it takes a village

"it takes a village" is a piece I worked on and off while processing resentment and grief about people who witnessed childhood neglect and didn't speak up. My therapist encouraged me to roleplay and write what I would do to help if I saw a child in need and what my inner child craved. 

The contrasting textures within this embroidered canvas are purposeful and intended to represent holding onto softness despite the hard shell the world has placed on me. Sitting and embroidering this canvas after journaling the prompts from therapy was a meditative tactile process that made it easier to return to the words I put down on paper. 

- How a community could have helped a neglected child stay hopeful. How teachers should have a red flag. How doctors overlooked warning signs over and over. A child could feel empowered if an authority figure speaks on their behalf. That child could have felt valued and cared for despite the neglect and abuse they faced at home. A child who feels isolated and alone at home, but at the same time, finally experiences being SEEN AND HEARD.

At the center of this piece are rows of cotton that symbolize the lives of the children who cannot see the hope outside of the little world they have built for themselves. The bridge stitched in wool conveys their newfound sense of hope and belonging.