My name is Vess…& this is my beginning.
I’ve always had a desire to create & as a child dreamed of being a blacksmith. In my mid 30’s I discovered welding, it became my passion, but I never forgot my dream.
My partner & I did the big sea change a couple of years ago. As a country girl, I despised the city, we both wanted a simpler life. We worked, we saved, we left.
What was supposed to be the start of something good became the beginning of an end. He couldn’t adjust & resented me…& I flourished. Because I was all he knew here, he held on tight until I became his possession, controlled, isolated & manipulated…& because I loved him, I allowed it. In a last ditch attempt at self preservation, I built walls, I shut down emotionally & ran on auto pilot…I still chased my dream of blacksmithing, that & my job as a welder/fabricator brought me some happiness.
I started to reach out to the welding & blacksmithing communities on Instagram & I discovered inspiration & encouragement…& my internal war reached critical. In November ’19, my body, mind & soul said ‘enough’, my health failed & I suffered a Grand Mal seizure, I died for several minutes.
It was time to listen, it was time for change. I left my partner of 18 years. I even had to abandon my beloved, beautiful dog Zeus, as he became a pawn, something to blackmail me with. It literally tore me apart…I had to drop off the radar & as they say…’I went into the forest to lose my mind & find my soul’.
It has been so difficult re-assembling myself when I had compromised & lost my essence for so long. But, I’m a survivor and a fighter & live by the philosophy that “rain makes applesauce”. I picked myself up & now own my own home with an acre of land including an orchard & 2 paddocks.
When I was young I sung, I danced, I had courage & joy & knew no limits, I wrote poetry, I drew, I dreamed…& I have found all of that again…I have rediscovered & fallen in love with myself…the good, the bad, the light & the deepest darknesses within me.
I’m currently in the process of building my workshop & pursuing my passion to earn the right to be called a ‘Maker’. My obsession is steel & copper & I am fascinated with fold forming. 6 weeks ago, my Carpal Tunnel, both wrists, became so debilitating I thought my dreams were over before they’d begun. I didn’t like the options doctors gave me & sought alternate therapies discovering it can be treated with Massage Therapy. I’ve found an amazing Thai masseuse & acupuncturist, who after 4 weeks of therapy has reduced my crippling pain to little more than an annoyance. She has also helped me reconnect with my spirituality & brung balance & harmony to my body, mind & soul. I feel 27 again…(I’m 39 in Dec).
My name is Vess…welcome to the beginning of my journey.