Evelyn R. Swett Photography
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Love Letter to 2020

2/14/2021

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Picture
Goodbye SAT Prep, January 2020 Photo by ERSwett
At
some point
in 2020, I lost 
​my way.
Picture
Winter Citrus, February 2020 Photo by ERSwett
The
turmoil
went to my
head and to my
heart and I
​froze.
Picture
Late Winter Bouquet, March 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Thankfully,
though, the compost
pile beckoned.
Picture
Soup's On at Umpleby's, April 2020 Photo by ERSwett
The colors,
textures and yes,
the pungent odors kept
things real and reminded me of
the beauty of it all.
Picture
Good King Henry & The Valley News, May 2020 Photo by ERSwett
I am
grateful
for extended
time with my family
and with my
​thoughts.
Picture
Early Season Watermelon, June 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Light
emerged
on the other
side of dark, and
we just kept showing
up for each
other.
Picture
Mid-Summer Feast, July 2020 Photo by ERSwett
The
dailiness
of watermelon
& houseplants that
needed trimming invited
calm in the midst
of brewing
​storms.
Picture
Discarded Housevines, September 2020 Photo by ERSwett
And
I voted.
We voted.
​Hope.
Picture
I Voted, November 2020 Photo by ERSwett
And the
Christmas Cactus
bloomed at Thanksgiving
as it does every
​year.
Picture
Houseplants, Early December 2020 Photo by ERSwett
And
we finally
bid farewell to
my mother-in-law's
pressed leaves and rhyming
dictionary she used to
write holiday
​poems.
Picture
Post-Holiday Clean-up, December 2020 Photo by ERSwett
It was
a messy, smelly
and uncomfortable year,
but it will be impossible to forget
2020 and the good that
will emerge from
the all of
it.
Picture
New Year's Eve, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
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Mixing it Up & Moving On

12/31/2020

3 Comments

 
Picture
Pam's Pressed Leaves, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Pressed
leaves - - so
easy to collect &
so simple to
compost.
Picture
Pam's National Geographic Collection, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
National
Geographic, not
so much. Each year, eleven
pounds of images from around the world.
But last week, it was time for this collection of stories
and images to 
move on, to mix and mingle
with 
holiday wrappings ​and
​old bills.
Picture
Photographing the Photographs, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
​Our
children
did not plow
through them, as I
once did, and no library
wanted them. This 450 pound
collection was, in fact, a
burden from
another
era.
Picture
Goodbye, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
When
I returned from
the recycling center, I was
not surprised to experience an increased
flow of fresh air in my studio - -
The shelves, lighter and
more open, an
invitation.

Picture
Bread & The Rhyming Dictionary, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
We
were managing
the clutter we brought
home from my mother-in-law's
house, which we had cleared out three
years ago. It was time to say farewell to her pressed
leaves, National Geographics and her
dog-eared rhyming
dictionary.
Picture
The Rhyming Dictionary & How to Build a Better Vocabulary, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
The
compost
absorbed all
of it, including the 
expectations of creating
the perfect turn of phrase in a
gift card, thank you letter or speech
at the garden club. In our pile, the leaves
& this book will nourish new growth
in a new year & maybe even
inspire new ways of
thinking post
2020.
Picture
Composting Expectations, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
3 Comments

Curiosity: An Invitation & Choice

11/5/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Banana: Look at Me! Fall 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Colors.
Textures. Shapes.
Invitations to pay attention.
Picture
Balanced Greens, Fall 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Gorgeous Garbage. Mixed
up and mingled.
Picture
I Voted, Fall 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Curious
about time & the
need to document how I
use it...Fear emerges: Will we
have the time we need?
Thoughts shift. 
Picture
The Executive Calendar, Fall 2020 Photo by ERSwett
If my daily 
calendar is empty, did

