Hello Dear Heart

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Hello Dear Heart

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Hello Dear Heart, Visual Arts, Jamestown, ND.

HDH is a culmination of my degrees* and my passions** as well as a love letter to my future children in hopes of making this world just a little bit better for them once they arrive.

*BA in Eng; MS in Child Dev
**Writing, Crafting, Learning, etc

08/04/2023

My little army of polymer ghosts says it's almost autumn. Right? Right? I love every one of these. They're so cute!

06/19/2020

This week's Feature Friday is .monique an amazing fiber artist with a no holds barred mentality for texture and volume. I don't understand how she does it but I love it.
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Each of her pieces are unique and yet they are also similar. You can see they were made by the same hands because there's a familiarity across her body of work.
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And yet, when you look through her feed you will see that she will have several pieces that fit a specific technique, style, or mood. And those pieces together form a collection which tell a bigger story.
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Her work is complex and uniform, unique and familiar, calming and chaotic. Her weavings are art and I encourage you to follow along .monique to see more.
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06/18/2020

Finished but unfinished. If I had shown you the front of this, it would have appeared that I had completed another weaving.

But the back tells a different story. It's still a work in progress. It's hidden and behind the scenes but it's important work. Without tucking in all of those tails, it's possible that the finished piece on the front could come undone.

It's kinda boring and depending on the complexity of the weaving, can be very tedious. It's practically anti-climactic.

You finish a weaving with a flourish and proudly show it off but you're still not quite done. There's still more work to do.

It's not as pretty as the front but the back is reflective of all the work that goes into the beauty and intricacy and effort on the front side.

06/17/2020

Is it Friday yet, guys? Ugh. What is with these last few weeks. I feel like I could use a vacation from everything. From work. From TV. From social media. I'm starting to feel a bit burnt out in many aspects of my life.
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As with everything important, we need to make the dismantling of white supremacy a long-term movement. Not a passing trend. As white people we have the privilege of not experiencing the fear and trauma of being black every day. That means that we need to show up consistently but not overwhelm ourselves to the point of just giving up.
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So, take some breaks. Give yourself and others grace. Know that you're going to mess up. That's all okay. But once you're done resting (and resting shouldn't be six months), come back strong. Because the fight isn't over. Not by a long shot.
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06/16/2020

I really love books and films that delve into magical realism. It's my favorite kind of fantasy. Because it feels within reach. A possibility in our periphery. That if we just believed hard enough or had the wonder of a child, maybe we could experience it, too.
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I watched the Shape of Water last night and it was lovely and weird - my favorite combo. It's about a mute woman who works at a secret government site during the Cold War and she befriends a sea creature there. Like Amelie or Away We Go or Fast Color. I watched Fast Color a few weeks ago and it was magical and real and painful and wonderful. I was also really happy when the most recent remake of A Wrinkle in Time had a more diverse cast.
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It made me wonder why there aren't more fantasy books and films featuring Black people and people with disabilities. Why shouldn't these films and books be about and feature them? So, fantasy and magical realism only happen to white able-bodied people, huh? How dumb. Can we change this? How do we tell Hollywood that we want to see people with disabilities in films and have it not center on their disability? A Quiet Place did this beautifully. How can we make it clear that Black people deserve roles in fantasy films and should be the main characters in fantasy novels?
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Plus, I really want to see that. I want to see how fantasy and magical realism would look from the perspective of a Black person or a person with a disability. I think it would be wonderful and real and magical. The Shape of Water and Fast Color both felt like that and I felt like they wouldn't be as beautiful or unique without them.
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06/15/2020

I've been really tired lately. No matter how much sleep I get, it's not enough. I feel like I need a week off from work to just sleep. and I can't believe it's Monday. How is the weekend already over?
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I made a few summer-themed cake toppers which are listed in my shop and ready to ship. these would be great to snag if you or your little one has a summer birthday coming up!
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06/13/2020

There's something about art that makes it hard to truly appreciate via a photograph. You need to see it in person. To experience it firsthand. To stare at it for an hour to breath it in.

When I see one of Van Gogh's paintings in person, I can see him. I can see the depth of his feelings in the curves and movement of his brush strokes. I can see the intensity of his emotions in the wide range of and contrast of colors. I can look at one of his paintings and if I do so long enough, I begin to feel uncomfortable and connected and weighed down and uplifted.

The same concept can be applied to empathy. Reading the words "Black lives matter" is different than diving into the experiences of Black lives. Reading their stories. Watching TV shows and movies about and for Black people. Purchasing art, clothes, and products made by Black people. Educating yourself on the real terror of American history and how we have treated and ate treating Black lives.

Doing so will never replace their experiences. Staring at a painting by Van Gogh does not mean you know what it's like to be him. Reading and watching the experiences of Black lives does not mean you get it. But maybe you start to empathize. Maybe through that blurry window you feel your own pain as a result of watching their pain. And you start to value Black lives.

