What a difference 10 years makes!

Hello, World!

After a long, long time of not writing about my creative endeavors, I decided to use this time recovering from surgery to look back on the last 10 years since I wrote my previous post, and recommit to my relationship with writing!

Let's see... where do I even begin.......?

I got my MFA in Creative Inquiry and Interdisciplinary Arts at California Institute of Integral Studies, as I had set out to do. My capstone project was titled "The Broken Mirror" Project, which explores my identity fractured into multiple pieces due to trauma, and thinking of life as a process to integrate those different parts. I name four parts, and write about how they came to be using text and image (graphic narrative), imagining them as fully-fledged human beings, exploring their fears and motivations, crafting the different styles of accessories and masks they would wear. 

Here's a sneak peek of the jewelry for the four different parts! 

The process of birthing this project was transformative, to say the least. There is something special about writing your life story--how you come to be, using your own words, and expressing in your own way--that completely rewires your brain! My past experiences used to have a hold on me. I was obsessed with telling and retelling my story to anyone who would lend me their ear for longer than five minutes. I needed to be seen for the pain of my past. But having gone through this MFA program and this project (with support from an excellent therapist and community), I felt freed from the shackles of my story. 

I was finally ready to live and write a new chapter. It was glorious. 

Then I went to Burning Man, and shit hit the fan in a HUGE way. But that story is for another day.... 

The aftermath of BM was very rough, and I slowly built myself back up from the ashes. 

2015 creations

2017 Creations

2019 Creations

If I were to pick out a couple of things that really helped me come out of those ashes more whole as a human, I'd say:

• I joined a community chorus called East Bay Harmony.
• I discovered an incredible community concert venue called Tiny Garage Concert Series.

These two communities have really helped me grow and become a part of lovely, sweet spaces where I can be myself and be loved for who I am.

And then, as we all know, the pandemic hit.

I just realized that half of my time in the Bay Area was during the pandemic. That truly blows my mind. In many ways, I am very fortunate to have had friends and a secure job that helped me through those tough times.

During the pandemic, I picked up crochet 🧶 as a hobby. And I made blankets and hats for adults and the next generation!

It's been so fun!

Moving forward I would like to write blog posts about projects I've made, especially commissions. Because they always come with a story. Hope you stay tuned on this journey with me. Thanks for reading!