I exist? If we live without record,
do we exist? Or, is there something more
powerful I don't yet understand that
connects us to the spirit of
things & not things
themselves?
Picture
Yellow Rose Petals, Fall 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Trump's
election sparked
my initial focus on compost.
Since then, the pile has shifted from
metaphor for America (a diverse soup), to an 
invitation to explore my relationship
to just about everything and
everyone...including
​myself.
Picture
Tea Cup in Sharon, VT, Fall 2020 Photo by ERSwett
So I've
been hanging
out with tea-cups
submerged in ponds and
feeling the power of
moss while in
prayer.
Picture
Moss & a Prayer, Fall 2020 Photo by ERSwett
I wonder:
Will I take this invitation
to change, to emerge from this time
with renewed interest in what's possible? Or
will I hold on to what I know & to
what feels safe because
​I am afraid?
Picture
What's This? Fall 2020, Self Portrait
For me,
​it's a choice,
& fear is not an option.
Picture
The Choice is Mine to Make, Fall 2020 Self Portrait
2 Comments

Tempest in the Compost Pile

5/31/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
The Tempest in the Compost Photo by ERSwett
​There's
The Tempest, a
drama by Shakespeare,
and there's the perennial plant, Good
King Henry. Both white men. Both British. One
an old text with faux leather cover & the other gone to
seed. Together, they make a perfect mix
of nitrogen and carbon in 
​
my compost
pile, 
Picture
The News Photo by ERSwett
Because
it had rained a lot,
I added some old newspapers
to the mix and was surprised that they
were from 2018 - must have been
from the back of the
​storage ​​bin.
Picture
Narratives Mixed and Mingled, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
When
I stirred all this
green and brown stuff
together, they mixed & mingled,
creating a fertile space for decomposition.
It takes time, but not much, if I aerate the compost
by turning it over & making sure it gets good
& messy along the way. It smells like
an old barn, which I love, and
all that work makes
​me strong.
Picture
In Process, June 2020 Photo by ERSwett
We are
in the midst of
a global pandemic. There
are riots & demonstrations throughout
the country. I'm angry, sad and very tired of feeling
complicit in a system I did not design or
choose. Turning compost is my
way of processing the
​all of it.
Picture
Lafayette Square, June 2020 Photo by ERSwett
The
natural
cycle of life,
death & renewal
I witness in this pile is
also context for the other
continuum it includes - - The
shredded news, sometimes current
and sometimes from years past, that reveals
the causes and effects of policies
and actions over time. 
Picture
2017 Tax Policy Celebration, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Mix &
mingle a diverse
bunch of decomposing matter,
turn it over once in a while and you get
soil to renew the earth from which it came; Create
policies that increase inequality and you get anger, frustration
and the perpetuation of an unfair system. It's all right
here in the compost behind my garage,
messy, smelly and beautiful
in a weird kind of
way.
Picture
2 Degrees, 2018 Photograph by ERSwett
In 2018,
when I composted
my Harvard and University
of Virginia diplomas, I experienced
the power of decomposition as not just a source of
life for the earth but also as a source of inspiration & renewal.
What seemed a dangerous & radical act at the time
did not cause the earth to shatter, but
instead freed me to reframe
​my narrative.
Picture
Compost in process, no name yet. Photo by ERSwett
For two
years now, I've
been exploring what
it means to be the product of
privilege and to own my complicity
not just with the climate crisis, which was
the original impetus for my reflections on "Two
Degrees," but also with the social and
economic disparities that exist
as a result of our current
market economy.
Picture
More compost in process, no name yet. Photo by ERSwett
Facing
truths is hard,
but when I go astray,
feeling tired & lost as I do now,
compost keeps me grounded. It is in that
pile behind the garage that clarity emerges: The power
of diversity & balance, the importance of
showing up & being patient,
and the beauty that
emerges from
the mess.
Picture
A Volume of Shakespeare, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
It has
taken 
me a
week to 
craft this
​post. My whole being
seeks balance free from anxiety,
but it is an anxious and uncertain time.
What to do? Instead of leaving Shakespeare's 
volume unopened, I tore it apart, allowing
the narrative to break free and 
become something
new.

