A MOTHERS DAY GIFT GUIDE: MEET LEAH, SCULPTOR & GRANDMOTHER
An award winning sculptor, art activist, mother of three (Leah is Laura our CEO's mother) and grandmother of five. She is the recipient of the Manhattan Arts International “Outstanding Woman Artist Achievement Award” for her extraordinary works of art and contributions to advancing the status of women artists. Leah Poller is a Chairperson for New York Society of Women Artists, and also a member of New York Artists Circle and Women’s Caucus for the Arts.
Mother Earth. Clay, Anchored into her solid footing…Leah embodies the grounding of the physical realms. From New York to China where she works with bronze and clay Leah is all about the Root Chakra. Anchoring into her solid footing wherever she is, Leah creates belonging with her confidence and deep understanding of herself.
Are you a mother? Yes, I am a mother of 3 kids I birthed and 2 adult "kids" I have adopted.
What is being a mother to you? Being a mother to me is a way to expand my understanding of the world and how I affect it. I work with clay and form it into something I envision. With children, it's not the same. The children form you.
Any tips for balancing motherhood and life/ work: I am a woman of my generation. We were supposed to have kids and be mothers. I decided to be an artist and pursue my vision of what a life in which I could find myself within all the rules that said I was only there to help others do so. I decided I could have both. So I did. When my kids were young, I divorced, moved the family to Paris and we started a new life. Balance came from having all of our needs met, not just my own but having my own needs met, meant I could be a better parent.
How do you take time for yourself? When I was younger I loved to travel. From Paris you can go so many places within a few hours. For me time for myself meant I could work on my art and sculpt. Today, it's pretty much the same thing. During Covid I spent a lot of time by myself and it wasn't as relaxing as I thought it would be. I am happiest when I am out in the world.
Advice for a new mother: Both my daughters are mothers. I never really had advice for them. They seemed to know what they were doing from the get go. Watching them balance work and motherhood was inspiring. They both were able to be very successful and raise amazing children. I hope to be a great grandmother soon. My granddaughters don't need my advice either. The best I can do is love them. I am doing my best to step into a role of Matriarch at this time in our lives. I hope I can lead by example.
For Leah's mother's day gifts we went all in on the ROOT CHAKRA.
Why the Root: Balancing your root chakra is important because it helps with your grounding. When your root chakra is balanced, you will feel more secure and connected to the world around you. It can help to give you a sense of stability, allowing you to make better decisions and face life’s challenges with more confidence. It also helps to reduce feelings of fear and anxiety, allowing you to achieve greater inner peace and harmony. By balancing your root chakra, you can stay connected to your inner strength, enabling you to move forward in life with greater ease.
VITALITY CHAKRA ROLL ON PERFUME OIL
Leah says: I travel all the time and need to stay grounded. The Vitality chakra perfume oil does it for me. The scent is very woodsy and perfumey. I used to wear perfumes like Opium from St Laurent, but I find that today, these kinds of scents are too strong. Scent preferences are different and I realized announcing myself this way was not aligned with my desire to be welcoming. This has the same oriental top notes of my designer perfume but it is calming instead of loud. The size is great, I can put it in my makeup bag or carry it on the plane. The flights to China are long and having my personal space scented really helps me. When I am home in New York, in Harlem, it fits in too.
Leah says: I love big scents and this one delivers. The patchouli is strong but it is softened by the neroli, jasmine and rose. I have the Passion spray in the big size on my nightstand and the little one in my travel bag. I like to spray this on my bedding and also on my body when I am going out dancing. I have been dancing for years. I love when I am told I smell amazing. I make sure to spray my hair. I like that the scent is there but it's very natural.
Leah says: I was already a fan of the water based Chakra 1 Aroma Perfume blend in the roll on perfume, so I tried the water based spray. Now I use this one at least half the time. The scent is deep and for some reason when this is sprayed I can distinguish the ginger and cedarwood a little more. This has such luxe packaging. I love the affirmation on the box and find it is a great reminder to be present and feel vital & vibrant. The packaging is fantastic!
RED AGATE ROOT CHAKRA GEMSTONE BRACELET
Leah says: I wear a lot of bracelets. You can hear me coming a mile away. My kids always know when I am in the room. I went to the Pearl Market in Hong Kong and saw many bracelets but didn’t know what the stones were. I was excited when I was gifted this red agate gemstone bracelet. The color goes with many of my favorite outfits. I have become more aware of the power of crystals but never really collected any. Now I want many more to mix and match. As an artist color is very important to me and seeing a little red on my cuff uplifts me.
SELENITE WAND WITH CHAKRA GEMSTONES AND COPPER WIRE
Leah says: I love interesting objects and this one was quite sculptural. I use bronze in my work and love the idea of alchemy. The copper wire and the selenite with the 7 color stones is now something I bring with me everywhere. When I did my aura reading at Adoratherapy’s store I had a very big root chakra. They said I create a sense of belonging for myself.
Leah says: This packaging is really handy. I can keep it in my pocket and when I am in my studio when I need a break I can take a deep breath. The vanilla in this blend is sweet and delicious but overall the scent is relaxing and deepens my conviction. Working with clay, with my hands in the ‘dirt”, grounds me, no question! Smell is a huge element in my work: it mimics the transformation I witness when my work is cast in bronze – pure alchemy! And the shape of this Drive moodzee bottle, perfect for a sculptor.
Want to shop for your Root Chakra? Click here.
Additional Links
You can reach Leah on IG at @leahpollerart
Website: https://leahpoller.com/
Leah just won an award!
