I believe that honestly is the best path forward, yet truth without compassion can be just as harmful as a lie. I know that for a fact because I have been too blunt in the past and have seen the hurt it caused.

I prefer to communicate with transparency. It makes everything easier. I promise to do so with empathy and understanding.

The world is expensive. We don’t always have the cash at hand for the experiences or artwork we would like in our lives.

Is there an item or offering on my website that excites and interests you but you cannot currently afford the investment? Do you believe that you have an offering or item that I would be interested in?

I am a firm believer in the saying “it never hurts to ask”.

If you’d like to talk about a barter exchange or combination payment method, fill out the contact form on my contact page. Let me know what you are looking for from me, and what you hope to trade in return. I’ll get back to you ASAP!

I have been bullied as both a child and an adult. I have experimented with being the bully in response. Nothing that anyone else said or did to me ever hurt as much as knowing that I hurt someone else.

Therefore, the most important tenet of my life is to take care with my words and my actions in order to minimize the harm done to myself and others.

I am aware that there is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism. AKA We cannot exist in this modern world without using products that have caused harm at one point or another in the course of their production.

We all have to live in this world we have and do what we can. Which leads to the next value…

Humans take up a lot of space as we walk through the world. I try to do what I can to take up less.

75% of the materials used in my craft projects are recycled or second hand. I only buy new when I can’t find what I need elsewhere. Likewise, all shipping materials are upcycled or recycled materials.

I attempt to live this way when it comes to the rest of my life as well. I could list all the little bits and pieces but this isn’t a zero waste blog (and there are lots of good ones out there) and I don’t want to sound preachy. I do what I can and that is all any of us can do.

Each month I will be donating a portion of my income from my creative projects to those in need, with a focus on local Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, and mental health charities, among many others.

I believe that by giving to the communities closest to us and by sharing the gift of art where and when we can, we can create change and begin healing ourselves and the world.

I believe that art can save the world. No matter the medium, art is the only avenue we have to see through the eyes of another human being.

Viewing the world through the lens of another, combined with the attempt to understand what we are seeing, teaches empathy and compassion.

Both experiencing the art of others and creating my own has saved my life in more ways than one. My greatest hope is that sharing my story, and my art, can help you or someone else who needs it.