Picture
Two Degrees - The First Tear, 2018 Photo by ERSwett
​Instead of
leaving my diplomas
in a frame in the attic, I tore them
up & let them break free as well. There is power
in recomposing, decomposing and 
reframing our narratives.
Sometimes, there truly is a tempest in the compost.
It's smelly & messy & hard to take, but it's
beautiful, too, and I'm ready for
whatever work is needed.
It builds strength of
​many kinds.
Picture
Ready to Work, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
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Magical Moments

4/19/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
A 20th Birthday Hug, Photo by ERSwett
It was a
magical moment
when I gave birth to my
son 20 years ago on April 16th
and to my daughter, just after 9/11 less than
two years later. Witnessing this hug
was a magical moment of
a different kind, but
heartwarming
as well.
Picture
Pomegranates, 2015 18" x 18" Photo by ERSwett Available at The Vermont Center for Photography
This past
week I reflected
on other times during the
past 20 years when I have felt that
same powerful & loving energy. Who knew I
would end up stalling on my Compost Compositions,
which I first 'discovered' in 2015 with these pomegranates
and apple peels? It's cool that like my children, the
magic continues. There is something
going on in that pile that I
can not contain.

Picture
Apple Pie, 2015 18" x 18" Photo by ERSwett Available at The Vermont Center for Photography
It's a life
force brewing
within each image that
is, for me, almost as powerful
as being a mother. Like a child who
becomes an adult before your eyes, these
Compost Compositions are snapshots, moments
of beauty, which, like that hug, are part of
a longer and lasting narrative, but
which are fleeting
​as well.
Picture
Grapefruit & Snow, 2019 24" x 24" Photo by ERSwett Available at The Vermont Center for Photography
Just as
each piece
of discarded fruit
or vegetable scrap called
to me, saying "pay attention, I've
got a story too," inspiring me to create
these images in the first place, it feels as if
these Compost Compositions are singing out to
me now, saying "get me out there, into the world, please.
We want to share our magic with others." These 
first three pieces are calling from The Vermont
Center for Photography
in Brattleboro,
where they are trapped, unable
to be experienced in
person.
Picture
Mixed Carbon, 2019 30" x 30" Photo by ERSwett, Available from the photographer
Other
pieces, like
Mixed Carbon, hide
in my studio, bringing calm
and delight, but calling ​out for a wider
​audience. Or, my first ​Dried Flowers, from 2017,
are part of a set of greeting cards also wanting to share
their energy - - The cards are calling out "please
write letters, keep connections between
people going, & oh, by they way,
the US Postal Service
needs us!"
Picture
Dried Flowers, 2017 Photo by ERSwett Cards and 8"x8" Canvas print available online
Over the
years, I have learned
to listen to my children & am
grateful for their guidance, like when they
unknowingly inspired me to finally seek help for my
lifelong anxiety or when they encouraged
me to actually sell my photographs.
So now, I am listening to
them & my work.
Picture
Watermelon & 2 Apples, 2018 Photo by ERSwett 8"x8" Canvas print available online
During
this time of
social isolation, it
feels strange to store all
these magical moments in my
studio, when they could be out in the
world for others to see. Because, at their heart,
Compost Compositions are all about community and
our essential interdependence. Just as the
green stuff and brown stuff have to
mix & mingle to create nutrient
rich 'black gold,' so too do
we depend on
​each other.
Picture
Black Gold, 2017 Photo by ERSwett 8"x8" Canvas print available online
So here
we are! It's the
50th Anniversary of Earth
Week, we are entering our sixth
week at home as we #flattenthecurve,
and it's time to share the love  & powerful magic
in each of these Compost Compositions.
Please visit my online Store or the
Vermont Center for
Photography
.
Picture
Watermelon & Coffee, 2017 Photo by ERSwett 12" x 12" Photo available from the photographer
I am
excited to
donate a portion
of proceeds from all Compost
Compositions
sold during April 2020 to
COVID-19 Relief and, in celebration of the 50th
anniversary of Earth Day to ecochallenge.org.
We are in this together. If you are able
and inspired, please share
​the magic!
Picture
Daffodils, 2018 Photo by ERSwett 24" x 24" Photo available from the photographer
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Settling Into a New Routine

