“I am a single parent of three kids. I am still trying to find that infinite well of energy that is required to work full time while also making time for sports, cooking, laundry, and cleaning – you know, wearing twenty hats. Sometimes I don’t know how I sleep, but I do. Though it has been challenging, I am still grateful.
Taking time for myself has been helpful. I create artwork and it always feels so great afterwards. My last two series have been focused on Black American experiences with housing discrimination and redlining. My current series consists of digital collage portraits of Black Americans. I talk about Black Americans and their impactful work to my children, who have expressed to me that they have little education in school on Black American and Indigenous history. So, for me, art is not purely decorative. When I create my own art, it is self-directed and that makes it liberating. I feel like I have the opportunity to make it look however I want it to look. It is also restorative. I like feeling a sense of my own identity and being proud as a woman of color in this country.
As a single parent, I am a model for my children to observe and think about for themselves. I wish we lived in a society where mothers were not financially penalized for choosing to be more present for their children. Somehow, I have managed to work these last few years, but it has been very challenging. I often feel that I would be well-suited for leadership positions, and have found those opportunities only on a volunteer basis in the UV.
I have noticed that my kids are empathetic. They tend to gravitate towards the wallflower, the new kid. I have always been like that too because I think the most vulnerable time is when someone is new to a space. So, I have seen them be welcoming, and I am always so touched that they are kind and compassionate. If that is the best thing I do in my life, then I would be so grateful to raise compassionate humans.” – Laura, Hanover, NH
