GravesMakes

Hello! My name is Allyson, and I'm happy to have you here. I'd love for you to take a minute or two to read the story below, as I find that it is just as, if not more important, than the actual art you might find in my shop 😊

I have always been a creative- as a kid I was always drawing, making bracelets, collaging, crocheting, latch hook, needle point, you name it I tried it. That started to get away from me though as I got older, and in college I started only making to complete assignments for class, which eventually led to pretty much a full stop until I went to Grad school for an Art Therapy program.

I was so excited to start the program, even before knowing what I would eventually get out of it. I began to learn and start putting words to what I had always inherently known- that creating can have such a large impact, and have the power to hold space for things that maybe are harder to verbalize.

Now while I'd tried so many different mediums and crafts, I had never used watercolor that often. When I was younger and I was drawing, it would mainly be pencil/colored pencil- something more controllable. When I got to my Grad program though we were encouraged to try out a lot of different mediums, and I found a new love for watercolor. And with experimenting with different mediums, pretty much by accident, I found that if you used markers on watercolor paper and added water on top they mimic traditional watercolor paints (as long as they're water soluble markers).

For me, the process of using the markers first is both more controlled and also a little chaotic because of the scribbling and lines that are involved, followed by the process of adding the water on top which ends up being a forced slow down- which sometimes can be relaxing and sometimes frustrating. I also don’t really know how the final product is going to turn out, so it’s then letting go of control and trusting the process.

Without knowing it, this became my process over and over again throughout school and has continued ever since. In the beginning the shapes I made were more boxy, typically having 3 solid sides with one left open, and then became more fluid and rounded as time went on.

I didn’t know what I was making at first, but being in an Art Therapy program where reflecting is encouraged, I began to understand that these paintings were Holding Spaces.

The more round the shapes became, the more I associated this with comfort. The shapes that look like crescents I imagine as a little figure with their arms outstretched meant to bring you in for an embrace. Their roundness I imagine as having the ability to balance, no matter what they hold. If they're more square, they offer stability.

I started making the keychains as daily reminders that could be taken with you throughout your days- They specifically started with the "Not Sorry" phrase. I used to work with a friend, who would apologize CONSTANTLY. It got to the point where when she would say “sorry” I started responding with “why” or “what for?” Most of the time she didn’t actually have a reason, or know why she’d said it to begin with.

We started trying to change the "sorrys" to "thank yous" (thank you for letting me talk through my thoughts, thanks for your patience, thanks for letting me do weird lion yoga in the middle of the office and not judging me for it 😊)

Because at the end of the day, if you’re over apologetic, it often comes from just apologizing for your existence and feeling like an inconvenience or burden to others. I’m not saying don’t ever apologize, use it where it’s needed. If you hurt someone or make a mistake, apologize. But you’re not a burden or inconvenience, and there’s no reason to apologize for just existing. You are amazing and valued just as you are. So no, you don’t need to be sorry, and if sometimes you need a reminder I’m here for it✌️

So with all of that said this is my hope for you- that if you allow one of my paintings or little reminders into your space know that it was made with so much care, and with the hopes that it can offer you the comfort or space to feel held, or whatever else you may need to feel, that maybe you don’t always have access to in your day to day. They are holding spaces, and even without being an actual 3D vessel I hope they can hold whatever it is you need.


If you’ve gotten all the way through this and read everything I also thank you and appreciate you for letting me be vulnerable and hope that you were able to connect to something in this story. With appreciation- Allyson 😊