Valued

This series explores the value of time spent connecting with loved ones, specifically through the lens of motherhood. 

 One of the things that has unraveled for many during the Covid 19 pandemic is the illusion of time. When once, the almost mandatory measure of time was primarily based on productivity, it has recently taken on a much more allusive and fluid quality. Time is now measured, at least for me, by the connections it has built and by my very presence in these moments we are given.  I have seen firsthand the nuggets of opportunity we have right now to restructure the way we relate to our loved ones. Choosing presence over our to-do list. Listening. Slowing. I am seeing this most in my role as a mother. When suddenly schools are closed and all other means of socialization are on hold, we are our children's teachers as well as caregivers. This role is tough.  But there is opportunity here. To me, more important than the schooling done through equations and experiments is the schooling of modeling compassion, forgiveness, listening.  Through this series, I aim to communicate the value of connecting with our children and influencing them through our very presence in their world of play. 

I made crowns and jewelry using the toy or objects that signify favorite ways of engaging with our children. I am choosing simple everyday objects to be represented in place of gold and jewels to make a statement about true value. It has become clear to many that the time we spend in something as mundane as play holds more weight than precious stones.

With ample playfulness, these images encompass the perceptible value shift many in our culture have come to; realizing that all along the true value of our time and lives as whole is in the relationships we foster, and our full presence in them.  This is a weighty time we are living in. My goal is to capture a spark of beauty and opportunity in the midst of a suffering world, thus inspiring hope in every viewer. 

On another level, this series is meant to express the playfulness a mother must have. When engaging in play, caregivers are letting go, not taking themselves seriously, even if this is for only a moment. Freedom from the seriousness of adulthood.