We're All Dealing So Well

what happened at my Willowtail Springs residency

What happens in your head when a pandemic hits and your world shrinks to the size of your living room and every week brings more news that's scary and heartbreaking all at once and you miss little things you didn't know were so important like running into friends on the street and great big bear hugs? What changes to your brain take place and what hidden part of your mind quietly tries to deal with them so your day-to-day self can go on functioning in a semi-normal kind of way?

I think we're all wondering. And I don't think we'll really have any understanding of how this weird year is manifesting itself in our unconsciousness for some time to come, but I do know this: given a week of open-ended creative time during my artist in residency at Willowtail Springs in November, some very different things burst from my brain/body and it felt so wonderful to let them out that I'm still exhilarated by the entire experience.

The work is more of my investigation into rocks - what they might have to say if given the chance, what I can learn from them with careful attention. I spent every morning rambling the property, exploring the rock world, thinking about rocks, learning about rocks, and generally just hanging out with rocks. And then all afternoon and evening in the studio making these quick, charcoal and red ink on newsprint studies of my impressions of the day.

All very different from my typical carefully thought out and executed way of working. But something that needed to happen - something that was just itching to be expressed. It was fun and cathartic all at once and a wonderful antidote to the cooped up, frightening situation we all find ourselves in. It felt like a scream and a burst of laughter all at once.

I hope you've found a similar way to let some of the strangeness of the times out of your brain/body - a creative outlet or yelling into a pillow or some such catharsis. We're all going along dealing so well, but what's welling up inside us needs an outlet. I highly recommend hanging out with rocks and some alternative way to express yourself: singing, dancing, writing, scribbling, painting, making things with mud. It helps.

Lots of love to you,

~ Rosie