In the spring of 2021, I started some seeds to grow my own Japanese indigo, Persicaria tinctoria. Happily, my first foray into the magical world of this dye plant went well. In summer of 2022, I grew more plants and learned not only how to use the fresh plants for dyeing but also how to extract the pigment and store it for future use. I was hooked.

Through this journey into natural dyes and using the wool locally produced by my friends on small farms, I began looking at my art-making a little differently. The view seems to be somewhat "survivalistic"—the natural world is going through massive and rapid changes, perhaps bringing about the end of our lives and the lives of many other beings, plants, insects and animals alike with whom we share the planet. Resources are being depleted by humans' indiscriminate pillage. What I realize is that each and every one of us is complicit. This realization demands that I rethink what I choose to make and how I choose to make it. My effort is one small step in taking responsibility for my part in this climate disaster.