“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” -Maya Angelou
As many of you know, I am a mother. And motherhood has changed me in ways that I still can’t fully articulate. The process of becoming a mother has tangled up both my body and my soul. I feel far more broken but also far more whole. If it sounds confusing, it is. The love I have for my daughter is strong and dangerous; it has made me feel more alive, but it’s made me feel more frightened in this world. On some days, I want nothing more than to tuck her back inside of me, nestled up warm beneath the steady beat of my heart. And yet, I know that motherhood or parenthood requires you to do just the opposite: to slowly and gradually let your precious one unfold and grow. It is a messy, beautiful thing, I’ve embarked on.
And being a mother has let me love my body in ways that I never thought I could. Being a mother has taught me to reclaim my body for what it is: warmth, strength, sustenance, comfort….the list goes on.
And so, today, instead of a recipe, I’m sharing with you an artist who has captured motherhood in a way that deeply resonates with my own experience. When Ryan and I went to Portland, Phoebe Wahl was kind enough to let us into her beautiful home. There, I photographed her studio and a few of her pieces. You can find more of her work here. Phoebe is a beautiful soul, an old soul, and I have no doubt that her work will take her to places wide and far. I’ll be sharing more of her work and space on cord tomorrow.
