Hjarta ::
“heed-yarta” (heart)
an exploration of the sensual, creative, feeling world of bodies and ecosystems
Within this space, I share my creative process, thoughts, feelings and adventures of a femme sailor/herbal sweet talker on the west coast of BC.
This Newsletter is a way for me to begin sharing what I’ve dreamt of for a long time; a soft window into a life of stories, spirit, and beauty. Of thoughts on queerness, ecological grief, wells of love, seabird life, authors I fall for, making tea and fires, making art of threads bare, restoring China Cloud. I do not take attention lightly, and my intention for what I share is a transformed spin on the raw imagery of my process and experiences for the sake of story, education, and connection.
Home is a huge part of my life, and my roots are fed diligently by the spaces I tend and the land and waters I grow from. The primary spaces I reside are on, and a close jump from ‘Vancouver Island’. A land home in ‘Victoria’ on the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations’ Territory, and a boat abode on the Territory of the We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum Nations on ‘Quadra Island’.
My reverence for these homes, these lands, brings me to my knees. Land grief and education on colonization and colonialism has taught me much, though I am still an uninvited guest from ancestors of Scottish, Irish, English, and Norwegian ancestry and thus benefit greatly from the exploitation and genocide of Turtle Island and its peoples, as well as the peoples that have come here and been exploited, or arrived against their will. The continuous journey is to learn from Indigenous and BIPOC peoples and offer my body back to what I believe in; listening with an open heart, and living stories of consent and healing where racism and extractionism are stitched into my psyche and mirrored in the lands and ways of being I find home in.
The vessel I own, operate, restore, and snuggle into in storms and calm seas, is a Chinese Lug Rig and was built by my white Great Great aunte and uncle, Allen and Sharie Farrell. Many stories will be shared here on the beauty and importance of this vessel to me, though they would be unrooted without honouring the fact that the crafts I learn to restore this boat, through mix of Allen’s life long skill and the skills of generations of Asian Pacific Sailors and Boat builders, are not my own, and are often not of my own heritage.
One of the ways I wish to breathe small wefts of healing, is through your help. 25% of your contribution as a paid subscriber goes to Land Back and Indigenous Led Restoration Initiatives on Turtle Island, as well as to the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society, in Fan Tan Alley.
Some of the topics you may find in this newsletter are…
Meditation & mindfulness often of Buddhist, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Craniosacral roots.
Restoring and sailing on China Cloud, with practical educational lessons on upkeep and restoration of a wooden boat, sewing new sails, and learning from history.
Wildcrafting and gluten free cooking/baking, often by woodstove.
Thoughts on queerness, sexuality, consent, and pleasure.
Living a life with disabilities and limitations.
Printmaking with lino, exploring the process from design to completion as a medium for visual storytelling.
Journey as a writer, poet and creator.
Systems thinking and slowness in whole system healing.
Everything else without name; with liminal gifts.
I hope to find you in the midst of this storytelling, connection making, and education. For the full experience, sign up below to be a subscriber.
Paid subscribers get many more posts at $8/month, with $2/month being donated to trusted initiatives, and $6/month largely supporting our China Cloud restorations!
And if this amount is not accessible to you financially and you are keen to be part of this journey, contact me at edengmurray@gmail.com. The journey is most fruitful with more people connected, and immersed in things that bring them joy.
Thank you for reading!
To see more of what I do and offer, go to my website at www.edengrace.ca.
