This yearbook brings together twenty creatives and community organisers from all walks of life: musicians, visual artists, dancers, art collectives, and everything in between. From personal to political, their contributions reflect diverse forms of community-building through care. How do they inspire each other? Who do they care for? How do they care? 💘
- Name: Eddy Louisia
- Mixed media maker
- Pronouns: they/them
- Age: 25
- Location: Gent
- Instagram: @craftymommy.jpg and @eddylouisia.jpg
What do you care most about, and how is it relevant to your art/practice? It could be a social issue, your community, yourself, or anything!
I care most about my kid. What is also sacred to me is collecting things, shapeshifting, relationships, my body, music…
Three words that come to mind when you hear the term ‘care’?
Mothering, compassion, rest.
What inspires you to care more for others, or to use your art/practice as a platform to do so?
Because of my autism and being chronically ill, I experience first-hand the need for caring and being cared for. These experiences have made me more compassionate towards others.
<img class="editorial-image" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/64bff1b6dae517c64fd664b3_DifferentClassEddyLouisia%203.webp"/>
How do you hope to inspire others?
In both my art and my life, I try to look beyond social constructs and build another reality. I want to inspire people to write their scripts or to feel seen and recognised by what I do.
What type of change do you want to inspire in your community/environment?
I wish for people to prioritise peace and wellness, and to embrace all that takes time/goes slow.
How much influence do you think (y)our backgrounds have on (y)our art and practices?
A lot. Our backgrounds shape how we look at the world, how our brain works, how we create, and what we’re drawn to,… My work always derives from the autobiographical.
What are some challenges that you face while doing what you are passionate about?
Since becoming a mother, I’ve had to change the way I work. For example, I have to plan when I work, so I can be less spontaneous. I’m more bound to one place. I was exclusively drawing for the first year of my baby’s life because it was the only accessible method of working.
How do you define ‘community’?
To me, a community is a rather small microcosmos of people with whom I connect in different ways. I imagine a community could also be a bigger support network, that can provide care, companionship and practical tools. Like a village.
<img class="editorial-image" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/64bff1b608ee3dbfa3559ffb_DifferentClassEddyLouisia%201.webp"/>
What is a ‘safe space’ for you?
A space that gives me energy and doesn’t drain me. A space in which my nervous system relaxes. I can feel it in my body.
Is receiving care a privilege, a right?
It should be a basic human right.
Do you think this generation is redefining care and community building? And how?
Definitely. We’re trying to deconstruct patterns and ideas the past generations carried on. I think is urgent and exciting. But sometimes I feel like care is seen too much as an individual responsibility, instead of a shared/collective one.
What small acts of care do you hope to see more of?
People helping each other out in public spaces. For example: carrying someone’s stroller on public transport.
How do you balance taking care of others and taking care of yourself? Do you make that distinction in the first place?
I do. I plan periods of rest and time to regulate myself after social situations or after taking care of someone. I also do this by checking in with myself and trying to figure out my needs. I do have to admit that this can be challenging, especially as a parent or caregiver of any kind.
Do you care about being cared about?
Very much. I used to find being cared for hard and uncomfortable, but I’m learning to normalise it and ask for it, seeing it as a strength.
What do you want to be remembered for?
For being a loving mother.
<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> Photos shot by themself </div></div>
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