Blog

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 15: Daffodil

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

DAFFODIL is the prompt for Februllage Day #15. My collage is entitled “A Tribute to Daffodil Sisters: Mary Etter Bolden and Stella Essa Bolden.” It honors my great-great-grandaunts, Mary and Stella Bolden, the daughters of my great-great-great-grandparents, Sarah Ellen Martin Bolden and John Thomas Bolden Sr. and Sarah Ellen Martin Bolden. They were the younger sisters of my great-great-grandfather, William Henry Bolden.

I decided to honor my great-great-grandaunts Mary and Stella because they both died early in life. Mary was born on June 14, 1877, in Jefferson County, Indiana (estimating the county based on where her family was living at the time of her birth) and died on April 9, 1898, in North Vernon, Indiana (Jennings County). She was only 20 years old.

Stella was born on December 14, 1879, in Jefferson County, Indiana (estimating the county based on where her family was living at the time of her birth) and died on June 28, 1899, in North Vernon, Indiana (Jennings County). She was only 19 years old.

While designing this collage, I did some research on the meaning of daffodils and learned they symbolize rebirth, new beginnings, joy, and cheerfulness.

When I looked at Mary and Stella’s black and white photo, I imagined they were young women filled with joy, dreams, and hopes for their future. Perhaps, they were very active in their church community and were able to read and write, teach Sunday school, and help organize outreach efforts and social events. I also imagined they loved flowers like daffodils which were known to grow during the spring months in their hometown of North Vernon, Indiana. Maybe they loved to pick them and place them in vases in their home. My imagination also had me visualizing their parents, sisters, and brothers bringing daffodils to their graves during the spring season.

I wanted to create a heavenly background with daffodils to illustrate Mary and Stella’s rebirth as loving + wise + well ancestors. Thanks to Canva’s AI-generated tool, I was able to create the perfect one.

YOUR INVITATION


Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter.

Do you have any loving + wise + well ancestors who died early in life?

Use your imagination to think about what your ancestors might have lived to be and do.

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 14: Heart

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Heart is the prompt for Februllage Day #14. My collage is entitled ” The Heart of Father + Daughter Love.” It celebrates the love shared by my grandfather, Robert Warren Gartin, Sr. and my mother, Theresa B. Gartin Leeke.

I used a photo from my mother Theresa’s wedding day on November 25, 1961, at St. Rita Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. The photo features my mother and grandfather walking down the aisle to meet my father, John F. Leeke at the altar.

St. Rita Catholic Church was established in 1919 as the first African-American parish in Indianapolis. It was her family’s parish. She and her siblings attended elementary school at St. Rita Catholic School. When she was in junior and senior high school, she served as a pianist and organist at the church.

I used Canva to change the background of the photo to an AI-generated blue pattern. Gold Ghanaian Adinkra symbols that represent love were added to my mother’s dress and the blue background: Akoma, Odo Nnyew Fie Kwan, and Akoma Ntoso. The name and meaning for each symbol is contained below.

The colors blue and gold pay homage to my mother’s love for and membership in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., an African American sorority established by seven educators on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana. My mother joined the Alpha Chapter at Butler in 1959. I joined the Beta Tau Chapter at Morgan State University in Baltimore in 1983.

YOUR INVITATION

Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the question below.

1) What ancestral relationships remind you of the love shared by a father and daughter?

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 13: Watermelon

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Watermelon is the prompt for Februllage Day #13. “Imagining A Widow’s Watermelon Salvation” is the title of my collage.

I decided to use a black and white photo of my great-great grandmother Millie Ann Wathen Gartin and her children (includes my great grandfather frank Louis Gartin) as the base of the collage. I used Canva to change the background to an AI-generated background of a farm. Several watermelon graphics are added at the bottom of the collage.

Before I created the collage, I imagined my great-great grandmother Millie Ann growing and selling watermelons to support herself and her children after her husband and my great-great grandfather George Spencer Gartin, a farmer and Union Army soldier who fought during the Civil War, was killed by a man with an ax in 1886.

She was the daughter of Felix Wathen and Mary Sylvia Hayden Wathen, enslaved people of African descent. She was born in March 1854 in Lebanon, Kentucky. When slavery ended, she was still a young girl. Although I don’t know the type of labor she and her family performed during slavery, I used this collage prompt to imagine that they might have grown and sold watermelon after they were freed. In case you didn’t know, once African Americans were freed, many grew, ate, and sold watermelon. It became a symbol of freedom and economic independence.

YOUR INVITATION

Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the question below.

1) What symbolized freedom and economic independence to your loving + wise + well ancestors?

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 12: Magnet

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Today’s #Februllage prompt is MAGNET. My collage is entitled “Dream Magnets Connecting Me to Iemanja, Salvador da Bahia, and Grandma Gartin’s Love, Wisdom, and Protection.”

My dreams have always carried messages of divine wisdom. They often feel like magnets that connect me to grounding forces, experiences, and places.

