I create videos and write for people who grew up learning how to read the room before they learned how to read themselves.

‍Canaries in the Coal Mine began as a personal exploration.
A way of making sense of the emotional patterns many of us carry quietly - hyper-awareness, over-responsibility, codependence, and the feeling of being “too much” and not enough at the same time.

I grew up in a family system shaped by addiction, dysfunction, silence, and survival roles. Like many people who find this work, I learned early to keep the peace, stay aware, and carry what wasn’t mine.

For a long time, I thought I was just too sensitive.
Or intense.
Or overly aware of everything.

What I eventually realized is that many of us grew up in environments where being perceptive wasn’t a personality trait.
It was survival.

Now I talk about that.
Not in a clinical way. In a human way.

Through films, reflections, and conversations, I explore emotional neglect, nervous-system patterns, identity shifts, and what it means to become more honest in midlife and beyond.

This space isn’t about fixing ourselves.
It’s about understanding what shaped us and building something more real from there.

If you’ve ever felt like the one who notices everything
but rarely feels understood,
you’re in the right place.

I’m someone who once lived as a party girl and is now a cycle-breaker, trauma survivor, boundary-setter, and fellow feel-everything person. I’ve been with my husband for over twenty years, and we’re raising two kids while continuing to learn, unlearn, and grow in real time. Nothing here comes from a pedestal.

We’re building something honest here.

Shannon

For media or collaboration inquiries:
‍shannon@thecanariesinthecoalmine.com