"He recites a poem that recounts his mental journey “past the point of serenity, around uncertain corners, and back home.” In between daily chores, like walking the dog and feeding the baby, he is working to retain normalcy in his day, to maintain a peacefulness in the face of uncertainty. This is a familiar task for most of us these days, and the video underscores the burden and intensity of that effort."    - Ray Rinaldi, The Denver Post

ABOUT THIS WORK ///  This work is a poem as well as a DIY EMDR video.  The pose seen in this video is what is called “the butterfly hug” which is a method of self-administering EMDR at home. The crystals in the "frame" are all specifically chosen crystals used in healing trauma, anxiety and depression.  These crystals flash and blink with each tap of the butterfly hug, creating bilateral visual stimulation for the viewer which primes their brain for re-wiring and potentially forming new understandings of our current circumstances.  The audio is a stream of anxieties, feelings and thoughts regarding our current situation with the global Covid-19 pandemic (made during peak lockdown in April 2020). 

Try your own Butterfly Hug at home and ask yourself: when this is all over and life feels settled again, what do you want your future self to say about how you managed to get through this time?  When you’ve got your answer, imagine your future self saying that—and start butterfly tapping for a bit.  Then pause, and notice. If more spacious, or quieted, then notice that and butterfly tap. 

This is part of a larger video series entitled, ATTEMPTS TO HEAL: MY BODY(of)WORK. 

This video was recently featured in the Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum's Covid Artist Relief Award Exhibition.

NOTE: This video is designed to be played on a loop and projected on a black wall ( a white background version can be easily made, FYI).