Some months ago, I was in a difficult personal place. Events had happened that left me feeling very vulnerable. During this time, I tried to express my feelings through forms of art – particularly through collages. They began as hand-cut collages, that were then digitized, adding depth, color, and a
Author: petrabrown
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On becoming undoneOn becoming undone
Visceral. It’s a word with which I found myself keeping company in recent months. It’s the only word with which to keep company, when all other words beat a hasty retreat in the face of the dark, deep, complex ways of being human. When words fail, it is a moment
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Anna Van Schurman: educational trailblazer and ‘miracle of nature’Anna Van Schurman: educational trailblazer and ‘miracle of nature’
On my very first day at school after arriving in Australia, I was taken to the library to meet my classmates. Shortly after being introduced, everyone was encouraged to select a book to read for the remainder of the scheduled reading session. I chose 'Grug has a birthday'. It was
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Shield-maidens and standing one’s groundShield-maidens and standing one’s ground
This is the second post based on a series of digital collages I created, in which I explored the ways that ‘being woman’ affects how I express myself in the world. For a woman to stand her ground and fight for herself, is one of the most challenging but also
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Creatrix of my worldCreatrix of my world
In what ways is being creative positioned as part of a woman’s identity? This is the first post based on a series of digital collages I created, in which I explored the ways that ‘being woman’ affects how I express myself in the world. For me, an important of my
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On harnessing imaginary horsesOn harnessing imaginary horses
As a child, I had not just one, but seven imaginary horses. Each were named and had their own unique character. Gerlof or Valentino were the ‘grown-up horses’ in my little herd: strong, noble and fearless. Oscar was a fast, nimble and quick horse. My herd contained two grey twin