Jess | Orewa
“I like the way my mum raised me religiously because she kept it very open. She gave me a lot of options while also keeping it kind of, she had a strict regime.
She wouldn’t let us go out and go mad with alcohol and drugs or anything, but she let us experiment, have a little bit of beer, maybe on a special occasion, to show us that it was out there, but it wasn’t too, I don’t know, allusive and mystical.
It was, I like the way she raised me, because of how she left everything kind of to be discovered, while also teaching us about it, and my dad raised me on a boat, so I learned a lot about nature, which is really, it was really nice to learn about conservative fishing, and how to man a boat. Mountain climbing was cool, too. It was, very connected with nature, and connected with the self. It was interesting.
Animals are important to me, and I was raised around this area, so Stanmore Bay, and out Kauwau and Tiri. Tiri is one of my favourite places to be because it’s so beautiful and it’s such a lovely reserve.
I’d say the most important thing to me is my art, which is why I’m going to take that and make it part of my future. At the moment I am training in university and I’m working part-time to try and pay off the, the loans that are going to incur. My art is something I do to help me with my mental health. It’s, I don’t know, some people love it, other people don’t. It’s very personal, and that’s what I kind of love about art. It’s up to the beholder.
I have anxiety. So, the art helped me get through the anxiety, and basically complete Level 3. It took me I’d say a year to get to a place where I’m able to work again. So, I’d say the art helped me get my feelings out there.
I’m grateful for everything that’s happened, the bad and the good, because the good’s taught me how great my life is, and the bad has taught me exactly what I need to improve on, as well as teaching me kind of moral lessons and life codes. So, I’ve grown up stronger because of the things that have happened to me.”
