Name: Ruth KilloranSuburb/town: ChristchurchWhat’s your vegan-friendly business: My vegan friendly business is creating and selling paintings and stone sculptures from my home studio and gallery, exhibiting in galleries and art shows around NZ.How long have you been vegan? My vegan journey began in 1982. It became clear I needed to do my research back then and convinced myself I needed to be vegetarian to be healthy. (How wrong I was) I proudly became fully vegan, body, mind and spirit in 2010.What is your favourite vegan dish/place to eat? It would be something spicy like a Mexican burrito, tortilla with chilli, salsa and guacamole. Mexican corn bread. I prefer somewhere fully vegan so you’re not having to look at others tucking into body parts. So it would be Grater Goods, Bonobo and Portershed.Why did you go vegan? I originally watched a film called ‘The Animals Film’ newly released in the UK on Channel 4 in 1982. Watching that totally changed my life and made me question everything to do with how we exploit others. I realised I had been lied to all my life by those I love. Later, with the rise of social media it became very clear I needed to try and realign my morals with my actions.What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan? That just because I have woken up and I was trying to wake others up doesn’t necessarily mean they will. That I would lose friends and not be invited to events. I wish I had had more vegan friends instead of losing friends because I challenged them too much. To always check ingredients as they change, even the familiar products you’ve always bought. That it’s not just about food. It’s a mind shift away from using animals for our convenience and entertainment.What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism? I wished people would see that it’s not about them, it’s about the victims. That generally most doctors don’t always know best. Most people call themselves kind and compassionate but being kind and compassionate is a universal principal and means to all beings. I wish people could see they have great power. Each of us taking away the demand for something means it will stop being produced. Not to be afraid to stand on your own for your principals. The more people that speak out in a respectful way, gives confidence to others to do the same. If you’d like to be included in our Vegans of NZ series or have someone to nominate, please email [email protected]
