Showing up…
This morning, I realized I need to start—just start.
Hidden in the margins of my life, I’ve been waiting to show up here until I could clearly explain to myself WHY I’m here adding pixels to the internet; WHY these threads of interest are interconnected; and WHY anyone would care.
I think one way to figure out where this is all headed is to start mapping it—piecing it together in real time, over time, perhaps in community, and opening myself up to whatever that might mean.
There are so many moving parts to showing up on the internet these days. I’ve spent so much time in the information-gathering stage, hoping to ‘do it right’ on the first try. Reflectively, this is a hilarious lie I’ve been telling myself.
Anyway, the point is to show up and write. Don’t worry about word count. Try not to think about SEO. Try not to dwell on all the reasons this might not matter.
A spot at University Lake dog park where it is irresistible to take a photo. November 14, 2023. Anchorage, Alaska
What matters to me, and what I want to write about here:
Materials Process: I’d like to use this space to record my experimentation, research, and application of hands-on local materials and knowledge. Currently, I’m exploring relationships with materials, land, and identity, and I’m trying to figure out what kind of art I might make as a way to express these connections for myself. These days, I’m actively learning about natural dyes and inks, as well as local animal and plant fibers used for spinning threads or twining cordage.
Illustrative art and thoughtful reproductions: I’m learning to merge my analog art with the digital realm. I’m working my way through Adobe Creative Suite, focusing on Illustrator and Photoshop, pattern design, and developing a portfolio of artwork showcasing loving, maker-focused, accessible textile art. This includes offering reproductions of my imaginative designs, helping people find objects centered around life and everyday textiles—the kinds that wear out and need replacement.
And maybe, if I can find my rhythm of research and writing, I’ll share more about the intersections of ethnobotany and landscape architecture—my experiences reconciling Eurocentric design aesthetics with intimate place-knowing and seeking a deeply rooted ancestral capacity for observation and land-loving. This topic is immense, and even the words feel somewhat exclusive. Truly, it’s simply about human relationships with plants and place, but the context I’ve developed my language in is academic and professional—for better or worse. I’m working through it.
Ok, that’s a lot...
I acknowledge that I’m multi-passionate and follow my interests freely. If anything, the purpose of this blog—the value it holds—is to create a container where I can humbly learn out loud, stumble along in ways that make us all feel more connected, point out the beauty and the tension, and share here and now.
Warmly,
Oona