Camille Padilla Dalmau is a journalist, educator, and artist living in the mountains of Puerto Rico.
In 2020, she founded 9 Millones so the nine million Puerto Ricans across the world receive the information necessary to advocate for a healthy, prosperous and joyous society. A graduate of the Columbia Journalism School, Camille has covered social justice, health and the environment for outlets such as Grist, Refinery29, NowThis, AJ+, Latino USA, El Diario NY, Latino Rebels, and Remezcla. Read how she defines regenerative storytelling and a detailed personal story below.
Regenerative storytelling is the process of nurturing oneself and others through the sharing of stories.
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Do I understand my emotions, my biases and experiences? From that grounded place, we deeply listen to others and how they’ve been harmed by extractive systems (which could include media organizations).
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Do I show up with an agenda? Extractive media takes people’s’ pain and creates stories that cause fear and anxiety. Regenerative media honors people and offers wisdom.
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Do I take time to be grateful and enjoy the storytelling process? Centering joy allows us to transform suffering (not bypass!), be present, and creative.
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How do I share ownership of the story? Integrating people in the storytelling process is how we cultivate trust.
I grew up listening to the Atlantic Ocean roar and digging holes in the sand on the beach.
On the weekends, my parents would take us to the mountains to sing in the hammock and make up the shapes of the clouds. I began to cherish these memories as an 18-year-old when I moved to the Northeast United States. I got an English degree and minors in Communications and International Relations from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and later a Masters in Columbia School of Journalism in New York City.
After working as a freelancer covering culture and social justice, I landed my first full-time job in media in El Diario NY, the U.S.’ longest running Spanish newspaper. I enjoyed connecting with the diversity of Spanish-speaking communities in New York City, but had a hard time covering so much violence. Although challenging, this experience made me start cultivating a mindfulness practice to deal with vicarious trauma. (Thanks YouTube and the neighborhood yoga studio!) I went on to work with NowThis, where I grew the Español Facebook channel from 220K to 1.4M followers in 2 years and expanded the platform to YouTube and Twitter. After Hurricanes Irma and María decimated Puerto Rico in 2017, I decided to return home to be closer to my family and tell stories focused on communities organizing.
Returning to Puerto Rico made me realize what is most important to me: relationships. I’m in a continuous journey to be in a more nurturing relationship with myself, my loved ones, my co-workers and every being around me.
I founded 9 Millones in 2020 because we wanted to inform about COVID without fear mongering. What started as a newsletter, is now an independent news network committed to solution-based journalism. We cover climate justice, social equity, civic engagement and culture in Puerto Rico. To build 9 Millones, I have focused on creating spaces of listening, mutual understanding and integrating communities in the storytelling process. I’m a certified Solutions Journalism Trainer that believes that by focusing on how people solve their problems, we can build trust and give critical hope.
I currently find solace in my garden, cooking for my loved ones and doing movement practices like dancing, yoga or qi gong.
