My Story
Major life events caused a serious reorientation of meaning in my life. Motherhood, a global pandemic and the death of my beloved mother changed how I viewed the world. As I reevaluated the trajectory of my life, an opportunity presented itself and I was ready to take hold. Reorientation and opportunity met with an internal motivation and determination. Realizing that I have control over my own creative potential has led me down a path of self-discovery and self-healing. My journey of creative vitality has introduced me to skills and opportunities that I never thought could cross my path.
My name is Jaskiran, and I am a mom of two young girls, 7 and 4. They revitalize me and simultaneously drain life out of me, the ultimate dichotomy of motherhood, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m also an elementary school teacher and have been teaching for 15 years. My passion for supporting children in building critical thinking skills by grappling with a problem has unearthed my own journey of self-reflection.
After my mom passed away in 2021, I decided that I wanted to take her sewing kit home and begin making my own clothes. I packed up her sewing machine, serger, tins of tools, bins of spools, and bags upon bags of loose fabric. For months they sat in the basement collecting dust as I wasn’t even sure where to begin. I knew that once I began unboxing, I would have to also unpack my grief. As I pulled out each stack of fabric, I imagined her sitting at the dining table, eyes squinted, lips pursed, stitching away. At that moment, it hit me. I was sitting in the ruins of her unfinished projects. Her plans for the future, ceased.
My mom’s unfinished projects were the motivation I needed to take my first step into the journey of growing my own creative potential. The fear of leaving unfinished dreams in a bin for my children to find planted a seed in me. One cut, one stitch, one draft, and one course led to one completed project, then another, and another, and my imagination flourished into a long list of future projects.
I created this space as a tribute to my mom. Here I am now, determined to remain vulnerable and authentic in the hopes of connecting with a community of people who share a common vulnerability, passion and perhaps, are on their own creative journey.