3/19/2020

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Picture
The Dartmouth Green -- Empty Photo by ERSwett
Welcome to
the first day of Spring.
We woke to a light dusting of
snow and are a bit disappointed by yet
another cloudy day. But it is, after all, March in
New Hampshire and we are experiencing 
a global pandemic. So the fact that
​The Green is empty and
stores are closed
is real.
Picture
J. Crew Closure, March 2020, Hanover, NH Photo by ERSwett
So too
​is compost.
The narcissus may
be done, but they are still
making lemon curd at Umpleby's
and we are still eating bananas. In the
midst of disappointed teenagers
at home, I return, as always,
to the colors, shapes &
textures of my
​compost
​pile.
Picture
Yellow Narcissus & Lemons, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
My gratitude
for this pile is deep.
Year after year it transforms
waste into nourishment for gardens
while at the same time inviting me to be
patient, get my hands dirty, and
remember that sometimes
life is really messy.
Picture
Coffee Filters, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
As if by
magic, though,
creativity emerges over
and over again out of the apparent
mess. It should be no surprise to you, then,
that I have more photographs of coffee filters. Who
knows how long the supply will last, but they
are such a simple way for me to connect
with my sister, Sarah Swett, who
keeps making things out of
​these funny pieces
of paper.
Picture
Finding Joy with Coffee Filters, March 2020 Photo by ERSwett
And in
the process,
I pay closer attention
to what was once just another
part of the waste I collected each week
from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe
in Hanover, NH. Coffee
filters, it turns out
are beautiful.
Picture
Pile of Filters Photo by ERSwett
For me,
It's so much
more than textures
& subtle muted
tones.
Picture
Coffee Filters Smiling Photo by ERSwett
It's all
about how
these filters seemed
to talk to me earlier today,
and made me laugh as I folded
them & prepared to mail
them to my sister
in Idaho.

Picture
It all
seemed 
so funny, how
I packaged them up,
but am waiting two weeks
to send them, for fear I might have
The Virus and might unknowingly mail it to
my sister whose husband has cancer and definitely
can't get this thing. So once again my compost
and all its associated projects invite
patience and humor. This
really is all quite
messy...
Picture
Coffee Filters Folded and Ready to Ship Photo by ERSwett
...and
beautiful,
because even
though we may be
thousands of miles apart,
we are together, exploring these
funny pieces of paper and
wondering what will
emerge from it
all.
Picture
Our Daily Grapefruit Photo by ERSwett
So after
I finish this blog
post, I will go upstairs to
cut our daily grapefruit - one for
each member of the family every day for
as long as supplies last. During times of stress and
uncertainty, I like routines. I like this habit of culling & cleaning
coffee filters to send to my sister. I like making something healthy for our family
on a regular basis. And I like making sure ​we laugh about the fact it's a
Thursday & my kids are eating breakfast at 2 pm just when
I'm having my mid afternoon snack.
It's all
part of a new routine and I'm
OK with all of that...
Picture
Kids at Home March 2020 Photo by ERSwett
...because 
it is March and
even though it seems dark
and gray and lonely to be stuck at
home, I know that the bulbs will emerge
from the frozen earth & spring will
come, because that's nature's
routine, and I'm good
with that.
Picture
Today's view in my studio. Photo by ERSwett

PS
It is still
Women's History
Month...so let's support 
each other as much as we can
from afar. For inspiration of all kinds,
check out my friend Jennifer Jewell's Podcast
Cultivating Place - - The January episodes were all
about the therapeutic and spiritual capacities
of our gardens - in all their forms.
We
need that now, more
​than ever. 
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Unfiltered & Full Circle

2/28/2020

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Picture
Coffee filters & peas from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe in Hanover, NH Photo by ERSwett
So here
they are. More
coffee filters. In the
raw, straight from the pile
and into the bucket.
Salvaged once
again.

