BRAND ORIGIN:
Listening to Silence came into being as I was developing a sit spot practice where I go outside and listen to the silence of life. I had a spot I would go to everyday and just sit. I did this for three years with only missing a few days here and there. I sat in cold rain, sweltering heat, snow.. Early in the morning, late at night. I watched birds and observed animals in my sit spot. My sit spot has been and continues to be a foundational part of my life.
.Moving to the city almost two years ago my practice has not looked quite the same. I no longer have acres of woods to wander out my back door so I have adapted which is what we do. Having recently moved into a new home with a much larger yard I am excited about the bird life that lives on the edges and the wildness that seems to abound around us. I’ve already sat and watched a flock of Cedar Waxwings collecting berries from the shrubs along our fence line.
As Listening to Silence has continued to evolve I share moments I experience walking, riding my bike, and just being in wild places which is at the center of my fabric collage. My hope is that sharing the process of both being in nature and making intricate art quilts inspires others to go out and find Silence for themselves. I want people to go find wild pockets of nature and let it seep into your existence also. I also hope it inspires others to use their hands to create - to be a maker of something.
What I share here rotates between the two parts that make up my creative life: making art quilts and being in wild places because this is who I am.
The Chickadee that is the symbol of Listening to Silence holds a special place in my personal journey as it was the first bird I ever truly observed and really saw. It also was my nature name for the years I was an environmental educator. I will always be a Chickadee in some capacity. My son, @goblinsoup who is a graphic designer created it for me.