Love

Included

Today I woke up to see that Trump has probably won the election. My first feeling: the US government is not God, and my sense of safety and belonging in this world does not come from anyone or anything else. Then, I felt tremendous joy and gratitude for all the love, unity and goodness these past months have shown, through every person who spoke up for others with no platform, and for those who have been rejected. You showed me a world where everyone is included.

As I ate breakfast, I listened to an interview with Brenee Brown on vulnerablinity and realized that it is time for me to show up as my full self. I will no longer hide who I am out of fear of rejection. I’ve been excluding myself from this human conversation, and it is time to finally present myself loud and proud.

I have a Republican Christian brother (son of my mother), whom I’ve listened to patiently for many years, and with whom I’ve never shared the truth of who I am. I am everything he rejects and judges as sinful. In “sparing” him from fully seeing me, I internalized his toxic beliefs.

Today, I believe Creation loves everything and everyone, including me: a gay, gender non-conforming woman who has taken 51 years to love herself.

It is good to meet you here, where we all belong!

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Marlies

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Meet Marlies Gelens. An artist and industrial designer who in 1999 migrated from The Netherlands to San Agustinillo, a tiny settlement on the Pacific coast of Mexico. Marlies and her (then) Dutch partner began to sell their homemade European-style bread to neighbors, and eventually set up the beloved restaurant, Apa Pan. Marlies remodeled the existing structure, designed the furniture, and baked the delicious bread that brought lines of grateful customers for years to come.

In 2016 Marlies left the coast and moved to San Sebastian Rio Hondo, a remote village on the Mountains of Oaxaca, to begin her dream of working with textiles. She had been making pillows with ribbon, but now she wanted to use cotton and wool to make ceremonial garments and work with local women. When she shared her vision with me last year, it became clear that she was the perfect person to inherit my mom’s textile raw materials.

As many of you know, my mother was an incredible textile artist. She was a master knitter who dyed her own yarns and designed one a of a kind sweaters. For decades, she worked with dozens of women from the neighboring towns to make fabulous knits that she would export to the United States, and sell in her boutique in the Bazaar Sábado, in Mexico City.

A year ago, as my mother struggled with the later stages of Alzheimer’s, I explained to her that her fabric, yarn, dyes, and tools would soon come into the hands of many women whose lives would be enriched by her gift. She understood, and was so excited that for months she kept asking about the beautiful dream of the women and the textiles.

Since then, Marlies continues to develop the vision and moving parts of her project. Here she is in Durango buying her first batch of merino wool from a local farmer. She will soon wash it and turn it into felted pieces, spun yarn and exquisite fabric.

The Setting Sun Necklace will ground and inspire her as she creates ceremonial attire for life’s most transcendent moments.

This was my mom at work, and some of her finished pieces.

Love to All

“When I was the stream,

When I was the forest,

When I was still the field,

When I was every hoof, foot, fin and wing,

When I was the sky itself,

No one ever asked me did I have a purpose,

No one ever wondered was there anything I might need,

for there was nothing I could not love. ”
— Meister Eckhart

Goodbye 2020

Although 2020 was a challenge for so many, it turned out to be a beautiful year for me. I was able to heal my relationship with friends and family, process my father's passing, and settle into a new home; I became an even greater fan of Muna, and enjoyed creating each one of your special commissions.

Thank you for making this year so special! I continue to be a jewelry artist because of your support and encouragement. May 2021 bring beauty, love and inspiration to your life!

Little Girl

Message to my younger self:

You can dress however you want

You can play however you want

You can love anyone you want

You can create anything you want

You can fly (it’s called running!)

You are a maker and a dream shaker

Stay full of yourself (no need to shrink to fit in)

Don’t wait for permission to do or be anything!

Follow what sparks you up (you will enjoy it and be good at it!)

If something or someone drains you, thank it and leave it

You are a force of nature, trust yourself.

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Father

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This is my father, Jorge Musi. He was born in Mexico City from Lebanese parents. For most of his life, he designed and built sculpted houses. One of his last projects is my favorite: his guest house in Santa María del Oro, Nayarit.

He is one of the most equanimous people I know, and he has always valued human connection above all else.

I love you dad!

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Intersection: Art and Life

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My friend Kevin Wallace, art advocate, author, and director of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, recently published, Intersection: Art and Life, an important and beautiful book that reminds us why we thrive when art is part of our life.

The book features over 280 images and insights from 150+ contemporary artists, including Beatrice Wood.

I am honored that he included my work!

From the inside cover:

“Throughout history, art was naturally intertwined with people’s daily lives: a vessel for water, a carving to record a war, objects to capture religion and identity.

But today art can seem very separate from our lives, and, as our society careens its way through change and conflict, it may seem increasingly irrelevant. This book is about what your daily life is missing if you’re disconnected from art and how you can fix it”.

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Muna is Back!

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Thank you for your warm welcome! I am moved and uplifted by your loving messages. It's great to be back with my tribe!

I know many of you have missed her, so here is magnificent Muna!

She’s now 11 months old, still a lively kitten, and a great companion. She likes to cuddle, but only after we’ve played for a long time. She's brave and smart and loves to chase the ball. She looks black, but the root of her fur is white, which is why I call her Muna-Bear!

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Taller Experimental de Cerámica

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I recently visited the Taller Experimental de Cerámica, which is a few blocks from my home in Coyoacán.

The studio was founded in the 1960's by stoneware pioneer, Alberto Díaz de Cossío. If you have been to Mexico City, and love great Japanse food, you have probably seen their dinnerware in some of the best restaurants in town.

As well as their utilitarian production, Alberto and his daughter, Adriana, create unique art works which are also for sale in their studio shop. Each year, they celebrate an open house with friends, quesadillas, and mezcal. 

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Diego Rivera's Studio

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I took these pictures of Diego Rivera's home and studio a few years ago. It is one of my favorite buildings in Mexico City. The day I visited, the property had been recently renovated and looked particularly striking.

The two buildings were designed by Juan O'Gorman in the 1930's. The white and orange structure was Diego's, and the smaller blue house was Frida's. They lived and worked here for six years, after their three-year stay in the US. 

When Frida's father passed away, she returned to live in her childhood home, the now famous Blue House, in Coyoacán.

Diego painted most of his easel paintings in this studio, and he lived here until his death in 1957.

The property is now a museum. You can see pictures of what it looks like on the inside, on the museum's website.