It’s personal
Making deep, meaningful yet personal connections to our surroundings and the ability to be able to emotionally integrate yourself and your family within unfamiliar surroundings is not always an accomplish-able feat.
My partner for the Shoe Have Names project, Kimberley, is a woman at the centre of her family. She embodies courage and strength whilst moving from property-to-property with limited space, accepting constant change, battling the unwanted upheaval of her family and their belongings, whilst constantly striving to provide comfort and protection for those who rely upon her.
Longing for some semblance of security can feel like a relentless struggle – trying to find minute ties that connect us to our home, wherever that may be. When that connection is finally made, Kimberley talks about an excitedness for finally being able to decorate their own space, which is something many of us can relate to.
The clothes you wear obtain your smell and your touch, your shoes embed your very being and they experience the journeys you take. This issue may sound cosmetic, but the project begs me to question whether we can ever truly call an environment our home if it does not embody our identities. Through not just helping Kimberley’s family find a home, but through rebuilding their confidence and feeling of belonging, the significance of the work carried out by Shelter cannot be praised enough. Shelter helped Kimberley’s family to find a place that they could make their own - a positive conclusion leading to the beginning of a new colourful life. Home, as a concept, is something which requires bonds and connections that tie together trust, individuality, security and permanence: the core idea of which will be reflected in my design and process.
Tabitha Ringwood
