This is an open love letter to all of the women who have shaped me and brought me up in this world;

to the women who showed me how to make it on my own;

to the women who taught me the value of the handmade and the done-it-yourself;

to the women who embody resourcefulness and creativity;

to the women who saw me when I couldn’t see me;

to the women who showed me where my boundaries stood;

to the women who intuited those boundaries and gave me the space when needed but brought me in close when it was needed more;

to the women who choose to celebrate each other instead of compete with each other;

to the women who choose to lift each other up when we’ve been taught to tear each other down;

to the women who encourage me to go into nature;

to the women who taught me to respect myself, my community, my planet;

to the women who helped me to navigate new and uncertain spaces;

to the women who share their creative gifts with the world;

to the women who respect the love, time, and energy that goes into creating something and sharing it with the world;

to the women who embrace vulnerability because they know that is how to be courageous;

to the wild women who don’t apologize;

thank you. I see you. I love you.