My Artist Book is titled, “Phase”, and was born from the idea that my pregnancy has seemed to mirror the cycles of the moon. 

 

Starting with Conception, which began like a spell- we dreamed, wrote our dreams down in a precious place, knowing that it all begins with love. 

 

My first trimester felt like a new moon- slow, dark, deep. During these first months of pregnancy, I didn’t feel like my energetic, social self at all. Instead, I spent much of my time like hermit, tending to my most basic needs and inviting in more rest and internal work. 

 

My second trimester was when I finally felt my energy growing like the spirit of a waxing moon! Slowly, I craved more interaction with community and support. I felt my old self coming back, tending to my creativity again and relationships. 

 

And finally, my third trimester reflected the spirit of the full moon in all of it’s feelings of big energy, celebration, and communion. 

 

This project also gave me a chance to utilize newfound passion for painting, as each page is painted using colors I mixed that capture the energy of each phase. This part was most fun for me because creating unique colors and palettes, something thast was once so daunting for me, now feels alchemical and filled with curiosity and empowerment! 

After painting each “phase”, I used an exacto knife to cut out dancing moons that grew from one page to the next, symbolizing the element of growth I experienced throughout the journey, physically and energetically.

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I then hand-stitched a cotton bag that tenderly holds the book, which is made to mimic a baby swaddle.