Fancy visiting my studio this weekend? 🌺
artist open studios + new community workshop dates + bts videos 📼
a quick overview of contents in today’s multimedia zine:
opening my Portal of Pizzaz studio for the artists open studios this weekend
Zine as a Portal workshops this Saturday + Sunday
Spacemaking as Sanctuary workshops in London Tuesday and Friday
bts videos of studio shananigans
vote for online workshops
embodiment reflections on navigating chewy moments from a neurodivergent body-mind-Being
…which is where we’ll begin.
Love,
I wish this didn’t come at a time with such a frantic flurry of activity, are we all feeling this energy? Pausing to self-soothe with a hum, a gentle but giant inhale - pause - exhale - pause, and a soft “you’re doing amazing, sweetie” to anyone who needs it (i am also someone who needs it!) Please apply as many times as you need as a balm, or a bolstering, depending on what’s needed 💜
The migraine of tension and a few weeks team-no-sleep 🏅(holler if you hear me tho) and strange confusing interactions from some humans dizzy on power and positioning, calling for endless performative games which makes me want to tortoise-turtle (emoji confuses and conjoins them and both work 🐢) but i can’t.
Compartmentalising doesn’t feel natural to my nervous system. Everything is connected in my neurodivergent-emergent galaxy landscape. Untangling from gristly situations requires me to work it through the filtration system of my body and Being in order to be ok-enough. Creating space where it feels there is none, practices including movement, stillness, art and nature, yes.
I write, and although-alas, there hasn’t been much room for painting the last couple of weeks, am drawing threads, if only a 10 second desire lines feeling doodle, which is keeping me just about tethered. Time and effort in-process and daily practices however small or ‘silly’ is crucial.
My go-to tiktoks include my “ticcol-ticcol” raven friend, my tree of choice is bursting with roses right now, and irl animal friends continue to make me weep with joy and relief as they come and say ‘hi’.
Stimming with gentle rocks and strokes, havening before i knew names for things. Beloved bathroom discos with shoegazing sways or stomping up the steepest hill with Jadakiss’ ‘We Gonna Make It’ in my ear (swipe for slide 2 for full flavour) are also essential ways of Being-with and working-through.
My natural knee-jerk is to pull back and give space to find ground, feel and process, rather than find an immediate pushback or constant to-and-fro. My nervous system needs earth to begin, then water (a malleable clay with lots of slip ideally) but at times i admire the fire and air others demonstrate.
This patterning a mechanism, as i am (unfortunately?) one of those who isolates to feel and work through stuff, particularly when i’m wounded. I am trying to create safety where it feels there is none. Yes, because i learned that’s been the only option for so long, having to figure it out alone from such a young age, too young, and beyond, into worlds which can feel puzzling, fellow hyperindependent friends, are you there?
I’m still trying, practicing Other ways of Being (honouring our interdependent and interconnected worlds) in safe-enough spaces with safe-enough people.
I’m trying to be less hermit-y and come forth, and as much as i want to pull away and hide for a bit to recover from the Confusion & Wow that is: ‘cynical neurotypical rules built on oppressive power structures which cause harm’. I can’t simply ‘play the game’, nor do i want to.
It’s ironic that in my yearning to burrow down and shelter in the shell grotto, this is the weekend where the doors to our artist studios are thrown open and there is no hiding!
Think i’ve gotten around it though, in my own way, with spells of protection and honouring of ancestors for this impending ritual union. A little more below in the bts videos.
Am also hosting workshops where i get to be in-process and practice with others, making together. I’m looking forward to this space to land together in community. Details also below on those.
Am ever-open and interested in your ways of managing chewy moments, be you fellow Neurospicy Fam or not!
What’s helping to slow down the speed of stuff? Offering you softness to the sharp edges? Tenderness to sinewy situations? Safe-enough spaces to land? Hit reply or-
Open Studios this weekend!
A bit of news, some of you know i received the Phoenix Studio Award and tomorrow begins our Open Studios - preview is TONIGHT! Here’s the flyers:
I’ve been preparing the ✨Portal of Pizzazz✨ and hanging this week and some of you saw some bts as i wondered how you felt about the 🧪GREEN🧪 and can confirm, we’re mostly going with it.
I am trying something new too- picking up some art prints today because i am astounded that some of you have requested prints of my paintings. i write this not knowing if it will work out, but trying is learning!
i’m also sharing two workshops in my studio if you fancy it? Here’s the deets:
🎟 Zine as a Portal ✨ community workshops this Saturday and Sunday
a zinemaking workshop with Dionne
Saturday 17 + Sunday 18 May, 3-4pm
@ Phoenix Art Space
Limited to 5 people per session
art + embodiment prompts, offerings + all materials provided
(but feel welcome to bring your own if you prefer)no experience necessary
cue: a cheeky BTS from today’s zinemaking tests and prep today (yep i’m talking to myself lol)
Friends who joined Herosalen might recognise your beloved klip kort material from back in the day, how i loved making those 4u! 🥲✨
Also a heads up that i’ll be running two workshop events in London next week in case you’d like to join:
🎟 Spacemaking as Sanctuary: an art + embodiment participatory workshops in London
You’re invited to explore your relationship with space and sanctuary through embodied methodologies and creative mapping in community.
These events are tailored to each of the events and vary slightly, so have a read of the details if you’re interested. They’re free and open to all.
Here’s the info:
Tuesday 20 May @ Central Saint Martins, UAL as part of the Part of the Poetics of Care: a festival of creative health festival. Details and booking here.
Friday 23 May @ Peckham Levels, in my beloved Peckham as part of the Workshop Festival 2025 Vol.2. Details and booking here
Sweet supporters here, endlessly grateful for you and i’m also up for running an online workshop this month, are you interested?
Vote below!
Ok, all for now, but if you read this far, can you leave me a GREEN emoji?! Or a hello or a spell or a prayer or a song! I appreciate any good energy you can send my way, either in the comments or hit reply to this mail.
Sending good energy, protection, vigour and gentle side opening as we widen our capacity very gently.
Love galore,
Dionne 💜🥭
💚💚💚