it takes a village

11 x 11 coffee grounds, crystal quartz, oil, sand, powdered amber pigment, yarn, wool, leather. embroidered linen canvas, housed in a poplar wood frame.  "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 spe