A Gift For A Crow

I've always thought of crows as cynical creatures. An animal that only thinks about themselves, and enjoys mocking other living beings. Observing crows in their natural habitat (the city of Halifax) I notice a much different story. In the natural world of gift giving, crows are high up on the list. The list of giving creatures that is. Seeing a crow hop on the wet, dead grass, placing something in the dirt, and burying it with its claw was a magical moment for me. So simple and sweet. Just a pure, habitual action. Trying to understand what it buried, who it's for, why that spot. Stopping myself and taking a moment to appreciate this animal for just existing. Remembering that a crow is a crow and a human is a human.

Walking along citadel hill, after the rain, and seeing two crows by a stream formed on a path of scattered pebbles. Observing how they treat each other, and noticing how close I am without them getting scared. Stopped in my tracks, watching these two creatures have a relationship. Am I just projecting my human understanding onto this mindless scene? Maybe. But to me these two crows (and one off to the side picking apart a fallen branch) have companionship with one another. Finally giving them their space and going on my merry way, looking back and seeing them walk over to the stream, shake their beaks in the water, and touch bodies. Pure natural energy. Gift giving in the natural world. Even a gift as simple as curing another one's loneliness.

Looking at my weaving, you may think “This doesn't look like a crow at all…” Well it's not. It's the earth. The earth is the home for all living creatures, and the core of all natural gift giving. The earth provides everything. The earth gives life and death, which is the most powerful gift of all. In my weaving I have grass, dead grass, dirt, pebbles, and water. As well as sections where they all blend together to make an entirely different element. An infinite amount of color opportunities. The earth cares for us infinitely. The earth might be the inspiration for my color choices, but the crow is my inspiration for the time and care put in, as well as the relationship I built with the piece.

Maybe I'm a crow. Maybe I'm high up on the list of gift giving creatures. But maybe a crow is a crow, and I am me, and that's that.