Picture
First rinse, still in the 5-gallon bucket. Photo by ERSwett
I wonder
if the original
cup of coffee or frothy
cappuccino was as compelling
to look at and as sumptuous to smell as
these filters getting their
​first rinse?
Picture
They are just so cool. Extraction from the bucket. Photo by ERSwett
I love
working with
these strange pieces of
paper. When we have coffee at our
house, which is rare, we use a French Press. So
for me, these are an entirely new material which have, until
recently, just been part of my decomposing compost.
Now, though, with my sister's inspiration,
they have become yet another
invitation to explore
our material
world.
Picture
Unfiltered coffee filters ready for final rinse. Photo by ERSwett
When I 
take them out
of the 5-gallon compost
collection bucket and move them
into the rinsing tub in our sink, these dirty
filters become precious materials
filled with creative
​potential.
Picture
Everything needs a bath once in a while. Photo by ERSwett
These 
coffee filters
are soft between my
fingers when I pull them out
of the tub and hang them up to dry.
Once on the rack, all I notice
is the play of light on
their textured
fiber.
Picture
Coffee Filter Abstraction Photo by ERSwett
All I
want to do
is move in closer to
explore these materials about
which I know so little. Once again, my
compost invites me to consider more than meets
the eye. While I have an idea of what my sister, Sarah C.
Swett
, might create out of these filters, their
back story, like so many back
stories, remains a
​mystery.
Picture
Colored coffee filter fiber created by Sarah C. Swett Photo by ERSwett
Clearly,
this narrative
is unfolding as I write,
Sarah's imagination leading her
and my investigations taking me where
they go. But here we are, unfiltered, making it
up along the way. It does seem, however, that ours is
a circular narrative, filled with the ebbs
and flows of our lives and
curiosities.
Picture
Hand woven bracelet with coffee filter fiber & more filters ready for repurposing. Photo by ERSwett
Stay tuned for ​more...
0 Comments

Compost, Fiber and Fashion

1/26/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
My daughter's old socks. Photo by ERSwett
When my 
daughter finally
cleaned out her sock 
drawer over the holidays, she
presented me with this colorful pile. I
wondered what to do with these mismatched
dirty old socks. I don't want to add more clothing waste
to the landfill, but because they are made
of synthetic fibers, I can't compost
them. What's a gal like
me to do?
Picture
A Suitcase full of clothing remnants. Photo by ERSwett
And when
I cleaned out my
mother-in-law's house
two years ago, I came home
with bags of scraps from all the clothes
she had had altered to fit her - - At
5" and getting smaller, she
needed a lot of hems
and cuffs removed
and shortened.
Picture
Knit shirt cuffs. Photo by ERSwett
I love
that Pam
saved these
scraps, perhaps
thinking they could
be used to mend her shirts
or trousers if they needed it. Or,
perhaps she had a vision for making
a quilt some day. But then she
forgot about the scraps & 
those ideas faded
with time.

Picture
The bottoms of pants that were just too long. Photo by ERSwett
When I
originally found
her bags of cuffs, hems
and other fabric, I wondered if I
could compost, recycle or reuse them.
That's just how I think. The thought of tossing
these remnants of my mother-in-law's life into
dumpsters made me really sad. I couldn't
do it. It's not that I am a hoarder
or that I am overly
​sentimental.

