I’ve been spending a lot of time in my Syracuse studio lately getting everything just right for my newest series. The Scarcity and Stewardship collection is a visual breakdown of the process of moving from a fear-based mindset to one of total growth. Throughout these pieces, I’ve used a beehive imagery to tell the story: the honey represents our perceived resources, the flowers are our potential to increase those resources, and the bee is—well, it’s you.

The collection begins with Scarcity Mindset. I’ve thought a lot about how this mindset is basically just a position of hoarding. It’s this belief that you are in a position of scarcity, but it’s really an illusion—almost a form of self-harm where you’re hurting your own feelings. You start thinking negative things about yourself that aren’t even true, and ultimately that hate cycle is what holds you back from abundance. In this piece, the honey is sparse and the flowers are barely there. The colors are muted and the thick fabric used gives an otherwise light piece some heaviness- which is exactly what it feels like to have a scarcity mindset. And there is only one single bee, representing you stuck in the middle of that heavy struggle.

Next in the progression is Stewardship. Since I have a degree in Environmental Science, I’m constantly thinking about how we interact with our world and our resources. Stewardship is where the work happens; it’s about managing what you have—your time, your energy, and even your own mind. I placed eight worker bees throughout this piece because they represent the things you can actually manage, like your outlook or your choices. You can choose to steward your mind by thinking good things about yourself, or steward your education by working to increase your knowledge. You can see the honey spreading and the flowers starting to bloom as you realize you have the power to increase your own potential.

Finally, we reach Abundance Mindset. I wanted this one to have a total “wow” factor—like discovering an oasis or the lost city of Atlantis where everything is accessible to you. The honey is overflowing and the flowers are in full, vibrant bloom. I actually resisted the urge to add any bees here. Since the bee represents you in this series, I wanted abundance to feel like the dream or the thought bubble you’re on the way to. This is what you’re actually entitled to if you do the work of stewardship. It’s a reminder of the place we’re all trying to get to, even when it’s hard to remember it exists.

I really want to encourage everyone reading this to consciously work toward a more positive, abundance-focused mindset. Stop and consider how themes of scarcity and stewardship manifest in your life. Choosing to see your potential instead of your limitations is how you unlock that next level of your evolution.

I’m so excited that the Abundance piece from this collection will be part of the Making Matters Summer gallery at Peters Valley School of Craft for the instructor group show from June 13 to July 31. On a related note, I’m currently planning a participatory community project and am currently seeking funding to bring it to life. There will be way more details to come soon, so stay tuned. This is my first time creating a collection like this. I’m feeling a lot of big feelings putting Scarcity and Stewardship out into the world and I hope you are able to enjoy it. I’m also looking into opportunities to display this collection here in Syracuse but also in non-local galleries as well.

Stay bold and vibrant everyone

Abundance awaits you!