If rich white men can do what they want, so can we
- Vive l’arts revolution & my installation vision inspo and plans!
I’ve never not doubted myself; it’s like a perpetual drip in the bathroom of my mind, and no matter how much I tighten up the screw on the tap, it always comes back.
Like Chinese water torture, you might say. And isn’t that what all creatives and soul-led beings suffer from chronically? A systemically-induced form of torture ultimately preventing us from being our fullest - creating and exploring and sharing our whole gamut of gifts openly and joyously with the world?
When I doubt myself these days, I have a safety valve in place which goes something like this:
“If rich white men can gamble with billions, even trillions, of £s and $s on new toys and 10-minute joy rides into space by riding roughshod over the lives of millions of individuals both directly and indirectly, I literally can give myself an imaginary golden ticket to create what and how I want from my heart and soul.”
And you can too.
I had a couple of conversations this week where the OP, a dear friend, felt it was frivolous to do something for themselves, that didn’t “contribute” directly to their work life. And it has set off a domino of thoughts in my head as to how (and when) we ever subscribed to this system of living entirely for our work, and being our work, our “contribution”.
And at what precise point in time did we sign the contract with the small print dictating that our “contribution” to society must be strictly financial and produce-oriented?
These are just some of the many thoughts and feelings processing through me this week as I begin to lay the groundwork for creating my first installation art. I mean, who am I to do this? And what is it for? Nobody can buy it, so what’s the actual point?
Let me interject here with a picture I came across on instagram of the artist Geoffroy Pithon this week, and his colourful immersive paper “rooms”:
When I saw his work (can we find another word for this please?!) something melted and glowed inside me. For months now I’ve been imagining what it would be like to create energy-landscape rooms with my painted canvases, and seeing other artists pursue similar notions and creating real beauty, wonder and JOY with it, is so very inspiring to me.
There is no life without art. That’s the bare facts right there.
All the joys in my life (aside from family, friends and chocolate) - the real joys, not the temporary dopamine-hits of a social media like or receiving a new purchase through the post - are creative:
A book which the author has poured lifetimes of ideas, thoughts, feelings, research and philosophies into, crafting deliberately new-and-stunning phrases and immersing you in a world other than the one we feel currently stuck in.
A film which has been created by hundreds of creative individuals, from the writers and directors to the costume, prop and set designers - again creating a story and world so real for you to step into and make-believe you are living an entirely different life, if just for 2 hours.
A painter who captures the sensual, fully-embodied beauty of our naked selves, stripped bare of all commodities and simply allowing our essence to shine through with zero wiggle-room for body-based criticism (I’m looking at you, Kate Moores!)
A song which pulls on your heart-and-soul strings so tenderly, lovingly and poignantly that it frees your tears, your body and your gratitude for life on the earth at this time…
All of these examples (and I’m certain you can easily add a hundred more of your own) nourish us deeply at a level of soul meaning, affirmation and remembering of who we really are - that is their contribution.
Even when we finish a film, book or walk out of an art exhibition feeling a little underwhelmed, there’s always something we take away from it, perhaps about the vision and philosophy of the author/ director/ artist, or even about ourselves and how our philosophy differs radically from theirs. It’s all food for our connective human experience, and that is never wasted.
Big Vision Update!
I’ve been awake most of this week between the hours of 10pm and 6am with floods of thoughts, ideas and visions for my installation series. My brain and heart and soul are very much lit up by this big new adventure for me, and I hope you are a little bit too!
The first installation I am embarking upon is a meditation landscape based upon our 3rd eye energies and embodied feelings. I am hoping to launch it for public viewing this summer 😍.
I’ve been in the studio this week packing up orders, and I wanted to share where I’m at with the fund - almost half way! Isn’t that thrilling?! 😍🎉✨
I have also added a brand new miniature piece to my IG stories (and above) - it’s called Elemental Magick and measures Approx 85 x 30cm, perfect for a book nook or little creative space 😍. I’m not adding it to the website so if you see it here and want it, make me an offer! 💖
I’m so grateful for all the offers I’ve received so far, and doubly so because you’ve made it SO so easy and beautiful for me, thank you 🙏😍🎉.
A little reminder how this works:
💖 Check out my website itinerary at zoekmfoster.com and trust the magnetic pull of the piece calling you!
💖 Message me to make me a beautiful offer! It can be £300, £600, £1000 OR any offer you wish.
💖 Sit back and let the magic unfold 😍
I’d love to make this whole progress bar pink by the end of April! Can you help me? 🙏✨🎉🎇🔥🤩