My husband had a conference in Hilton Head the last few days, so me and the kiddos tagged along. Which was fine except for the fact that I didn't bring my computer, which only served to stress me out. I'm back now, and working on catching up, so if you've emailed me and haven't heard back please give me a day or so to catch up.
In the meantime, I've been meaning to tell you about a very cool thing that Ninotchka Beavers, who you may recall is afellow Warrior Momand who participated in this year's Mother's Day Rally,is doing. She created a print that she is selling on her Etsy site and donating all proceeds to Postpartum Progress. Cool idea!
I asked her to tell me a little bit about her inspiration for the print, and she shared the following:
I've been an artist ever since I can remember. Things that people ordinarily see, I capture with my mind's eye and sort of frame them. If I'm lucky, I'm able to committhem to paper either by my own hand or the next best thing: a camera. It's my personal brand of alchemy.
Three years ago, I learned about a curious little photography technique called "Through the Viewfinder" (TtV). You frame your picture with an old twin lens reflex camera (the boxy ones with the big viewfinders on top) and then you take a picture of the viewfinder with your digital camera. Old camera on bottom. New camera on top. A cardboard tube-like contraption in between the two makes it all possible. What you get is a lot of black space with this delicious little square picture in the middle that you crop and voila!, magic. It sounds confusing, but believe me, it's addictive and incredibly rewarding. I always say, everything looks better through the viewfinder.
I credit the dear friend who brought me to this technique and the technique itself with saving my life. You see, after my youngest daughter was born things were different, confusing. I was the happiest and most miserable that I've ever been in my life and that's saying a lot. Not only was I a first-time mother but depression runs in my family and I've battled it and anxiety since early childhood. Yet this time it took me a year to seek therapy and a lot of months after that to come to terms with the fact that I had suffered and was still suffering from a raging case of postpartum adjustment. Thanks to therapy, medication and the support of my family and closest friends (including my camera, keyboard and sketchpad), I made it through that time, a little battered but stronger for it. Let there be no mistake, it was damn scary. Even writing about it I'm filled with a sense of dread and the feeling of a sucker punch in the stomach that leaves you heaving. That's why I'm such a supporter of Katherine and Postpartum Progress.
When I saw the opportunity to contribute to this gorgeous blog I jumped at the chance. This image immediately came to mind. Love and hope. In postpartum, in life, sometimes that's all you have. A moment, a simple image, a glimpse that pulls you out of and through the darkness. Art is my currency. This print is my gift to the mom who is exhausted but can't sleep at night for her racing thoughts and raging anxieties, to the survivor still coming to terms with it all, to the learned women who have been there and are throwing outa lifeline … sometimes the ONLY lifeline … to those who need it most. I've been there. I'm with you. Thank you.
OK. Wow. Now that I've read that, I'm buying one of the prints for my office! The print is called "Have A Heart" and they are $15 each. If you'd like, you can purchase one here, and as I mentioned the proceeds go to keep Postpartum Progress going. I love art. I love the idea of the heart balloon and it's trailing string as a lifeline. Love it!! Thank you Ninotchka!
