These days I’m trying to spend more time building my friendships and less time working or on my phone. My art used to keep me very busy, constantly traveling, always on the go – but the pandemic changed that. So much has shifted for me. I simply don’t have the energy nor desire to work as hard as I used to. I care much more now about connecting with people, building friendships via deep emotional bonds that are sustained with quality time and commitment. I also am clear that I thrive with reciprocal relationships, and that extractive relationships are part of my past.

The pandemic has brought about pain, loss, and isolation – but it has also provided us with valuable lessons around the fragility of life and our existential need to create ‘home’ with each other. We create community and home through mutual aid, reciprocity, and by treating each other like plants in a garden, pouring care and love into ourselves and each other, building an ecosystem so that we can grow and thrive together.

When we tap in the natural world, we are reminded that we are interdependent beings. We cannot survive alone, we need community, we must be part of an ecosystem. We need more than mom and dad, we need a village. That’s what feels important to me at this time.

So that’s what I’ve been doing more of and what feels good to me, to be present and loving with people who are on the same vibe. To create spades inclusive of children. We found home during moments of deep unrest and there’s no going back. Like most, I’ve been conditioned to believe that emotional intimacy and touch is reserved for romantic couples. Yet the pandemic forced me to explore how I could achieve intimacy through my friendships. Ive created tighter bonds with my friends to move towards deep connection, becoming more vulnerable with my people to have space for emotional connection, grief, repair, joy, attention and healing.