issue that they might not have the tools to battle alone. To remedy this, I have created an educational presentation that takes a different approach to addressing the subject of mental health, with a specific focus on eating disorders and body image issues.

This 45-minute musical presentation is designed to be thought-provoking, relatable and, more importantly – to give students guidance on how to get the help they need. I hope we can work together to provide outreach to our youth, and our community, through the school system.

I am available for booking for the 2018/2019 school year

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Email: nikkipolicelli@hotmail.com

Website:

Lovingandleavinged.com

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Red Carpet Drive

RED CARPET DRIVE

“Red Carpet Drive” is a song about an ending. An ending to striving for perfection. the “drive to be “red carpet ” ready.  It was written on the lowest night of my life. I was consumed by an eating disorder and fuelled by perfectionism that had completely taken over. It was taking away my life, my husband, my work, it was confusing my kids and taking over my body and mind. Any person dealing with an addiction or disorder becomes a master at hiding it, so much so that we create two lives that tragically coexist; the person we really are and the actor we portray. Like an actor, we walk down that red carpet that is our life, with perfect posture, a perfect smile, while giving the impression that we have it all together, that we are living a perfect life. However the real me was suffering and couldn’t admit it. By the time I admitted I needed help, no one took me seriously because I had fooled them all. I realized perfectionism was just as much an illness as any other and I needed to acknowledge, admit and let it go.
This song describes how admitting it to myself and others would make it the last time I would suffer this alone. My life is not a red carpet and I’ve let go of the drive to be red carpet ready.
There is only one me. The real me.

To learn more about Niki Policelli please visit

Lovingandleavinged.com

A poem about “ED” (eating disorder) written by Niki Policelli

I remember playing dress up

Alone in my room

My big shiny microphone

was actually a broom

I wore makeup and dresses

And lit up the stage

I had very bold dreams

At a very young age

After years of daydreaming

Something started to change

I looked in the mirror

And felt so ashamed

I began this new friendship with

A voice I named ED

A friend and a bully

I let live in my head

He spoke about diets

Tape measures and scales

He said “you shouldn’t sing,

If you look like a whale ”

I dieted for years

Trying to wipe myself out

That is exactly

What my shows were about

Self loathing and hiding

For years upon years

Me standing on stage

Was me facing my fears

People critiqued

They thought that I shouldn’t

but I had to because

ED told me I couldn’t

Some understood

Some really did not

But approval from others

Is not what I want

I want to express something

Tested and true

Follow your heart

Do it for you

You have a gift

Give it life do it well

Don’t let YOUR ED

Hide you in his hell

I wrote a few songs

That’s my victory Lap

I no longer worry

Who will be there to clap

For I owed it to show up

For that little girl

That ED tried to bury

And hide from the world

This one song will take you

To purpose through pain

It’s my happy ending

I call it

BLUE RAIN…..

I know who “ED” is for me,

Who is “ED” for you???

Lovingandleavinged.com

Much Love,

Niki Policelli