Currently: January 31, 2017
Today I managed to get my hands on my first florals in months. I didn't quite find them as I normally like to — creeping around outside, trimming neatly and collecting — rather I snagged them from the church I work at. They would've been thrown in the garbage anyways, so it was okay ;)
Basically what this means is in the next few days (or week. or two), you'll see a mini version of my thesis because it's been far too long! I have a basket full of poinsettia leaves and this lovely bouquet full of muted purples greens, and a ceiling corner in my apartment that needs to be filled with dried suspended blooms.
In the meantime, I'm sure you remember my thesis work involving all sorts of foraged nature bits, bugs and bones. Here's a video to refresh your memory! Scroll further to see work by one of my faaavorite contemporary sculptors.
Rebecca Louise Law remains one of my most significant artistic influences (for reasons you may guess from the photos below) — imagine how thrilled I was to discover her work after I'd started my thesis work because our philosophies and processes weave such interesting connections. Here are some of my favorite works that she (and a big ol' team of volunteers — lucky her) installed in the last year!
"The Beauty of Decay," series, 2016, Bedfordshire.
"Taenaris Catops," 2015.
"Light & Dark," 2016, London.
"The Canopy," 2016, Melbourne.
"The City Garden," 2016, London.
making bravery our mission and kicking fear out the door.
Friends, fear is not given permission to preach anymore. This is the moment for the lion-hearted warriors to emerge from the woodwork and do what is right and good for our fellow humans. Perhaps we are alive and breathing right this very second because we've been designed as a generation of the fiercely loving individuals. Your eyes see injustice and your voice is empowered to speak against darkness. It's not gone unnoticed.
Oh, how I used to give fear the power to rule my days. My voice was just barely a whisper. I had anxious feelings weaving through my bones as I drove to the store to do something as simple as buying milk.
I looked down at my hands every single day for years and deeply believed they were too small to change anything. I thought I was simply a small, mouse of a Kate. Absolutely microbial in comparison to the massive darkness swirling our planet.
The day I realized that I had the option to close the door on fear, I was gifted a power that kicked my feet out from under me. I was bruised and afraid from the realization, yet my eyes were opened to the fact that nothing truly good was coming from giving fear the seat so close to mine at my table.
We are all given a choice -- we can let fear strangle us to the point that we can't move, or we can rise from this world's brokenness, be the hands and feet, and make bravery our mission.
Loves, we have been raised as a generation of independent thinkers and go-getters. I sense that in your ambitions and hearts. And we have the chance to see how we might use our power for something so much greater than our own personal gains. There's no reason to let fear in our front door if we have the ability to use our voices and give our empathetic compassion to our fellow humans who are hurting so very deeply.
Esther 4:14 says this :: "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
First of all, if you're not familiar with Esther's story, please, please study it. I think her works will channel power to you and I think we can all find connections with today.
Second, if we keep silent right now we will all weaken. We won't know if we can be outlets of change if we slide into the shadows and watch as history repeats itself. There is brokenness in all the corners of the world. Our next steps are absolutely crucial. We have to channel the fire in our souls into iron fists that refuse to stand for injustice for any human. Though our hands are individually small, they are mighty when a thousand link up. We have hard, tolling work ahead of us but it's necessary. My prayer is that we will document these days in truth and bravery.
I designed a passion project called Bravery Mission a few months ago. It started on the premise that bravery is found in all the corners of golden successes and tarnished falls. That it isn't always about the grand gestures or the daring actions, or even the absence of fear.
At first, I envisioned Bravery Mission as a connection map for others to document moments of courage, so that others could realize their own bravery, and empower the process of disallowing fear to rule.
Friends, while that is still incredibly important for my intention with Bravery Mission, I think courage is so much bigger than just that now. We have to start going bigger than our own hearts and give a voice to the voiceless. We can do that because others years before us fought so we can today. We have to give our resources and our time, and most importantly, our love and kindness to our neighbors and those across the globe. We can peacefully and intentionally fight injustice with our calm yet fiery presences. We have to shout to our fellow humans that we seem them and hear them, that we love them and are going to help them.
And that's not going to be easy. In fact, I can guarantee that it will be messy and maybe terrifying, but fear cannot win if we don't give it power. The age-old is love and peace. We have to document these days because our choices now will change the future. We're going to look back on what we decided to do or not do, and we'll either be proud of or regret our decisions.
So write is all down. All the emotions, what you're doing to help. Remember your heart and your humanness, and how we started trampling fear and changed the world. Because we can do that. We are on this earth amidst injustice and darkness, right this very second, for a reason. I will not and cannot sleepwalk through this life. I hope you'll join me. You are brave and empowered and have the ability to document these days as we change the world.
I love you. I see you. I am with you.
In peace and lion-heart,
Kate
Currently: January 17, 2017
I haven't reread through the Harry Potter series in years, which is surprising because I practically lived in the wizarding world through middle school and high school. The characters taught me about bravery and friendship and finding magic, and in a significant way became a part of my soul.
I've noticed a lot of people are reading the books again and I'm boarding the Hogwarts Express with them as your friendly neighborhood Slytherin. I promise I'm nice! Just determined! Anyways, I'm reading them again because I think I could use a little extra magic in my heart, especially as an adult. I'm eager to see what I"ll take away from them as a 23-year-old. I'm sure there will be mischief managed.
