“Sometimes just seeing resilience can change our mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our hope with the Portraits of Resilience series – we hope the story below will inspire you to tap into your own resilience.”- Bold Journey Magazine
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr.Jean Marie Loscalzo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Jean, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I would say my resilience is formed from many parts. Some parts were inherited by my ancestors, my grandfather for example came from Italy to NYC as an orphan in 1909, he built a life for himself with nothing but his will and his dreams, and from that resilience- I was born. Other parts were cultivated on my own. When combined with the creative curious mind I was born with, there was always enough wonder and enchantment about the world to walk towards and not away from the twisters of life. I believe cultivating resilience becomes a lifestyle, we need a box filled with tools that span the mind, body and spirit, for how are we to know what the day will bring?
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Prior to going back to graduate school to study medicine, I ran my own design company Supercreator Inc. hailing from Brooklyn NY. It specialized in -The Art of Making Anything- for over 20 years. In art school we were encouraged to choose a creative focus and build a foundation around it. Having to pick just one medium felt very constricting to me, so I swam against the tide and created my own company where I could make art using all types of mediums.
Creating is a love of my life, but I reached a crossroads where I wanted to create less material waste in the world; I wanted to build lasting creations. I spent some years trying out different paths to find a new direction, this included receiving certifications in both teaching and biodynamic farming. I apply them both in my work today, including teaching at the acupuncture college I earned my degree from. I never knew where my curiosity would lead me, I just knew it was important to reflect on the things that interested me to find a new road. Becoming a doctor came around to me from a lot of different circumstances, which ultimately culminated into a calling I received through a medicine dream.
I pulled up the deep roots of my life in NYC and headed west for graduate school. It was a leap of faith that required a tremendous amount of hard work, sacrifice, faith in my calling, and resilience. My mind was used to working from a conceptual creative place and medical school is the opposite of that, a different kind of demanding with non-stop tests and board exams…you get the idea. I had to strengthen the other side of my mind, and I used my creative side to do just that. I now run my own practice RareBird Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Prescriptions and I can say, I completely understand how art and science are intimately related.
Chinese medicine is vast network of beautiful ancient systems, there is always something to discover and apply to the art of healing. We are all Rare Birds when it comes to healing and the medicine I work with is a perfect fit for me. In addition to my private practice, I provide acupuncture to patients in recovery, the unhoused, and also do trauma outreach work. I am passionate about all of the ways I can support people in their healing. The reward for me is the witnessing.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Just three? Ha! remember the box filled with tools to assist you on your way. Gather them from the magnificent world around you, it’s full of inspiration. Cultivate a Beginners Mind. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities but in the expert’s mind there are few. Never underestimate the power of the smallest acts, they all have the potential to turn a life around. Develop a spiritual practice, it will support you in difficult times. Respect our planet and its resources, you rely on it and are a part of it. Take care of your health, you are your own vessel.
Your heart is your greatest teacher so get to know your unique spirit, there is no one out there just like you.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
It’s a challenge to provide dignified healthcare to everyone. The services I offer are not covered under most insurance plans and this tends to make the medicine I provide out of reach for some people. The pandemic really reshaped the healthcare system. For me, it birthed a number of new ideas and services I believe meet the needs of our current world. I’m eager to get these new creations out to the public. I want to offer private one-on-one care for deep healing using ancient traditions, and more community outreach to the rural communities and also collective healing in ceremony.
I advocate with national and state organizations so we are recognized and respected by the western medical community and congress with hopes that it will make Chinese Medicine more accessible to everyone. I educate people about the benefits of holistic healing so they can make informed decisions. I have healthy boundaries around what I have to give energy wise and I strive to find a balance of providing care to the community but still earning to support my business, my life and pay my giant student loans. I started both of my businesses with no financial help, so finding balance is essential. If you happen to know any silent investors who believe in my vision of healing in community, I’d love to chat with them.
About Bold Journey
‘Every problem or dilemma we face has been faced by countless others in the past and so we wanted to create a place to have conversations around those challenges. Living life boldly means exposing yourself to all sorts of risk – risk of loss, risk of criticism and judgement, risk of mental, emotional, or physical distress. It’s no wonder, so many of us are raised to not live boldly, to not take risks, to not push ourselves to reach our highest potential.’
Here’s a link to the complete article on the Bold Journey magazine website. Thanks for reading! -Jean
