For the past few weeks, studio work has been interrupted by family trips and last minute trips. All so very necessary and good for my spirit. But I am anxious to get back to work and also have a lot of behind hte scenes stuff to do. I am preparing for some shows for the latter end of the year and so I have to document everything, title, order frames, etc. Then see what is missing, what more needs to be made, etc.
I am ready to get back to creating, but honestly I also feel very tired. Yes I know, I just got back from “vacation”. I feel like it’s more of an exhaustion of worry and dread over current events. Yesterday I caught up on the news as I hadn’t been online for a few days and I started to feel my chest constricting. Well meaning people would then say, well stay away from the news. However, while I am a American and was born here, I am of latin heritage and I don’t have the privilege to ignore the news. I have to know what it is happening. It is not a safe time for people who are not white presenting. Even though I am American born and a citizen, the flagrant breaking of our laws that are meant to protect all individuals makes everything feel very insecure and unstable.
So I was feeling anxious and I came across the phrase “let the earth carry you” and I felt the pressure in my chest release just a bit. And I decided to title this piece those words that brought me comfort. The shape I made with the paper from the hornet’s nest seems like it is cradling the tree. Holding and protecting. Giving a sense of stability in an unstable world.
Bridgette, you mention how you felt as a Latin American and the fear of being singled out. I truly understand your concern and no matter socio-economic status, contribution whether skilled or unskilled, seems not to matter. But please know, I am a white American woman of many years, and I stand with you, farm workers, hospitality workers, students, black and brown people in all areas of life. Many white Americans are equally invested in your concerns and are resisting as best we can to save democracy for all people. If one is repressed, we all are. Thank you for Let the Earth Hold You. It beautifully expresses the universal need for that what we can trust in
We live in very challenging times let’s hope things change for the better soon. I’m thinking of you and your family.
Thank you Barbara. Yes, very challenging. For all of us. I appreciate your message here.
Hi Karen, Thank you. I really appreciate your thoughts and support. It’s such a weird space to be in, when I am American through and through. Born here and raised here. My father was from the Philippines and my mother from Central American. They both came here in 1960s and became citizens early on. He was a doctor and she was a nurse. My sisters and I are what people would have called the melting pot of America. It’s sad to feel othered in a place that is my home. I can only hope that the insanity and hate in our current situation will diffuse and that we all can live up to the ideals of the United States of America. Thank you again. Your words here are really appreciated.