What started as an economical effort to make our new, temporary house feel like a lived-in home, opened my eyes to the endless opportunities to create, deconstruct, upcycle, and reimagine secondhand wares. An escape from reality and (creative) avoidance technique, I also reconnected with a core piece of me I hadn’t realized was lost. I believe that through making these art pieces, I was able to start healing. By shifting the shame I felt for spending my time making (and unmaking, and remaking) art became pride for what I made. Acceptance that what may appear as flawed and imperfect to me, can be seen as beautiful and valuable to someone else - the same way I found value in each individual piece of each piece.