So I’m still awake after having woken up at 4:30AM today. I was a little in shock after discovering the majority of items that I own in my kitchen alone that are plastic and that I actually don’t use. I have accumulated 4 bags of items that I do not want or need or use and this includes:
1) Endless tupperware, mugs and cutlery
2) Plastic bottles that once were for baby boy
3) Sippy cups, because thankfully he can drink out of a normal glass without breaking it
4) Plastic measuring cups and teaspoons and a plastic flipper thingy
In order to recover from my kitchen I went and tackled my closet again and came up with:
1) Another almost full bag of clothing ( I just dropped off 3 bags yesterday to a Mom in need) that I had to fight with myself to let go of. I tried to convince myself I still liked to dress like a teenager.
I also started rummaging through my bathroom things and got too overwhelmed after realizing that almost every beauty product I own is plastic and that although I tried to avoid the ones full of ingredients I hate, I was still hanging on to some.
Let’s back track a little. I have sensitive skin. Back in high school I had the kind of eczema that left me with the worst skin (I still have scars today) that oozed, pussed, bled and itched and not even drugs could fix it. Later I realized it had a lot to do with stress, what I was eating and what I was putting on my skin.
This greener life is not something I decided over night. It has been years in the making.
I used to be a hairstylist (and for some of the lucky few I still am) and I would cut and colour every day. But the fumes started catching up to me and my asthma kicked in to the point where I was waking up every night unable to breathe. My doctor told me I needed to find a new profession. My hands were itchy from the latex gloves I wore regularly and even though I did enjoy doing it, my heart also wasn’t in it – I saw how much water was wasted, how much crap got rinsed down the sink and I thought of all the fish and the beautiful oceans. I also realized I wasn’t happy being a part of a billion dollar industry that fed off of making women feel like all that mattered was how they looked.
I quit and got into photography and film-making.
But before I did, I was huge into the industry of beauty. Not only did I do hair but I also did make-up. And all of these products that I invested in are still in my life. Sitting there looking at me telling me that I have so much to create and do and make with them.
The dilemma I am having is with the fact that I am an artist. I literally create in every. single. way. possible.
I am blessed with the fact that if I want to do make-up on someone, I can. If I want to do their hair, I can. If I want to colour someone’s hair rainbow colours, slather make-up on their face and take their picture, I can. I think I’m alright at it. I enjoy it. It makes me feel happy. Or it did.
The downside is the fact that over the years I have realized that some parts of my art are not really that friendly on the environment. And I can’t just ignore it anymore.
On the plus side, it makes me want to be more creative with what I can do. I find myself asking, what products are out there that can still achieve the same way of creating that I’ve always enjoyed? What can I do to continue creating art while still being aware of what I am purchasing and being conscious of the environment?
While I realize this change won’t happen overnight, I am looking forward to the discoveries I make. I look forward to all the new ways of creating.
So even though I panicked for a little today, I see this as the most incredible and wonderful challenge there is. I’m excited to see just how this will affect my art and my business.
Here are some links to some of my work for those that care:
ART
PHOTOGRAPHY
Zero Waste Ottawa 