‘Take the road of creativity’: Métis woman turns grief into healing through film and yoga

A Métis woman is turning her own grief into creativity, blending filmmaking and yoga as a form of healing. Laura Woodward has the story.

A Métis woman in Wakaw, Sask. is turning her grief into creativity — blending filmmaking and yoga as a form of healing.

Danielle Vandale launched Ella Studios, creating what she describes as “mobile expressive arts therapy.”

“Sometimes I’ll be teaching yoga, sometimes I will be filming in Métis and in Indigenous communities,” Vandale told CTV News.

She says the idea was born out of personal trauma. Vandale says she lost custody of her adopted daughter, Ella, during a period of mental health struggles.

“I could go down the road of addiction, depression, all the mental health issues, or I can take the road of creativity,” she said.

Vandale hopes her own experience can offer a sense of community and help others feel less alone.

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“I didn’t realize how many other people had similar stories, because you start to feel like you’re alone in grief,” Vandale said.

Her films explore themes of pain and identity, often incorporating nature and movement.

Vandale says her filmmaking work and yoga classes frequently take her into smaller Indigenous communities, where access to mental health supports can be limited.

She says her goal is to help others work through difficult experiences.