Picture
Altered Party Dresses. Photo by ERSwett
And it's more
than the reality that 
I hate 
waste. In fact, I found
these on a day when I had been
ruthlessly sending all manner of things
to the landfill. At that moment, though, I had
a feeling there was a story embodied
in those bags that 
I would
​explore someday.
Picture
Some shirts are just too long. Photo by ERSwett
So here I am,
wondering about 
my
daughter's old socks and my
mother-in-law's 
fabric remnants.
The thing that's bothering me most is
that they can not be composted because these
colorful textiles are made from or contain synthetic fibers.
As I have recently learned in Rebecca Burgess's
Fibershed, 
there is more to our clothes
than I ever knew.
Picture
A pile of textile scraps. Photo by ERSwett
For me,
though, these
piles of fabric are kind
of like the piles of vegetables and
other scraps I witness in the compost pile.
The colors, textures and shapes
seduce me, inviting me to
pay attention.
Picture
A pile of textile scraps. Photo by ERSwett
I notice
Pam's love for
blues and greens. I 
notice the mix of silk, denim,
linen, wool, cotton-knit and shining
polyester. Although she now needs a wheel-
chair to get around, she once swooshed and swished
at parties, did errands in town, and dug in her
garden. Each of these scraps reveals
a different part of her life, a
different part
of her.

Picture
Silky greens, blues and yellows. Photo by ERSwett
It turns out
that I am asking
the same questions of
these scraps that I ask of my
compost. Where you do come from,
how did you grow or how were you made?
Who was responsible for your emergence and
ultimate journey to me? Were those responsible for
you (fabric or fruit) paid a living wage? Was 
the soil from which you grew (veggie or
fiber) rich with compost, or was
it polluted? The Fibershed,
it turns out, is like a 
foodshed or a
watershed.
Picture
The joy of aqua-marine. Photo by ERSwett
Meaning,
there is a connection
between geography and the
health of our food, the cleanliness
of our water, and the sustainability of the
clothes we wear. Each is part of a system much
larger than itself. I started exploring these connections
last year when I wrote blog posts about an
old t-shirt, old dresses that belonged
to my grandmother, and
​finding
new shoes.
Picture
2020 Featured Photo #3: Carrots, Leeks & Onion Skins, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Ultimately,
when I eat yummy,
healthy good, I feel better.
When I wear well-made, beautiful
and natural fibers, I feel better as well. To
continue exploring the relationship between re-imagining
my clothes and, in the process re-imagining myself,
I'm excited to start hosting a community
conversation on this very subject.
Stay tuned. I have no idea
what will emerge
​from this...
Picture
Picture
Picture
Don't worry.
I'm still hanging out
with compost, but I'm also
seeing where that compost leads me.
For the moment, it's inviting time with fabric,
because, like food, textiles could be
removed from our waste
stream if we only
​knew how.
1 Comment

