déjà vu

april 2021

play the mp3 file above as you gaze upon the image… perhaps listen again as you meander through the gallery.

(déjà vu)

(déjà vu)

vu)

What you resist will persist

We live in a society full of distractions and numbness. We’re surrounded by so much so much chaos in our daily lives it’s no surprise we often struggle to express emotions, feel our feelings and communicate openly. Why would we? It’s so much “easier” to numb or distract: scroll on our phone, watch TV, drink alcohol, emotionally eat, pack our schedules full, etc. But, is it really easier in the long run? No.

What we resist will persist.

Patterns will continue to repeat in our lives until we slow down, feel to heal and analyze this old pattern or story that is no longer serving us. But, we need to meet this old pattern with only curiosity and compassion. Ask yourself “Why does this keep coming up for me? What am I avoiding feeling into? What am I afraid of? What needs/desires aren’t being met?” Instead of meeting this pattern with hate and judgement.

Don’t be afraid of presence and stillness, they are here to guide us to our truest self. Don’t be afraid of feeling, it is necessary to feel in order to heal.

(déjà vu)

(déjà

The easiest way to explain this is with the beach ball analogy. Think of the beach ball as your feelings or the thing you are avoiding. You can shove that beach ball under water so it’s hidden and no once else can see it... but, you can’t hold it down there forever. The lower and harder you push that beach ball down, the bigger and more intense the splash will be when it inevitably comes up. Instead, we can choose to slowly let go and just let the beach ball settle quietly on top of the water.

This déjà vu feeling is often our resistance persisting in different areas of our life until we finally let go, learn and grow.

What you resist will persist.

written by Makayla McIntyre

(déjà vu)

I moved out of the city of Toronto some time ago, but was recently unpacking a box I had neglected. Inside, I found all of my performance makeup, where it had been sitting untouched since the move, and for months before that. My liners, lipsticks, and shadows were all expired and worthless; they'd been gathering dust since March 2020.

I was inspired to use them to create something in honour of their original purpose. Instead of lining my eyes for a performance, they would write the words of what could have been. Instead of elongating my lashes, they would illustrate the existence of something waiting to come back from the shadows.

In memory of performances that could have been.

(déjà vu)

about the artists

Layina Chand
digital art and spoken word
Toronto, ON
@layinachand

Makayla McIntyre
”What we resist will persist”
Stevensville, ON
@mmakayla_rosee

Hani Lagunas
”I’ve seen this before”
Toronto, ON
@hannielag

Colleen Scott
photographs
Toronto, ON
@colleenfreemanscott

Carmen Leardi
visual artpiece
Amherstburg, ON
@carmenleardi

thank you to the artists who participated this month!

i wanted to do a little something different with the gallery this time to allow the works space to speak and breathe together. each artist created something so compelling and different, it is truly beautiful to witness how they interact and flow.

i hope you enjoy viewing their work as much as i do :)

if you’re interested in joining in the galleries to come, feel free to fill out the form below :)