The Power of care: Art for Justice
After much struggle to find and secure a place with whom to do my service, I finally decided to fully take matters in to my own hands. Plants have always been viewed as symbols of life and health. For my project, I have chosen to do a small part of spreading this symbol among those who may not have the time or resources to indulge in small, seemingly insignificant "house plants".
Much of the reason why I chose to work with plants in particular is because in March of 2016 I came to the point where I had some pretty severe trauma that needed to be addressed and that I on my own as well as with help, needed to start to heal from. One of the ways in which I helped myself was to work with plants. It started when I was at the Salem farmers market with my parents mere weeks after all the trauma came to a head. There was a vendor there who was selling various plants, among which were succulents. I fell in love. I loved the way they looked, felt, and how easily they dealt with "trauma" of their own. Succulents prosper in the roughest of conditions. Not only do they prosper but they actually spread and propagate themselves at a fantastic rate. They can go with very little water, yet do not drown in a flood. Coming out of my own "darkness", I found this inspiring. At the farmer's market, I purchased several different kinds and then set out on my own little journey of combining them, propagating them, and make small gardens with them. I then started to give these small, beautiful gardens as gifts.
It was healing not just because I was working with earth and with living things, but also because I could create little worlds where all things were cared for and healthy. If found that others liked these calm, green, quiet little worlds almost as much as I did. Thus began my longterm, with no end in sight project.
Below are photos of how I create these little gardens in my own home:
Much of the reason why I chose to work with plants in particular is because in March of 2016 I came to the point where I had some pretty severe trauma that needed to be addressed and that I on my own as well as with help, needed to start to heal from. One of the ways in which I helped myself was to work with plants. It started when I was at the Salem farmers market with my parents mere weeks after all the trauma came to a head. There was a vendor there who was selling various plants, among which were succulents. I fell in love. I loved the way they looked, felt, and how easily they dealt with "trauma" of their own. Succulents prosper in the roughest of conditions. Not only do they prosper but they actually spread and propagate themselves at a fantastic rate. They can go with very little water, yet do not drown in a flood. Coming out of my own "darkness", I found this inspiring. At the farmer's market, I purchased several different kinds and then set out on my own little journey of combining them, propagating them, and make small gardens with them. I then started to give these small, beautiful gardens as gifts.
It was healing not just because I was working with earth and with living things, but also because I could create little worlds where all things were cared for and healthy. If found that others liked these calm, green, quiet little worlds almost as much as I did. Thus began my longterm, with no end in sight project.
Below are photos of how I create these little gardens in my own home:
Preparing the glassware for the plants.
Filling them with dirt.
Here are a few of the finished product.
Up close of the plants themselves!
Up close of the finished product.
I am not the only one who finds working with plants very healing. There have been numerous studies conducted by scientists, institutions, and individuals alike that all outline the benefits of not only having and caring for live plants, but also being a part of their propagation and conception. Many if not all of the studies found that plants in the home:
While there is some overlap, the following is from an entirely different website, www.100thseed.org.
Our brains are chronically stressed, because we’re stimulated all the time these days. Taking time out of your day to slowly water a houseplant and carefully check its leaves to see how it’s feeling, gives your brain a needed break from the constant stimulation.
- Lower blood pressure (systolic)
- Improve reaction times
- Increase attentiveness
- Improve attendance (at work and school)
- Raise productivity (at work)
- Improve well-being
- Improve perceptions of the space
- Lower levels of anxiety during recovery from surgery
- Raise job satisfaction
- (psychology today)
While there is some overlap, the following is from an entirely different website, www.100thseed.org.
- Houseplants boost your mood
- Houseplants make you smarter and more creative
- Houseplants can provide a sense of connectedness
- Houseplants reduce anxiety
- Houseplants give us a sense of purpose
- Houseplants can help you re-create yourself
- Houseplants purify the air of toxins
- Houseplants speed up healing
- Houseplants teach us to slow down
Our brains are chronically stressed, because we’re stimulated all the time these days. Taking time out of your day to slowly water a houseplant and carefully check its leaves to see how it’s feeling, gives your brain a needed break from the constant stimulation.
- Houseplants reduce the effects of stress
- Houseplants reduce your number of sick days
- Houseplants improve your sleep
One of the unfortunate things about this project in particular is that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to see or know the lasting impact that it may or may not have, The way I see it is I will commit myself to this side of the process and my belief and faith in the process as a whole. In a time of need, I found relief and some sort of sanctuary in these plants as well as others I will carry faith that it brings something, no matter how small, to others in our community.