So... 2025 has been a bit of a whirlwind so far. The past few months have felt like being caught in a tangle of threads — knotted, frayed, and seemingly impossible to sort.
I've been having ongoing health issues that just decided to begin at the start of this year, in complete disregard for any plans I had. Between those health issues (which have been ignored a lot by doctors until recently), a car crash that left my car totaled this week, living in a flat with neighbours that are... less than ideal, as well as financial uncertainty that makes every decision feel weightier than it should, things have been heavy.
Really, really heavy.
My energy — creative and otherwise — has been in short supply, and for someone who uses stitching as a lifeline, that loss of outlet has hit especially hard. That loss of creative spark has been one of the hardest things to sit with, because it's such a core part of my identity.
But amid all of this, in arguably one of the worst weeks that it's been, actually, something's shifted. It’s strange how sometimes it takes hitting a wall — or being thrown through one — for clarity to return. For the first time in a while, I’m beginning to feel the faint tug of optimism. Especially with the help of solid people around me (you know who you are), things are starting to feel not quite so terrible.
I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on the power of stories. In the midst of everything falling apart, I kept finding myself returning to narratives — my own, others’, fictional and non-fictional, half-told moments I’ve yet to stitch into being or even solidify mentally. There’s something deeply healing about a story well told, whether through words or thread. Stories are how we make sense of the mess. How we remember, connect, and endure.
And I think that’s the heart of where I want to take Odinaddi next.
This journey has helped me realise that my art — whether it’s detailed thread painting, mindful stitching, or simple patterns designed to soothe — is all part of storytelling. I want to create art that not only tells stories but holds space for yours. Pieces that offer comfort, presence, reflection.
Odinaddi is shifting toward something more rooted in art as therapy (something I've been interested in for a long time, and have studied), mindfulness, self-care, and community — but with story as the golden thread through it all. I want to help people reconnect with their own inner narratives through stitching, whether they’re picking up a needle for the first time or rediscovering it after a long pause. And I’ll still be creating my own pieces — likely strange, whimsical, fantasy, emotional ones - because those are my way of working through the world.
I’m not sure exactly what’s coming next, but I know it’ll be grounded in intention and imagination. Gentle, story-rich, and stitched with care. There may even be some major jumps in format of story-telling... D&D anyone?
Thank you for being here and sticking with me through the silence. For your patience, your encouragement, and your willingness to walk this evolving path with me. I’ll share more soon. Until then, be kind to your story - and if you feel up to it, thread a needle and start stitching your next chapter.
Happy stitching,
