I am an artist, published author, storyteller, motivational speaker, playful elder. I have just survived a lymphoma journey and am passionate about addressing inter generational trauma and how we address this through our stories and start our healing journey. Nina Angelo OAM was born in Athens Greece shortly after WW2 and migrated to Sydney Australia with her parents, survivors of auschwitz the Nazi concentration camp. In the early 60’s Nina nourished her passion as an artist at the National Art School in Sydney experimenting with many art forms, before settling on her lifelong journey with textiles. Her community work and her artistic and cultural heritage lead her on countless adventures across Australia, the Pacific Islands and ultimately back to Europe While overcoming significant challenges Nina has founded, coordinated, publicised, taught and workshop creative and community arts and festival events for over 35 years. She is a colourful character with a gift for connection with people of all ages and cultures. In 2009 Nina was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her service to the arts and the New South Wales Central Coast community. Her wider Australian contribution to community and culture, recognised in a range of honours, awards and positions including artist in residence in Fiji, To Australia Day community awards, governor of New South Wales children’s week award for her work with children in remote locations. In 2017 and Edna Ryan feminist award for her life’s work empowering women, sharing their stories through the arts. Nina is a connector of the creative dots in communities. She now works and teachers in her studio in MacMasters Beach NSW and is a mentor for young artists, an arts consultant, a registered marriage celebrant, a published author, a poet and a cultural activist, passionate about the creative spirit in us all, while capturing the stories of our culture in our time. After the launch of her book Don’t Cry, Dance, A memoir of War Love and Forgiveness in October 2019 she was diagnosed with stage for lymphoma and spent 2020 healing from this. There is no doubt this came through International trauma while writing her book and now, healed and ready to share stories snd facilitate story circles especially addressing inter generational trauma which we all hold in our cellular memory from childhood. Nina is blessed to have boy girl twins and 2 adult granddaughters.