Madness is the most disgraceful thing for a creature of the wild
-Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Book)
Having landed in Regina, the last two nights, I have had horrible dreams. Scary dreams in which I'm being chased, either as the little mermaid, or like last night with Sandra Bullock. But I am pretty sure it pertains to the fact that I am home, staying with my grandmother, one of the truest examples of unconditional and God-supported love I have ever seen. She has instilled in all of us the mantra that 'there is always room for one more.'
She's in front of me now, cleaning out the fridge, expressing how she hates it. I offer help and she replies 'it's ok, it's Good Friday, my penance for the day.' She pulls out the Spiralina powder I brought in a Rainbow Peppercorns jar, asking what's this- I explain it's sort of seaweed related powder that's really good for you, but tastes a little weird, 'ok you can keep it.'
It's a sense of comfort, a state of self, and in my surroundings, that I'm simply not used to anymore. When I moved to New York I started sleeping with my hands gripped closed. I'd wake up with sweaty palms that hurt from clenching my fingers into my hands so hard. That means I was holding onto things (situations, ideas) way too tightly. Whenever you hold on too tight, letting go becomes not only inevitable but imperative. (Choice: lose it, or release it)
Pema Chodron illustrates in Taking The Leap the fable of the two wolves, the wolf of kindness and the wolf of aggression, and you only have enough food to feed one. Who will win? The wolf you choose to feed. I think we have many wolves within us, as we are wild creatures. I have a wolf of art, dedication, fashion, family, and a wolf of addiction, narcissism, procrastination, the wallowing wolf of resistance.
Yesterday, my first full day in Regina, a ready-set-go sort of day in which I was to set up my grandparents basement to finish building my Power of Pink collection. I allowed myself a couple hours to clean it up and make it mine. That is important, but there came a point where I realized I could continue cleaning and organizing for another 3 hours before I actually did anything. It was tough. I took a moment to read a little and then put on some netflix (Buffy, a very empowering show for myself) and bam.
I had a similar experience in the summer of 2013. I was home in Regina, just after celebrating my friends wedding, and so excited to be home to celebrate my Grandpa's 85th birthday. It was a chill day at our cottage, where I was probably still pretending to be The Little Mermaid, when I got the call from my uncle John in Vancouver to help with his daughter's show that they were developing as a family. I went, and it was ready-set-go make this jacket! I finished it about 5 minutes before I had to go to the airport, but it's pretty special.
My cousin, Naomi Dorras Donnelly, plays Robin Redcoat, the central character of Rockin' Robin & The Magical Tree! (Can you guess that I made the red coat? My aunt Joy, one of the funniest women ever, made her fascinator) Set in a magical tree forest, she has other bird friends that come to tell stories in the best way: through song, dance, animation and magic.
Rockin Robin is releasing every week a song leading up to their MAY 19 cd release. It will be on itunes, so buy it! They are represented by Nettwerk Records (that's Sarah McLachlan's record label) and she's distributed internationally by Sony BMG. It is a fantastic concept, one I am very proud to be a part of. This is the bonus side of my job as an artist with a medium of clothing.
So please check out all the videos, all the social media. Like everything! Follow the tweets! And enjoy. I'm off to sew!
Website: www.rockinrobinshow.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RockinRobinShow
And here is their first live-action video, just released yesterday! (she's wearing the coat)
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