Shannae Jasper, Remote Society brings Wheatbelt women together

From age 13, the Cunderdin-born Perth boarder couldn't play sport without seeing a physiotherapist or chiropractor.

She'd always pull up much sorer than her peers, and it wasn't until she changed doctors in 2019 - aged almost 30 - that she finally got a medical explanation.

She had two herniated discs, one in her neck and another in her lower back.

What followed was a long journey of surgery and recovery, a dip in mental health and finally - the silver lining to it all - Remote Society, a place for women to connect and feel as though they don't have to walk alone.

Despite being inundated with love and support from her friends and family during her recovery, Ms Jasper said she felt anxious, overwhelmed and disconnected.

But she also knew she was one of the "lucky ones" and realised how difficult it would be to go through the experience alone - the reality for some.

"I think it was that other people didn't know exactly what I was going through, which wasn't their fault, obviously, but that's just how I felt," Ms Jasper said.

"It's a very weird feeling, knowing you have so much support, but still I had an ongoing internal battle with myself."

Since her surgeries, Ms Jasper has regularly travelled to Perth for pain management treatments.

Following her initial recovery, she would also attend art classes or go to the beach to help improve her mental health.

It was here she realised Cunderdin could use similar self-care activities for women, and in September 2020, she organised the first of a series of fun and relaxing workshops.

The first was a sound healing workshop, hosted by the sound healer who encouraged Ms Jasper to change doctors a year prior.

"It was a real full circle moment," she said.

Since then, Remote Society has run workshops in arts and crafts, jewellery and candle making and flower arranging, all with local catering and tea from a local producer.

The workshops regularly sell out, which has affirmed the need for a female-oriented self-care space in the Wheatbelt.

"Obviously people needed this outlet as much as I did," she said.

Ms Jasper said she loved seeing the talent and confidence shine in the women who attended or hosted a workshop.

"I had one lady who has attended eight of my workshops, but at the first one, she could barely even walk through the door, I had to meet her out the front," Ms Jasper said.

"She said 'I'm struggling to be here, I've got really bad anxiety'."

"And once she was seated you could tell instantly that she felt like she belonged here, she's still got friends from that day, I'm one of her friends."

It has also provided a space for local makers and artists to share their skills and offered an opportunity to show off their businesses and crafts in a more three dimensional way.

Ms Jasper approached an artist who makes clay earrings and organised a workshop for her to host.

"She had never done it before and she was just amazing and delivered the most amazing workshop," Ms Jasper said

"She brought her earrings too which allowed people to see her business and to buy from her on the night.

"To see how she breaks it down and makes these wonderful earrings - as opposed to just seeing them on a stand at the market - gave us a backstory of what her small business is like, which was really cool," she said.

Remote Society has taken Ms Jasper from sold-out workshops, to speaking to 100 people, then organising the Cunderdin gala for 400 people.

Next year she will be speaking at a corporate event in front of 700 people.

Throughout it all, Ms Jasper's mum Tracy has been a major support for her and Remote Society.

"She has been to all of the workshops except for one and has been a pillar of strength," Ms Jasper said.

"She wakes up early to help pack the car, sets up, greets guests and if she isn't doing that, she is running amok with her grandbabies."

Although her workshops are incredibly popular and she's in demand to speak at events, Ms Jasper said she often struggled with self-doubt.

She said she dealt with a fear of rejection following her traumatic medical journey.

"Women can be a hard group to talk to, sometimes it can feel like there's a bit of judgement," she said.

"I haven't found there's been any (judgement), but I was definitely apprehensive about things like 'what if they don't like me? What if they're judging me?'."

Social media has been instrumental to Remote Society's success in building a community.

But Ms Jasper said she had a very rigid approach to the platforms at first.

"I thought I had to post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at six o'clock," she said.

"But now I'm posting real, raw moments and that has kind of helped me on my healing journey, as well.

"It was that stuff that I didn't want them to see before, I wanted them to see that everything was together and nothing was out of line, but that's just so not true," she said.

Outside of Remote Society, Ms Jasper works in finance, managing four businesses, has three children, lives on a small-scale wheat farm with her husband Paul and plays sport.

"I was already quite a proactive, working person,'' she said.

"But Remote Society was something different, it didn't feel like work."

This year, with the higher demand for her public speaking gigs, Remote Society has taken a step back, but Ms Jasper said she wants to get back into doing what she loves.

"I think everyone is just very busy post-COVID, I haven't wanted to make people feel overwhelmed,'' she said.

"Workshops are still my main focus."