I also maaaaaay be planning on doing a Potter related work soon (because I'm so inspired) so keep an eye out for that! I think it'll be pretty rad. In the meantime, here's some work by two delightful artist ladies I've connected with in the last few months via Instagram — I also get to work with both of them in different, super neat ways, so read on!
Rhea Amyett (@hatchingartist on Instagram) does just as her Instagram handle suggests — she cross-hatches for shading and ends up with the most beautiful small drawings. I actually won this Sorting Hat piece in a giveaway she did a few weeks ago (so. thrilled.)! Check out her Instagram by clicking the photo, or click here to head over to her Etsy shop. I'm also participating in the Art Stew Fifty-Two Instagram project that she's heading up. Basically a prompt is presented each week to a group of artists and we all use our different mediums to make a piece of work, which we'll post with the same hashtag to make a big ol' art stew! Go here to see the Art Stew Fifty-Two work that's been done so far in 2017.
Teagan Olivia (@mutedrosemercantile on Instagram) is the other lady whose work I'm recently obsessed with. She makes the most beautiful embroideries and is currently working on a top-secret Harry Potter project. I'm lucky enough to be in on it because she asked for representatives of each Hogwarts House to be her brand ambassadors — so (as the friendly neighborhood Slytherin) I'll get to show off one of her new HP embroideries in a few days! Here's the link to her Etsy shop and her Instagram.
Currently: January 10, 2017
First of all, have you heard about my Instagram giveaway?! Head over to instagram.com/klaing_ and find the giveaway post to enter before tomorrow! The wall hanging up for grabs is the second photograph in this blog post series!
I've been living in my apartment a little over a month now and it's finally starting to feel like a home, a piece of me. I like to believe that if a friend were to visit my apartment, she would say, "Oh, this place must belong to Kate." There are tiny details that I adore and I've truly had the greatest time putting together my own space. That said, here's a little peek at the details of my home! (Not pictured :: the prized vacuum I received as a Christmas gift.)
Currently: January 3, 2017
Lesson learned, plans to come ::
1. If I stand in the middle of bravery and fear for too long, I'll starve to death. I'll battle which way I'm going to let the chopped tree fall and wither away into a puddly mess. No nourishment. No light to grow towards the sun. I found myself trapped in that place between August and November. I finally fell towards bravery in December and opportunities have sprouted from the planted roots of indecisiveness and stillness. Lesson learned :: movement and growth are so absolutely essential, but so is the middle ground because it fuels the fire to melt the frozen stream. Bravery is my word for 2017.
2. I'm so eager for a free, warmer weekend soon to get back outside for the purpose of exploration and foraging. Finding natural oddities to manipulate into sculpture and wreathes has woven into my soul. In the meantime, I have a bag full of dried hydrangeas (pictured above -- the shadows!!!) awaiting my hands to use in a passion project. Perhaps I'll install a few to hang from the ceiling of my apartment studio space because -- the shadows!!!
3. Bravery Mission. This is a near and dear project born in 2016 that has taken root. The previously blank journal now has a few submissions of bravery stories from anonymous writers. I hope you'll join me at the table in 2017 to share the brave and courageous spaces and stories in your daily life -- my prayer is that someday, Bravery Mission will be a web of anonymous musings that encourage readers in their own deeply rooted, lionhearted bravery. Click {here} to submit your own anonymous Bravery Mission story and click {here} to explore the project.
4. In connection to Bravery Mission, I'm in the very, very beginning stages of writing a book by the same name. "Bravery Mission" will be a collection of essays of experiences I've had, courageous moments I've recognized in others, and pieces influenced by the posts in the Bravery Mission blog. I want my book to reflect bravery in all spaces of life as I hope to empower fellow humans, ladies especially, and help them recognize that bravery is already there — even when fear seems to be pulling you under.
5. I was a camp counselor for four summers at Camp Fontanelle, and seeing as I won't be able to return this summer as a staff member, it's on my heart to continue to serve the place that's shaken my life in the best way. 10% of any sale made from my KATEWORKS Shop from now on will be put towards sponsoring a camper's week at camp because I so strongly believe in the importance of camping ministry. Know that when you purchase my work, you will be blessing a camper's life and faith journey, and that truly means something valuable.
6. I can't say much right now so this is a playful teaser -- I've been in contact with a few artists whose work and philosophies closely resonate with my own and we will be discussing potential collaboration opportunities in the future! The community and encouragement aspect I've found with these creatives is vital to my current practice, especially as I graduated from my college art clan last May. Stay tuned... ;)
7. I'm sure I have another plan nestled into my brain besides this last one, though I'm having trouble digging it up (mainly because I woke up this morning at 4:30 a.m., drove 2.5 hours to Grand Island from Omaha, then worked from 8-5. EEK). So! The last bit I'll share is that I'm going to be website and social media strategizing -- defining my brand in a more solid, accurate representation of my artist voice and what I want my work and words to portray. This means I'll be working on majorly updating my website and coming up with a game plan for my online presence! Intentionality and purpose are biggie goals for 2017.
My heart and soul are so prepared for what 2017 is holding in her arms as she knocks eagerly at my front door. I'm welcoming her warmly with these creative opportunities and chances to connect with my fellow humans. What is 2017 knocking at your door with??