About Me.

Background

I am originally a textile artist, living in Co. Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland with my artist husband, Jay Roche, who is also head monk in the Dublin Zen Centre. We have four children, now aged 16-27. 

I have a background in art, specialising in textiles, prop making and  community art.

I also have an interest in conflict resolution, in particular Restorative Practice and Non-Violent Communication (NVC), and in storytelling, facilitation, group process, active listening, language and how it affects so much more than we realise, how we communicate, and how to do so effectively in community.

My biggest teacher and love is nature, how we are connected or disconnected from it, where we fit into this world we are part of. You will see in my writing here, to me, the world is alive - and I don't just mean the creatures, but also the differently alive beings we share this planet with.

I long to know more.

Since childhood I have stood (mostly quietly) outside the box, and while it's difficult when one is young, the older I get the easier it is. I never saw myself as a shit stirrer, but I now realise that if speaking my truth makes me one, then I'm okay with that.
In this place, I write about things that mean something to me, and if it makes my readers uncomfortable and makes them question things they've always believed without question, then that's a good thing.

I like to pull back the curtain on the Wizard, to point out the Emperor without clothes, it can be painful but it's good for you, I promise.

Projects

Along with some friends, ten years ago myself and Jay co-founded and co-run a sustainable-living food and skills community hub in Bray, Co. Wicklow, Common Ground, and are committed to living by Right Livelihood, as sustainably as possible, both as parents and as artists, but also, and perhaps most of all, as members of the human race. But we are human, and really we are just figuring it out as we go.

I also set up, along with some friends, Wicklow Democratic School, Ireland's first ever democratic school, where learning is self-directed, and freedom for children is paramount.

We are also in the early stages of building Common Ground Community-led Housing - affordable houses for ourselves and our intentional community.

Writing

I used to blog here about our endeavours in all these projects, our striving, about our questions and about trying things out, about our mistakes.
And sometimes I'd blog about where my art practice fits into it all - or not..it's been difficult to see this fall by the wayside as these projects took over.

Sometimes the ways I find to express my ruminations and wonderings come out more like poetic wanderings than linear composed pieces, I like to hint, suggest, wonder.

What this blog is mostly about, though, is our interconnectedness with all things, with the world we live in, the other-than-humans we share this beautiful planet with. It's about the crisis we are in and the role we have to create a future that is not only sustainable and livable but more beautiful than we could imagine. It's about wondering how we can do this.

I am currently on sabbatical and I think the time may have come to begin writing again.