Space Love Fire Child: United; Divided is a project that consists of 20 paintings and a poem to create the content of this children’s book. It is a project of love dedicated to my son, Ryder, about co parenting, from a place of experience from my own childhood and as a single mother. The family experience has changed a lot from the 80s and the 90s to now, from the idea that the “perfect family” exists as a unit, disregarding toxicities, depression and abuse. As a result, children grow up in these toxic environments and not everyone evolves to be cycle breakers but perpetuators of abuse. Over time, the idea of “family” has shifted in many ways from the 80s and 90s from gender roles to family compositions and how we treat one another to the very idea of seeing a therapist.

As a cycle breaker, the goal has been to provide a peaceful and nurturing environment especially finding myself playing the role of a single parent, where challenges and their stresses are exponentially higher. Regardless, it is important to maintain a sense of stability and control along with empathy for optimal development. Bedtime has always been a sacred time for us to relax and settle in nightly routines, which has always included a bedtime story. This particular time can be used to literally sit and talk with your child in ways where we use stories to help explain more complex situations. This story personifies celestial bodies, where the parents exist as two separate worlds, presented with their challenges but taking these difficult times and turning them into things that can benefit us, in return, providing more confidence for the future, allowing the mind to rest. Each painting takes up the space of each page allowing for a more immersive experience. The composition for each piece is square as a symbol representing the grid, consistency and unity but also the idea of separation with each spread. Co parenting, personally, has been one of the most challenging situations but through my own growth this story has been created to inspire positivity during times when more families find peace in separation with the challenge of helping children cope. This same concept can be applied to all of us, when we exist in a divided society with the helpful reminder that we are all still united.