Skulastic was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and currently resides in Nanaimo. This hip hop artist has performed with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Warren G, GZA of Wu Tang Clan, Kool Keith, Krizz Kaliko, MIMS, and Joey Stylez.  

Cendrine Marrouat: Have you noticed differences in the way Canadian and American schools handle the issue of bullying?

Alexandra Penn: Still too many schools are loathe to admit they have a bullying problem.  We know that every school has one. 

It’s difficult to paint the picture using a broad brush, but overall schools in the U.S.are more forthcoming with bullying issues and statistics.  I should mention that in the U.S. today, 1 out of 3 children are bullied.

Launched in 2003 in Toronto, Champions Against Bullying is a non-profit organization that heightens awareness to the issues of school bullying and youth violence across North America. It is my pleasure to feature Alexandra Penn, its founder, and a bullying expert.

Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Alexandra, thank you for answering my questions. As a starter, tell us a little bit about you. 

Alexandra Penn: Hello Cendrine and thank you for your interest in youth violence and the protection of children. I am a mother, writer, editor, special education counsellor, crisis intervention specialist, workshop leader, speaker and founder of Champions Against Bullying.  

Before we move on, I want to acknowledge Leigh Rachel Faith, the organization's very able Director of operations, who among other things, spearheaded our expansion into the U.S.

Cendrine Marrouat: As a self-published author, what are some of the challenges that you encounter?

Michael Everett: The learning curve! There are so many parts of the process and so many frustrations and setbacks that it really takes a lot of drive and desire to see it through. I decided to self-publish because I was in a hurry and I'm a bit of a control freak when it comes to my message, both of which are the two biggest drawbacks that I perceived about working with a publisher. It takes a long time to get an agent, a publisher and a printer and you give up a lot of creative control by going that route.

To read part 1, click here. To read part 2, click here. To read part 3, click here. 

Cendrine Marrouat: Is there one piece among your father's body of work that you prefer? And why?

Headquartered in Tustin, California, FollowMeSticker.com is a new start-up. The company offers a line of stickers that help promote social media profiles offline. Today, I am pleased to feature its creator, Stuart Lawson.

Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Stuart, thank you for answering my questions. As a starter, tell us a little about you.

Stuart Lawson: Hi Cendrine, thanks for the interview. I am currently 27 and I’m a Designer and Entrepreneur. I consider myself a bit of an Idealist and Futurist. I grew up in Pretoria, South Africa, and when I was 14 my family moved here to the USA. I’ve been involved in Design from an early age, but since 2003 caught the entrepreneur bug and got a real feel for business (and how difficult it is). I’ve since been involved in many different companies and start-ups. In Spring 2011, I decided to create FollowMeSticker.com

Cendrine Marrouat: You are also an accomplished artist. Your prints and paintings have been exhibited in Canada and beyond. What is the underlying theme of your work?  

Kate Kelton: If there were one, I wish I could articulate it better. A predominant love of portraiture (creature or human) and architecture, forms most of my content.

Cendrine Marrouat: When will the book be released? And what else is planned around this project? 

Scott Chisholm: I am now hoping for the book to be released in the spring of 2013. The project started out as a local and regional project that could have been completed in one year. However, the response has been overwhelming from not only those who have come forward to participate but also from professionals and organizations alike from across Canada and around the world. The unanimous feeling is that the project must be taken to every province and territory across Canada. At this time, the only obstacle to this truly being a national project is funding.

Cendrine Marrouat: You have started traveling across Canada to meet and photograph those who will be featured in the book. How has the experience been for you, so far?

Scott Chisholm: That’s a big question. I knew from the first email that I would never be the same. From the beginning I wanted to create a dialogue on suicide and by making the invitation to share stories was like opening a locked door.

"Not talking about it isn't working." Scott Chisholm believes that suicide can be prevented through proactive dialogue and education. And he has created "Collateral Damage" to prove it. 

Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Scott, thank you for answering my questions. First of all, tell us a little more about you.

Scott Chisholm: I am a Firefighter with the City of Thunder Bay. I’m married to Shelley and together we have two sons who are 12 and 14 years old. Even before our two sons were born I was always active with triathlon and other adventure sports but I have a unique passion for cycling.

Jamie Law and the Outlaws is a young band based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The quartet formed in 2010 and consists of Jamie Law (lead vocals, acoustic, lyrics), Christian Massaroni (lead guitar, backup vocals), Sean Mclellan (bass guitar, backup vocals) and Corey Harrison (drums, backup vocals). It is my pleasure to feature them today.