I create films 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 of the emotional patterns many of us carry quietly: hyper-awareness, over-responsibility, codependence, and the strange feeling of being both too much and not enough at the same time.

I grew up in a family system shaped by addiction, dysfunction, silence, and survival roles. I learned early to keep the peace, stay aware, and carry what wasn’t mine. For a long time, I thought I was simply too sensitive, too intense, or overly aware of everything around me.

I’m also someone who once lived as a party girl and now thinks deeply about cycles, boundaries, and what we pass on. I’ve been with my husband for more than twenty years, and we’re raising two children while continuing to learn, unlearn, and grow in real time. Nothing here comes from a pedestal.

What I’ve come to understand is that, for many of us, being perceptive wasn’t just a personality trait. It helped us navigate the rooms we grew up in. That’s what I talk about here, not clinically or from above, but as one human being trying to make sense of life alongside another.

Through films, reflections, and conversations, I explore emotional neglect, nervous-system patterns, relationships, 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 deciding what we want to carry forward.

If you’ve spent years noticing everything while rarely feeling understood, I hope something here helps you feel less alone.

We’re building something honest here.

Shannon

For media or collaboration inquiries:
‍shannon@thecanariesinthecoalmine.com