I am about one third of my way through my creative challenge -
"Diaspora: the 101 Doll Project".
Time to reflect.
I am the child of an English immigrant to New Zealand,
and the grandchild of an Irish immigrant.
As I create a persona for each fictional character,
I am realising how quickly events out of our control
can disperse a group of people
and spread them across continents and oceans.
I think of those who emigrated because of the Irish Famine in the 19th century.
I pause and remember Polish orphans shipped to safety to New Zealand,
and British child evacuees transported to Canada during World War 2.
Today I am reminded daily of refugees fleeing war in Syria
and settling throughout Europe and even further afield,
and Asian boat people risking their lives to reach safety and freedom.
Do we welcome new settlers -
acknowledging our common humanity,
embracing their cultural diversity?
Do we listen to their stories -
and share ours with them?
As I create dolls using the teardrop template,
I have found a metaphor for life.
It is important to know, acknowledge and understand my roots -
because who I am (and who I am not) arises from this foundation.
It is OK to find a new and original path which reflects me.
While I am the genetic and cultural product of millennia,
I am also a unique and precious individual.
There are moments when I treasure the similarities with my ancestors,
and there are times when I seek out and welcome points of difference.
I am finding it difficult to persist with this challenge.
Questions arise and niggle at me ...
What is the point?
How will this activity help me become a better person?
Does this commitment to a daily creative endeavour
improve my emotional and financial well-being?
What next?
(Sigh. The same questions that niggle at me in my everyday life!!)
"Diaspora: the 101 Doll Project".
Time to reflect.
I am the child of an English immigrant to New Zealand,
and the grandchild of an Irish immigrant.
As I create a persona for each fictional character,
I am realising how quickly events out of our control
can disperse a group of people
and spread them across continents and oceans.
I think of those who emigrated because of the Irish Famine in the 19th century.
I pause and remember Polish orphans shipped to safety to New Zealand,
and British child evacuees transported to Canada during World War 2.
Today I am reminded daily of refugees fleeing war in Syria
and settling throughout Europe and even further afield,
and Asian boat people risking their lives to reach safety and freedom.
Do we welcome new settlers -
acknowledging our common humanity,
embracing their cultural diversity?
Do we listen to their stories -
and share ours with them?
As I create dolls using the teardrop template,
I have found a metaphor for life.
It is important to know, acknowledge and understand my roots -
because who I am (and who I am not) arises from this foundation.
It is OK to find a new and original path which reflects me.
While I am the genetic and cultural product of millennia,
I am also a unique and precious individual.
There are moments when I treasure the similarities with my ancestors,
and there are times when I seek out and welcome points of difference.
I am finding it difficult to persist with this challenge.
Questions arise and niggle at me ...
What is the point?
How will this activity help me become a better person?
Does this commitment to a daily creative endeavour
improve my emotional and financial well-being?
What next?
(Sigh. The same questions that niggle at me in my everyday life!!)