BUD + BLOOM

BUD + BLOOM Visual Arts Studio

05/06/2024

| 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐎 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 | Over the past 7 months, I’ve experienced a profound shift in my life’s focus, where my love for artistry and my commitment to building a more compassionate world have taken on new significance.

In that time, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the power of choice we have in the West - specifically, what we choose to do with the limited time we have on this earth.

This period has been one of immense growth, and I’ve tried my best to navigate the responsibilities of being both an artist and a business owner with grace. Feeling the pain of my soul’s bones stretching beyond the constraints around me and taking stock of what those constraints are.

Surprisingly, I’ve recognized my most limiting constraint is the Kingsway studio.

What was once a source of motivation & inspiration has become a drain on my energy and resources.

In the midst of global turmoil and personal challenges, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile my artistic pursuits with the demands of running a physical storefront.

It’s been 7 months of the most publicized genocide in history - an atrocity actively affecting my own family - and while I’ve tried to advocate within these walls, I’ve encountered such a disturbing indifference from the retail public that has taken a toll on my well-being.

As I prepare to close the doors, I do so with a heavy heart but also with a deep sense of pride for all that I’ve accomplished during my time here.

It is undoubtedly bittersweet to say goodbye, however, I’m choosing to follow my intuition and am putting my health first.

I look forward to returning to working from the comfort of my home studio where I can nurture myself, replenish my creativity, and figure out how to better reconcile my passion for art with my passion for activism.

Endless gratitude to the Kingsway team for their unwavering support from day one, as well as to everyone who continues to contribute to the success of my business.

My final day open to the public will be Wednesday, May 29th.

Thank you all for being a part of this beautiful chapter in my life. Here’s to the discomfort of staying true to yourself and forging new paths 🥂✊🏽✨

Our bodies certainly do keep the score, don’t they? Studio will be closed for the remainder of the week. You can give me...
04/02/2024

Our bodies certainly do keep the score, don’t they? Studio will be closed for the remainder of the week. You can give me a shout via email or by phone if you have any project inquiries, otherwise floral orders will reopen Friday and I’ll see ya next Monday.

Land acknowledgment isn’t about robotically listing off the Indigenous names of the places we inhabit - it’s about under...
02/26/2024

Land acknowledgment isn’t about robotically listing off the Indigenous names of the places we inhabit - it’s about understanding that our lives depend on our relationship with the land & its ancestors.

Remembering that living more naturally means living 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 nature, not adjacent to its beauty, in opposition of its temperament, or in spite of its conditions.

We used to listen. We used to take note.

When the snow would fall so fast and so hard that street cleaners couldn’t keep up to ensure safety, we used to ensure safety for ourselves.

That’s what snow days used to be for.

Slowing down. Taking care.

We kept community well-being at the heart of our decisions, not capitalism.

That’s the direction we need to course-correct towards.

At least that’s what I think. And that’s where I’m headed.

So the studio will be closed tomorrow Feb 26th but I’ll be chipping away at work from home. Give me a shout between 10am to 6pm if you’d like to place any orders or book an appointment.

Stay safe, stay listening ✌🏽

Today I had the luxury of having a short call with my relatives in Rafah, Gaza. As the bombing intensified, and the rece...
02/15/2024

Today I had the luxury of having a short call with my relatives in Rafah, Gaza. As the bombing intensified, and the reception cut in and out, I held back tears explaining all the efforts me and my fellow activists have been making on a daily basis. Praying that it would bring them a semblance of hope. Praying that they live to see another day. And then another. And another. Until I can finally meet them and step foot on the land my mother’s lineage is rooted to.

Praying and crying and praying and crying. Putting a smile on and trying to lift my spirits above my grief as I greeted everyone who stopped by to pickup Valentine’s flowers.

This is the reality that many people among you are living each day.

So while you spend time celebrating your loved ones, please remember to take a minute and cherish the fact that they are safe.

That they have access to their basic needs being met. That they aren’t at risk of being murdered every second of every day while the world sits back and watches them be attacked by land, air, & sea with no military defence of their own.

I don’t know how we go on living with the duplicity of cherishing our loved ones here while others grieve, mourn, bury, and try to protect theirs there.

For me, personally, it’s the daily actions - big and small - that keep me going. Because I know I’m not just one person, I’m one in a sea of many.

A sea created by the blood, sweat, and tears of our collective sacred rage. Of ancestral resilience & generations of activism.

And I know that as more people find the courage to find their place within the momentum that’s building - the tide WILL turn.

For Palestine and for all those oppressed.

If now is that time for you, I invite you to join the next 3 days of protest as we take to the streets and get loud for Rafah - the last remaining ‘safe zone’ that the occupiers have been brutally invading since Sunday.

The rallies tomorrow and Friday will be starting at 4:30pm in Violet King Henry Plaza. If you have any anxiety about going, my DMs are always open.

Sending love to you all, even those of you who insist on holding unjustifiable, inhumane, and misinformed hate in your hearts.

🇵🇸✊🏽🕊️

Hey, lovebirds! Just taking a quick breather from client projects and tireless activism to note that I’m still accepting...
02/12/2024

Hey, lovebirds! Just taking a quick breather from client projects and tireless activism to note that I’m still accepting Valentine’s orders until midnight tonight – kudos to those who’ve already reached out!

For those contemplating the last-minute hustle, let’s try to avoid the rush, shall we? Drop into my DMs or email me at [email protected] pronto 💃🏻

Valentine’s is THE busiest floral holiday, so this one-woman show needs a bit of heads up.

If you find yourself tardy to the flower party, I’ll have some hand-tied bouquets ready to go at the studio. They might not be customizable, but they’ll still be bursting with love!

Hope you’re all doing as well as can be during these troubling AF times. Sending strength. 🇵🇸✊🏽🏳️‍⚧️🪶

Address

Kingsway Mall, Entrance 7 Second Level
Edmonton, AB
T5G3A6

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+17802177687

Website

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