NC Paper Project

In my personal experience my art has always been a visual representation of my manic expression but now it is my sense of peace. Becoming a mother helped to draw this realization out of me. I have heavy waves of overwhelming creativity that I’ve learned to watch for… and more importantly honor. I will ride the rampant wave, create new, disrupt old creations, combine, pull apart, collect, make a mess, rearrange…. and then rest. Riding these waves is a safe haven for me in a world full of responsibilities. Before I recognized that I needed to be in the art space, I often wondered why I could never be consistent at anything I tried. I think art is supposed to ebb and flow. Regardless, the only thing that my mind and my hands can agree on is creating and that’s been one of the only constant things in my life. A source of stability and truth. When I became a mother I started creating more and more with my toddler because I entered a world that finally supported that side of me. I started making art with my children and that’s when the flood gates opened. I’ve finally started The NC Paper Project because I believe in sustainability, repurposing and second chances. I love this project because I live a good redemption story. It makes everything in my artistic brain make sense. I can create, repurpose, help others, and do meaningful work within the community. The passion and purpose I have within me is a driving force to bring this ideology down my family lineage so that they too can be problem solvers and never fear going outside of the norm. I hope you can see the value in my work and the importance of your role in it.

-Payton Picardi