When I was a child, I used to take long walks in the countryside, at home in the long grass and amongst the beautiful old oak and Hawthorn tree's. It was were I felt the most comfortable and it was also where I would sing my little heart out. Which allowed me, to release so much tension and pain from my body. It felt so good to be out in the wilderness, using my voice to express myself and ultimately heal myself.
Singing has always been something that I love to do, but it took me a long long time until I felt comfortable to sing in front of other people. It was not until I became a mother that I actually allowed people to really hear my voice. My relationship with singing,had always been a very private one, but once I let down my guard and began to sing with others, it brought me even more healing.
Now I sing whenever I can, I love to jam with some of my friends and do improv, opening up my throat chakra, enables me to open up my heart more and if feels good to be creating all this positive energy that is being send out into the world. I have felt the power of singing with others, especially songs that celebrate the earth and our relationship with her.
Singing has become a huge part, of all of the ceremonies and celebrations that I create and take part in.
When I was a teenager, I learnt how to sw and I began to make clothes out of different materials that caught my eye. From curtains to odd socks (yes I made a top out of my fathers odd socks). I was a grunge kid and and I was a little obsessed with Bjork as well, so I tried to copy some of her style. I have no photos of any of my creations. Growing up in the countryside in Ireland, meant that I needed to be creative if I wanted to dress myself in the way that appealed to me.
I still love to sew. I mostly repair my girls clothes, but I have also made some quirky soft toys, out of my girls old clothes that were beyond repair. I have even managed to sell some of them. At first I made animals, snails and owls. I was living in France at the time and had access to left over pieces of sheep's wool insulation, which I used to stuff the animals.
A few years ago, I was inspired to make monsters, even posting about it on the blockchain. I even posted one over to Switzerland to @pankso, after he contacted me asking if I would sell one to him. I was super excited, as he was gifting it to his son. I put a lot of love and time into making them, as they were all hand sewn. I can use a sewing machine, but I do prefer to hand sew if I have the time. I find it so calming and meditative.
A few years ago, I was introduced to a wonderful woman called Colette, who became a really good friend of mine. She introduced me to CuntCraft, a project she had started, where women would come together and make, you guessed it Cunts. I know that this word can be triggering for some folk, but it actually derives from the word Goddess in many different cultures. She no longer ran any workshops, so I stepped in and took over.
I have held a few workshops already and plan to start them up again real soon. It creates a wonderful opportunity for women to come together and talk about their relationship with their bodies. To share their experiences and to heal themselves. We sit and sow, keeping our hands busy, allowing our guard down and we speak from the heart.
This is my response to the latest question by the wonderful Ladies Of Hive Community, who asked ....
Are your hobbies different now than when you were a child or teenager?
Have you kept one or more hobbies all through your life?
Tell us about them! Why do they satisfy you?
