Artist statement | A Knot in the Net: Dreaming, Weaving, and Bearing the Burden
Once again, we find ourselves navigating times that feel both overwhelming and all too familiar. These unprecedented days weigh heavily on us, and I struggle to find the words to express what so many of us are feeling. Even now, writing this feels daunting, yet the emotions stirred by recent events are impossible to ignore.
Like many of you, I am deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of marginalized communities. I worry for myself, my partner, my loved ones, my chosen family, strangers and for the Earth Mother herself. To be apathetic or aloof in times like these is a cruel privilege, and I feel a deep anger when I linger on that thought for too long.
So much has already happened in the brief month of January, and I am unsettled in every way. Throughout my day, I find myself questioning if my feelings are an overreaction. However, the last few weeks have shown that they are anything but. Still, I refuse to succumb to fear. I will not make myself smaller or sugarcoat my art. I step into my work with even more rage, and even more love.
I’ve also been grappling with how we sustain systems of communication in moments like these. I find myself torn between disconnecting entirely from social media or remaining. For now, I’ve chosen to remain—not to conform, but to preserve the channels that keep us connected.
Truthfully, I am a painfully slow creator, and balancing art-making with the demands of life has always made it nearly impossible to keep up with the relentless algorithm. So, if you haven’t already, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter. It’s infamously inconsistent, but it’s where I’ll focus all of my energy and updates moving forward.
As I reflect on my artist statement and light the candle on my altar, I call upon my grandmothers, grandfathers, and ancestors who have endured the end of the world many times before. They remind me that I am but a knot in a long, unbroken net of resistance. I am no more special, but I am here, actualized and activated in this moment. And because of that, it is my burden to dream and move my hands to reinforce the tautness of this net.
So I leave you with this: In the darkest moments, when your breath feels shallow and the inside of your being trembles, extend your hand outward, and you will find mine grasping for yours. Take hold of one another, breathe, and weave.
In solidarity,
