I'll Never Be An Astronaut

JFK in 1963 : “So, let us not be blind to our differences--but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.”

George Floyd’s last words in 2020: I can’t breathe

Art leaves behind lasting impressions of fleeting moments that long outlive their makers. It has the capacity to allow folks to bear their souls to the illiterate and the literate alike. It unites us, it helps us tell stories and create space for compassion. 

Sometimes the action of making art helps us find the words for how we feel in our hearts. I am still working on finding the words, so I will keep making art and educating myself on how I contribute to the problem and how I can be an anti-racist ally. It began with 2242 stitches of eternalizing the reality of the world we live in today through George’s last words.

When we went to the moon, it was a historical moment in the midst of the Cold War. This time around, we are in a different war. A war with Covid and a war with systemic racism. Some of our visual signifiers being masks, protests and riots. Both the moon landing and our current standing in racism are at their roots, products by design. Two things calculated, constructed and envisioned by engineers and architects with two different complex ideas to demonstrate power. Thousands of years ago, racism was created by world leaders for economical gain. 400 years ago, the first ships with slaves sailed for America for economical gain. 57 years ago, JFK said the words above and 51 years ago, we landed on the moon in thanks to an under-credited black, female, human computer named Katherine Johnson. With many more very important moments threaded throughout.

You may have noticed that I use a lot of symbolism in my work, particularly the moon. I am sharing with you why.

As a kid, I dreamed of going to space and wanted to be an astronaut. Growing up in Houston and living not too far from NASA can do that for a kindergartner. And then Columbia happened when I was in 3rd grade. But I never let up on dreaming of what the moon and the stars must be like, often drawing astronauts on the sides of art history and calculus exams. But I also fell in love with this planet that we have, right here.

I then started watching interviews with astronauts. My absolute favorite part is when astronauts talk about the first time they saw the Earth from space. They will often say that they can’t believe how small we really are. How insignificant things like hate, injustice and conflict appear when the Earth looks so tiny. We are all parts of a whole, ebbing and flowing. That if everyone could sit where they sit, we would work harder to work together to make it a better place on the ground. Unfortunately, I will never be able to sit where they sit just as I will never be able to walk in the shoes of a person of color. But I can listen to their stories, learn from their experiences and re-calibrate my biases from their perspectives. Most importantly, I can be empowered by their stories to work on leading by example.

I stitched these projects while I simultaneously watched history unfold the last couple days through the achievements in space and devastating actions at home in The States, no longer appearing United. With the privilege to watch as a white, female, small business owner on an island in Canada, I had pride for my country, but deep sorrow for how my fellow Americans are being treated. 

At its core, I created this company so that I could have the flexibility to travel so I can better understand how to better serve this beautiful planet and its most impoverished inhabitants. It’s a big task for one person, but when you have a lot of folks working together, it’s pretty amazing what can be achieved. To see results and overcome obstacles fuel me to be better and also help me sleep at night.

It has been important to me from day one of Thorn Alexander to leave this planet better than I found it. There will always be more that I don’t know than what I do know, but I’m working on narrowing the gap. 

Needlepoint is one of the world’s best kept secrets as it provides a safe space for so many to stitch ourselves back up so we can stitch up each other.  With that said, I will continue to educate myself to be a more mindful, inclusive business owner. Most importantly, I promise to work to uplift artists of color so there can be better representation in the needlepoint community. 

With love,

Brooke

PS, Watch Hidden Figures