Written by Yining Lu
After driving through bad traffic with thoughts of unfinished assignments slowly wearing me down and stirring the seeds of anxiety, I arrived at Open Spirit ten minutes past our appointment. I then recognized Valarie Poitier, who was sitting relaxed in the patio of the Open Spirit, basking in the autumn sunshine, and enjoying the stunning fall foliage near the parking lot. As I stepped into her radiant energy field and sat next to her, I felt the waves of my lingering concerns gently faded away. An uplifting space opened up between us, welcoming and nurturing all the conversations and insights that followed.
“What was the first moment when you started appreciating art?”
“When I first saw the marks created by the crayon in my hand.”
I asked Valarie where her inspiration originated, and she answered without hesitation. Through the determination and wonder in her eyes, I could still see the young girl years ago, with a little crayon in her hand, drawing out her first marks. She must have been fascinated seeing these first marks, for they represented her own potential of leaving beautiful traces in the world.
Having never thought of exploring creative expression through artwork, I have always admired and been fascinated by artists and the ways in which they connect and communicate with the world through their artistic lenses. Valarie’s answer brought me back to the time when I started playing with stone flakes which could carve out colorful traces on the ground. I wondered why that never registered to me as an inspiration of artistic expression. Under Valarie’s safe and understanding gaze, the realization hit me like a spark: I had been too embarrassed, too uncertain, and too apologetic about myself, my feelings, and my voices. The moment I was prompted to create my own imprints on the world, I thought of erasing them.
The rise of feminism in the late 18th century exposed the living conditions of women across the world in multiple cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. The common thread which linked women together across the globe is the need and request to be heard, be seen, and be empowered. With empathy, vulnerability, and courage, Valarie answers to this pressing need to encourage and empower women through her quilting workshops, lectures, or every opportunity life presents to her. In her view, women weave the community together and serve as the critical point of entry for the health and well-being of the society. One of the tenets of her teaching with women is “promote your work, without apologizing”. She seeks to open the door for women to recognize all the programmed burdens or limitations that society bestowed upon themselves and embrace their true selves. This empowerment could ultimately elevate the entire community to a new level of growth and unity.
Asking explicitly about how she hopes to empower women while subconsciously recognizing it at work even in our conversation, I felt the words she said aligned perfectly with the energy field radiated by her and the heartfelt connection she built up with me. While she could speak eloquently and share generously about her wisdom through life lessons, she would also pause and look into my eyes with a genuine interest and invitation. During our conversation, she kept mentioning that one critical step is to listen and empty oneself, connect with the broad universal consciousness, and let that energy, or spirit, guide what could be created through this space and interaction. Supported by her trainings in sign language, she has the natural intuition to catch little hints in the surroundings, feel the atmosphere, see what’s missing, and what could be said or done to elevate the energy. Being very open, transparent, and honest, she stands as an exemplar of how one could potentially present oneself authentically. The artwork serves as her perfect tool and best facilitator for connecting people at a subconscious level and open the space for co-reinterpretation. It inspires wisdom for people to see their true selves and fosters the courage to connection with others at an authentic and deep level.
Feeling elevated and empowered through this interaction, I’d like to close with a piece of wisdom from Valarie: 'Let go and let God.' I invite you to join us for our Day of Spirit, take a pause from our daily obligations and concerns, and allow her to guide us in exploring the deeper connections we share within, weaving the threads of connections together.
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