About
Ethos of Care
Nurturing wellness through making.
Founder's
Note
When I envision a world of care, I immediately think about the connections that exist between each of us. What good would it do me to only care for myself if I am not able to show kindness or consideration towards another human being? On the other hand, if I haven't learned how to care for myself, what am I able to offer others? As a professional artist, I intimately know the limitless gifts that creativity can add to one's life. However, it has always been the people in my life who have carried me forward, gently (or sometimes not so gently!) ushering me from healing to healing. Learning the slower rhythms of making has developed my capacity to receive this healing.
Many of my most traumatic memories are etched into my mind and body, deeply engraved within the crevices of childhood experiences. Others only appear like whispers, tingling at the edges of my awareness. Trauma often has a way of disguising itself as functionality, yet its effects always find their way to the surface.
I wasn't always aware of trauma's impact on my life. It wasn't until I began questioning why I had sudden bouts of anger, despair, or anxiety whenever certain events (triggers) would occur that I began to learn more about my emotional landscapes. I also had to ask why my relationships always seemed to suffer irreparable damage despite my keenest intentions. As I began the torturously slow journey of mental and emotional healing I found myself leaning into less conventional forms of restoration.
Unlike some who learn the joys of crafting throughout childhood, I discovered the power of artmaking in my early twenties. This season of discovery opened my eyes to a previously hidden world brimming with color and texture. Art had a way of calming my mind when anxiety threatened to overwhelm me. It filled my days with joy as I awoke each morning, eagerly anticipating the next phase of a new project I was undertaking. A nearly daily practice of creating has granted me a safe haven even in the midst of the most tumultuous times.
Though I celebrate all of these gifts that art planted in my life, I am most grateful for how the act of making has led me to the most healed version of myself thus far. Art has the power to awaken layers of our personality that we aren't always aware of. It can also serve as a bridge, moving us from trauma, self-destructive tendencies, and broken relationships and into new levels of wholeness. Art cleared the way for me to gain the courage to repair broken connections, both within myself and with other people. Once I was able to access this level of healing, I was then able to receive the care that people desired to share with me. In short, art expanded my capacity to receive love.
This lived experience has bubbled over from personal interests into a deep desire to share the practices of joy and peace that I have found. Ethos of Care is an expression of that desire. "Art is healing" is not a new revelation. From professional settings that combine art and therapy to those who call art and crafting therapeutic, many have found comfort in the expressive nature of making. Ethos of Care is designed to complement the tools that form our mental health journeys.
I hope that you find something here that delights you. I hope that it offers you beauty, reflection, and a touch of care. I am grateful for any part that Ethos of Care can play in your wellness journey.
Know that you are not alone.
Dea Jenkins
Your Fellow Maker and EOC Founder
