From the Compost Heap header. A pencil style illustration of a compost heap with flowers and plants growing around it. A bee buzzes by and a white rabbit hops by.

Making 360 VR with a 3 year old collaborator ✨

Still photograph of temporary installation in my child's nursery. Dark red yarn is strung around the room. Sunlight throws shadows across yarn and wooden dollhouse.
Gray green rabbit hopping over the text "down the rabbit hole" in a typewriter font

Hullo all,

I’m playing with the structure a bit here. Trying out categories rather than themed emails. I’m also bringing back some old themes long time supporters may recognize.

Let me know what you think.

I haven’t had much studio time this month unless you count making Number Block counting beads with Davy and the 3 hour masterclass I took from Amie McNee & Jimmy Winestock.

A peek into my creative process and an update on my collection, This is my Brain on Motherhood.

This week I’m sharing a sneak peek at a 360 VR piece I made in December. It’s taken a while to work out how to share this online.

Still frame of 360 VR experience. A white play button floats over a nursery. Dark red yarn is strung around the room.

UNRAVEL

2023 / VR 360
An immersive experience demonstrating my internal experience of motherhood.
As an autistic parent my brain does not prune synaptic pathways. This means to process information I often have to unravel a tangle of connected thoughts among sensory input, memories, and connections most people would overlook.

There are two ways to experience this work.

  • If you have the YouTube app you can experience this work in VR here. Just moving your phone to look around. Please select HD by tapping the cog or it will load super blurry. 🫣
  • Don’t have the YouTube app? Here’s a simulation of how it looks in 3D.
  • Or you browse still photographs here.

Curious about the process? Here’s a timelapse.

This piece was inspired by a piece of writing by Hayley Dunlop which reminded me of doing this as a child. It was purely creative play at the time. I later revisited this process in directing class when I was asked to “completely transform the space.”

Hayley’s writing connected this memory to neurodivergent thought patterns which immediately made me want to create this with Davy.

Working alongside him added all sorts of layers – both layers of meaning – and literal pools of knots (which were never part of my previous efforts.) 😂

of shoes and ships and sealing wax header in typwriter font

Other bits and bobs I’d like to recommend this week.

  • Katherine May’s podcast How We Live Now with Priya Parker – This is a chat about gathering well and drawing the lines we need around different social events and communities. I couldn’t have listened to this as a better time as I had been struggling with the Code of Conduct for my membership program and this gave me all the confidence to go with my gut. I’ve also ordered Priya’s book (affiliate link) which happens to have a gorgeous watercolor cover.
  • We’ve subscribed to the newspaper for the first time ever and I loved this article about artist Thaddeus Mosley.
  • Waiting for a quiet moment to enjoy this studio tour…

I also admired these shadows.

Windy stick casts shadows on white studio wall

Minor updates March 2025 to correct links and images.

Cross Pollinate 🐝