This weaving is now available in my shop. As a reminder, 50% of the profits of all my weaving will be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

06/12/2020

Currently, my voice is pretty small on social media. I love and appreciate each and every one of you that chooses to follow along on my journey but we're a small group currently. That doesn't mean I shouldn't use my voice, however small, to uplift others.
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Every Friday, I will be featuring fiber artists of color but specifically black for the foreseeable future to get more fiber art goodness in your feed from people who aren't all white. I don't know why it seems this way but the fiber art world seems predominately white and I want to do my best to uplift others who may not have as much visibility because of the color of their skin.
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I also want to emphasize that this is not my piece. I don't want there to be any misunderstanding which is why I will have the name of the account across the image. If you follow any other black fiber artists, please comment in these Feature Friday posts.
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First up is who is super talented. She makes a wide range of fiber art - from macrame coasters and keychains to full on fiber art weavings and macrame plant hangers. She also recently developed a new product which is a gorgeous weaving + necklace organizer. Plus, she is the cutest person ever and I love watching her stories when she talks about her planners or her new products or just what she's up to on the weekend!
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Plus, BONUS she also owns which is all about the loveliest trinket dishes, jewelry organizers, and wall hangings. Seriously, everything she makes is so so gorgeous. I don't know why you're still here. Go follow both of Ciara's account. Go ahead. I'll wait.
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06/11/2020

Just started this weaving last night while watching Alita: Battle Angel. I ended up liking it more than I expected mainky because the trailer left a lot of the plot a mystery, which is basically unheard of now.

During the end credits, it was said that the movie was based on a manga and it hit me that one of the main characters was named Doctor Ido (a Japanese name) who was played by a white dude.

And there were a few black people in the film but, for the most part, they felt like token characters. Like, a way for Hollywood to say, "See? We're not racist. We hired Black people to be in this movie."

Yeah, but they the Black characters had next to no lines and you had a white dude play a clearly Japanese character. Plus, Alita also looked super white. Yeah, it's manga but STILL. This was less an adaptation and more appropriation coupled with whitewashing and essentially muting all POC in the movie.

Hollywood, you can't make the excuse that Black people can't be superheros because they were white in the comics and then have white people play Japanese manga characters. Do better.

06/10/2020

Something interesting has been happening in my feed. Over the past week, I muted all of the non-black accounts I follow. I soon realized how few black people were showing up in my feed. I found more black accounts that were speaking up about body positivity, creating music, weaving and making art, talking about anti-racism and white supremacy, hand lettering and creating floral arrangements, creating travel and fashion content. Shout-out to everyone that participated in last week.
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And it's been hard to read about each black person's anger with white supremacy, their personal experiences of micro-aggressions (and straight up aggressions), how brands have excluded them or, if included, they were clearly the 'token black person', how they're getting paid less, have fewer opportunities, are not getting proper medical treatment, how much they have struggled against a system that wants them to not just fail but die.
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It's been difficult for me BUT I'm not personally experiencing this. Each black person has to deal with this every. second. of. every. day. And I have the privilege of only looking through a window, a blurry window at best, at their experiences while scrolling through my Instagram feed. WOW. Talk about privilege.
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And then, something else changed. You know when you follow someone new and that suggested list pops up? Before I muted all of the non-black people, pretty much only white people were showing up regardless of who I just followed. Then, after following a lot more black people and engaging in their posts (liking and sharing) over the past week, a lot more black people started showing up in the suggested lists. The ads I'm seeing are now from black creators and featuring black faces.
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I would encourage you to try this out for at least a week. Mute all of the non-black accounts you follow. Follow more black creators. Engage with their posts (i.e. like and share - do NOT DM or comment). See what happens.

06/09/2020

Yes, I'm going back to posting more of my regular content. I'm not an account that is focused solely on the education of anti-racism (, .cargle) or the education of parents () or the education of educators ().

However, I will not stop my personal anti-racism work. I will continue sharing my struggles, and thoughts here. The books I'm reading and what I'm learning. What I'm doing differently in my personal life. This is going to look ugly. I have and will continue to make mistakes. And that's okay as long as we recognize and learn from those mistakes.

White people, we need to do better. Not for our own personal enrichment but because if we don't do better black lives will continue to suffer and die. We need to do better every single day in all of the little things. Not while it's trending but six months and five years from now.

I'm asking you to keep me accountable. Haven't heard me say anything about white privilege in a while? Call me out. Haven't seen my receipts on my donations to organizations? Call me out. Haven't heard me talk about what book I'm reading lately? Call me out. I can do the same with you.

We have the privilege of closing our eyes and plugging our ears. The humanity of black people matters more than our comfortability.

06/08/2020

Earlier this year my husband and I had moved to a new state and I couldn't find a job. I worked my hobby at the time into a job that was able to sustain us through a really difficult time. Then, I recently found a full-time job amid a worldwide pandemic and I am still running my small business on the side.
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As a white person, I am tempted to say that I am lucky or blessed but I know better. Through educating myself and listening to the stories of POC, especially black people, I know that the color of my skin and the privilege that goes along with my whiteness plays a huge part in these opportunities.
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I want to emphasize that my anti-racism work does not end online and will not end on this account. I have been reading books and articles, having tough conversations, signing petitions, diversifying my feed, contacting my boss about how we can implement anti-racism work into the afterschool curriculum, donating money, and listening. I have pushed myself and others to question why we think and act the way we do.
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I don't want my work or my voice about anti-racism to be a part of a passing trend. Because black lives do matter. And I want to use my privilege to help and to create opportunities for black people.
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Here's what I commit to doing on this account:
1. The highlights I created on Anti-Racism, Black Lives Matter, and Black Stories will remain saved and I will continue to add to them.
2. I will continue to talk about the books I am reading about black people, anti-racism, and white privilege. I will share my thoughts and reflections both here in the captions of Instagram and on my blog.
2. Every Friday I will feature a black fiber artist (or a creator) and encourage you to follow along on their creative journey.
3. 10% of each month's Etsy sales will be donated to a non-profit that is working to make a difference in their community like the Black Visions Collective or Reclaim the Block.
4. 50% of the profits of each weaving I sell from now on will be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

If you know of more local organizations, black creators, or great books, comment below! Let's do this work together.

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Jamestown, ND
58401

Website

http://www.hellodearheart.com/

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