Rebecca Haines

Remember Who You Are

Remembering who we are right now might be our saving grace. Amidst information overload and situations that threaten to undo us, now is the time to step back and remember what’s important, who we really are, and how we intend to move forward for the better.

Who am I?
drawer painter scribbler artist
storyteller
animal and nature lover
believer in magic and mystical encounters dreamer and doer
traveller and adventurer

When encountering wild animals in nature, there is a tingling sensation at the edge of my awareness that I can’t quite touch, but I feel it so strongly. Like a distant memory of somehow knowing them, or even being them. And this experience floods me with inspiration and awe. It reminds me that we are animals, just like them.

I paint these wild creatures, usually meeting my gaze, because it makes me feel alive and connected to something larger than myself. It takes me back to animal stories from childhood, from cultures all over the world, and the lessons those stories sought to teach. A Lakota elder once said that “people learn by story, because stories lodge deep in the heart.” I think art can affect people the same way. It slides in under their radar and reaches their hearts before their minds can object. They feel something deeply, and feelings can be powerful game changers.

I cannot control the thoughts or actions of people and how they move through life. However, my hope is that by sharing my work, I can affect the world in a positive way by reminding people of the magic and childlike wonder within them that is brought to life in the natural world, in the animal world. It is worth every effort we have to preserve what is left of this sacred arrangement.