Disco what? 🪩🐌
20 plus hours of work went into making these disco ball snail shells which was a wild process that both questioned my will to live and yet was ultimately so rewarding. Thanks to my fucking ride or die for the commitment and not letting us give up 💗
#discosnail
Fresh film collage ~ From a weekend with some sweet humans in the Land of Enchantment 🏜️🌵🛸✨
#film #flowarts #firespinning #juggling #newmexico #santafe #albuquerque
This summer, I dedicated myself to serving the forests as a Wildland Firefighter. 🔥🌲
It was my first time entering this field of work, and it has been an incredible journey over the past three or four months. Every day was spent in less-charted territory in the mountains of California and Oregon.
The experience brought many ups and downs, requiring a significant commitment to step away from my normal life and fully immerse myself in this work for the duration of the season.
Perseverance became a word that resonated deeply with me, as I reflected on the struggles and losses the forest endured, as well as those in my own life. I witnessed lands utterly devastated by massive burns, leaving behind little except for old growth trees. The small growth and understory of the forest were often completely wiped out.
Being in service meant stepping away from my comforts friendships, family, creative outlets, grounding routines, and other parts of my identity. Like a small fire building into a larger one, my mental state mirrored similar struggles, bringing up feelings of loss and uncertainty, both within myself and in my relationships.
As I approached the end of my last few tours, I began to notice a slow trickle of life returning to the forests. First, it was the bugs, then the birds, mushrooms, snakes, deer, and even bears. Every day, something new appeared. It was incredible to witness nature’s resilience, restoring itself and beginning to rehabilitate within weeks of a massive fire coming to an end. The big burns took nearly everything, but afterward, they created new space to grow and heal anew.
I like to think that this experience in the wilderness directly reflected my own life and perhaps everyone else’s. Sometimes, we might need to allow the inner forest burn down so that, when we return, we can see what needed to go and what could withstand the experience and grow back stronger.
Nearing the end of my trip in Mexico, I went from a week, to being here for nearly a month. I’m very grateful for this time to explore and meet many new people. The past month or so prior, some heavy changes in my life have come, one after another. Pushing me to work through acceptance of loss & change. This trip has been the medicine I needed to break from the cage of the mind, and find myself in wonder and exploration once again. Life comes with many highs and many lows, but this polarity is necessary for our growth.
#mexico #puertoescondido #oxaca #travel