The Power of Women in Detroit

1/19/2020

4 Comments

 
Picture
Detroit Skyline & River Photo by ERSwett
I used to 
like to travel, until
I discovered that it wore me
out. More recently, though, I have been
teaching myself how
to sustain myself and find joy
even when away from home. So when in
Detroit to visit family last week, I 
explored on foot & in a car,
with my camera and
an open heart. 
Picture
Morning Glory Coffee & Pastries Photo by ERSwett
Picture
Coffee Pie at Sister Pie Photo by ERSwett
Taking breaks
for treats & coffee 
may be a cliche, but it's a
thing. Delicious coffees and pies in
interesting places run by cool
people warms my
body and my
​soul.
Picture
Walking in Grosse Pointe Farms Photo by ERSwett
Walking sustains
​energy, as does witnessing
creative Little Free
​Libraries...
Picture
Little Free Library in MI Photo by ERSwett
Picture
Belle Isle Little Free Library Photo by ERSwett
and eclectic
gardens on street
corners inviting me to
'Be Patient.' 
Picture
A cool garden in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI Photo by ERSwett
Once again
I found myself
between generations,
sitting with Aunt Al waiting
for the dog walker to arrive and,
later in the day, celebrating my godson's
14th birthday on the 14th with a
celebrated 'Bumpy Cake.'
Who knew?
Picture
Waiting for the Dog Walker Photo by ERSwett
Picture
The Bumpy Cake Photo by ERSwett
In the midst of it all,
I was surrounded by strong
women figuring out how to find joy
in various messy places - from
single-motherhood to 
compost.
Picture
Henry the dog brings joy to his family Photo by ERSwett
You got it.
Compost. I just
can't not seek it out.
In this case, I explored Detroit
Dirt
,
a thriving organization that processes
food waste and animal manure
between old warehouses
and the highway.
Picture
Compost at Detroit Dirt Photo by ERSwett
As I stood among 
the eight mounds of compost,
trying to keep warm as it snowed and
the wind blew, I felt the power of earth's capacity
to renew itself. It takes energy to create
life from waste, but that is just
what the amazing Pashon
Murray
is doing.
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Detroit Dirt Photo by ERSwett
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With Pashon Murray at Detroit Dirt Photo by ERSwett
Three days before
the Women's March 2020,
I was surrounded by strong feminine
energy, the kind of energy that changes the
world. Scraps to soil. Soil to plants.
Plants to life-giving energy
so that we can
​breath.
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Focusing on Everything at The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory Photo by ERSwett
After Detroit
Dirt, I visited the Anna
Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
in Belle Isle Park. Anna's story is impressive,
but while there, warm and protected from freezing
breezes blowing off the Detroit River, I thought about the
power of focus - - When we focus on one thing, often something
right in front of us, there is clarity and purpose. Trying to
see and do it all just gets confusing. It's funny to
me how I notice the bird sculpture more
when it is blurred in the background,
than when I tried to get it and
everything else in focus.
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Focusing on Ferns at The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory Photo by ERSwett
So when not
exploring and playing
with extended family, I made
time to read and sew, taking a media
holiday of sorts. I hadn't planned it this way,
but it turns out I read about another inspiring and game-
changing woman, Rebecca Burgess and the Fibershed Project.
The subtitle "Growing a Movement of Farmers,
Fashion Activists, and Makers for a 
New Textile Economy" 
connects to, well,
​everything.
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Fibershed, By Rebecca Burgess Photo by ERSwett
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Mending a silk nightshirt Photo by ERSwett
It seems that
2020 is turning into
a year for making connections
among people, places and possessions,
in particular, clothes. Compost remains the focal
point, but clothes and their relationship to our identities
may be a parallel story line...We'll just have to see.
But I'm having fun being with people I love,
meeting people who inspire, and
feeling the power of the
feminine spirit
wherever
I go.
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Living Wall, Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, Belle Isle Park Photo By ERSwett
4 Comments

What's Next - 2020?

1/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
New Years 2020 By ERSwett
People ask
me what's next
in 2020?
Picture
Purple Yarn & Grapefruit By ERSwett
Well,
I respond,
I'll still pay attention
to my compost pile & notice
things like that purple yarn & the placement
of those grapefruit in relation to the
torn up bread bag &
​clementine
peals.
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The Optimal Essay By ERSwett
And I'll still
explore text & words
& that SAT project, which I began
in 2019, but which continues as my college-bound
children clean out their rooms & purge
those dreaded practice
test books.
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Apple Cascade By ERSwett
And I'll continue
to wonder at what emerges
from those 5 gallon buckets I collect
each week from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe
& honor their waste by giving it new
life both in the ground and in 
my camera. Every week
it's something new
but familiar.
Picture
Function Fundamentals 1 By ERSwett
And I will be
motivated by the novelties,
like these three croissants, but also grateful
for the familiar smells of spent coffee grounds & eggshells.
Who knows what 2020 will bring, but I will keep
exploring what my compost has to teach
& hopefully, in the process, inspire
joy and transformation
for you and me.
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Solving for X, C By ERSwett
0 Comments
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