Citizen O

I'm back home from adventures in London and Amsterdam. To say that I had an amazing time is an understatement.

My love for my friends Betsy and Jamie has only grown from spending time with them at the Stitching Show.

I am a citizen of this beauty.

I am a citizen of this beauty.

Being away from my life for a few weeks made me muse upon the lands I want to be a citizen of and the lands I do not.

I will apply for citizenship to any world where the vibrant and unreserved artist Jess de Wahls lives. (Self portrait.)

I will apply for citizenship to any world where the vibrant and unreserved artist Jess de Wahls lives. (Self portrait.)

I am a citizen of the world. Not only the USA. To humanity. To life.

With Jamie Chalmers and Betsy Greer, two citizens of my love.

With Jamie Chalmers and Betsy Greer, two citizens of my love.

I am a citizen of my community. My neighborhood. I am an unapologetic citizen of love. A citizen of my family, my heart, my soul, of passion, of nature, of art, of my imperfect body. I am a citizen of my city, of thoughts and ideas. A citizen of language. Of forgiveness. A citizen of the Resistance. I am a proud citizen of the world of artists and makers and writers. 

#yasvb, in Dutch.

#yasvb, in Dutch.

But I don't want to be a citizen of online reality. Of Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. Of self-hype. Self-doubt. Of my income bracket, I don't want to be a citizen of the mall, or gratuitous apology, or self-created, online personas. I don't want to be a citizen of the country users, or the self-deluded, the self-aggrandizing. Of regrets. Of false positivity. I don't want to be a citizen of your world if you believe in your own advertising pitch for yourself. 

Selfie with Banksy, my fellow citizen.

Selfie with Banksy, my fellow citizen.

I revoke my citizenship for any land that would have comfortable cowards as heroes. So my world is both small and huge.