November 7, 2026
Since 2015, when I entered the field of healthcare, life has felt quite serious. Then I graduated nursing school in 2020 and went to work in the ER at the start of the Pandemic. Then in 2023, my sister died.
The act of creation through making reminded me that there is more to life than rescuing.
It is time to remember that we are creators. If we want to truly live, we must create with intention. Your creation, in whatever form it takes, deserves your full attention.
I wasn’t an ER nurse very long before I began thinking of ways to remain financially secure and also not feel so overwhelmed by the demands of my work. I love so many things about being a nurse, but I greatly desire a life that is more fun!
Now, in 2026 with the world in the state that it is, that seriousness intensified to a fever pitch!
I surrender!
In September, after six-months of intense work, in addition to my fulltime ER job, I became a Certified Nurse Life Coach. I learned so much about deep listening and becoming curious while asking questions that help lead people toward a deeper understanding of themselves and their circumstances.
As I began really exploring what it might look like to create a sustainable life while doing meaningful work my nervous system was flooded, so I turned to the one thing that always rescued me in these times: Art.
I put down all ambitions and let myself play. Fully indulged in creation I thought “This. this is what I’ve always wanted to do.” I still want to work with people in a healing capacity, but no one should do that sixty-hours a week.
I was also scared I would burn out again like I did with Family Roots when I was a mom of four young kids before I was thirty-years old. But I am now almost fifty and fortunate enough to not rely on a yarn order to feed my family.
I can take my time. I do not need to commit to a dyeing schedule or take on custom knitting just to keep the lights on. This is a new era for Family Roots, and I trust myself to tend the soil, tend myself, and let it build slowly and sustainably.
Through the last two-years of deep reflection, truth-telling, writing, and descending into long ignored depths that demanded my attention, I see so many things clearly. I do not know the ultimate destination for Family Roots, but I do know the values it will carry: Creativity, honesty, fun, joy, and justice.
So, what’s next?
This is the first time I am sharing this publicly <squeeling a bit here!>
After almost twenty-years, we are moving home to Oregon! Ian and I are both applying for jobs, and our house in San Diego will be on the market this week. In the midst of selling a home and planning an interstate move, it feels seamless to give my attention to all my favorite art forms: knitting, spinning, dyeing, writing, and photography. The decision to move toward a life more in line with our values has recouped energy that had been focused on grasping at what felt like “security.”
I will update here as this journey moves along. I also write on Substack if you want to follow along over there. Thank you for exploring the world of fiber arts with me, whether you’re new here or we’ve been creating together since 2005. <3