The collage features blue magnets and photos of my great grandmother Ida Mae Farmer Gartin (Grandma Gartin), me sleeping, Iemanja sculpture on my forehead (located in Rio Vermelho neighborhood in Salvador), and the Casa de Iemanja and Praia do Rio Vermelho (Rio Vermelho Beach) in Salvador da Bahia.

This winter, I have had several dreams about Grandma Gartin, Iemanja/Yemanya (Candomble Oxisa/Yoruba Orisha of the sea and motherhood), and Casa de Iemanja (Yemanya’s House).

Although I never met Grandma Gartin, my mom Theresa told me stories about her. The messages she has been sharing with me in my dreams center around honoring my body as a sacred temple with healthy eating, movement, and living. I call her my wellness shero.

The Iemanja sculpture on my forehead lets me know I am Iemanja’s daughter (like all of my womanline ancestors). When she appears in my dreams, she reminds me to mother myself with great care by standing in my divine power and serving as a better steward of my creativity, gifts, and resources. She has also invited me to visit Casa de Iemanja, Rio Vermelho neighborhood, Salvador da Bahia, and Brazil regularly.

YOUR INVITATION


Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the questions below.

1) Do your loving + wise + well ancestors visit you in your dreams and offer wisdom?

2) Think of a time when you followed your ancestors’ wisdom. How did it impact your life?

What Are You Leaning Into During These Changing Times

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

What are you leaning into to navigate these changes times?

What are your lifelines?

I am leaning into my lifelines of spirituality, digital mindfulness practices, heritage (ancestry), physical fitness, and creativity. 

I leaned into them during the creative process I used to complete my debut spoken album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter, from 2020 to 2025.

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 11: Plant

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

PLANT is the prompt for #Februllage Day 11. My collage is entitled “Two Generations Planting Seeds of Black Girl Joy.” It explores two things that brought joy to my mother Theresa and I during our girlhoods: playing with our dolls and dogs. I included photos of us with our favorite dolls and dogs in the collage.

My mom grew up with a dog named Elmer in Indianapolis, Indiana. She loved him so much and made sure my brothers and I experienced the same love and joy.

I grew up with a dog named Clarence in Landover, Maryland. Due to my mom’s love, he became the fifth Leeke child. We all loved him too. He was one of my best friends. I spent lots of time playing with and talking to him. I still remember his smile and remember him on his birthday each year. I even keep a photograph of us on my refrigerator.

The collage includes graphics of a potted plant and woman gardening and photos of my mom and I when we were toddlers. The seeds in the potted plant represent our joy. Our toddler photos represent our pure joy as children. The woman gardening illustrates our adult responsibility to tend to our own garden of joy.

Several Ghanaian Adinkra Gye W’Ani symbols are featured. They represent joy and living fully with joy.

YOUR INVITATION


Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the questions below.

1) What brought you joy as a child?

2) What brings you joy as an adult?

3) What are one to three steps you can take to experience more joy in your daily life (they don’t have to take a lot of time or cost you money; consider incorporating simple things you can do in your daily life)?

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 10: Oblivious

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Yesterday, I discovered that making digital collages dedicated to my loving + wise + well ancestors is a powerful way to care for myself when I experience grief that is born out of the loss of a loved one.

Making ancestral collages is a form of ancestral medicine because it helps you remember your ancestors and express love and gratitude for them.

I had a lot of fun thinking about OBLIVIOUS, today’s #Februllage prompt.

My creative process started with a visit to the internet’s dictionary universe.

After reading several definitions, I made a mental note of the synonyms that resonated. Two words claimed space in my mind: unaware and clueless.

I wondered about the times in my life when I have been unaware or clueless.

I also started looking at family photos and found one of my mom Theresa and three brothers, Mike, Mark, and Matt. It was taken by my father John in 1969.

As I looked at the photo, I realized my little girl self called Puf (“Puf the Magic Dragon” like the song by Peter, Paul & Mary) was experiencing joy sitting with her mom and brothers. She was also OBLIVIOUS to how spiritually and emotionally wealthy she was as a daughter who had an overflowing amount of love, guidance, protection, and provision from her mother and loving + wise + well ancestors.

I ended up using the photo as the base of today’s collage that is entitled “A Little Girl Is Oblivious.”

I added a photo of my current self. That photo represents me as a woman whonnow recognizes and claims her spiritual and emotional weath.

Several Bese Saka symbols were included in the collage. Bese Saka is a beautiful Adinkra symbol that represents abundance and wealth. They are placed in the right-hand corner of the collage.

One last thing! I wrote a statement in the upper left-hand side that expresses how I was OBLIVIOUS as a little girl about the spiritual and emotional weath I had as a result of my mom’s love, presence, wisdom, guidance, protection, creativity, joy, and adventure.

YOUR INVITATION


Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the questions below.

1) Think back to your childhood and the connections you shared with loved ones like your parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Can you recall something you didn’t know about them and later learned when you were an adult?

2) Did the new information you learned about them impact you in any way?

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 9: Bottle

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Bottle is the prompt for #Februllage Day 9. My collage is entitled Mother + Daughter + Granddaughter Memory from 1986.

I thought about memories I wish I could have bottled. I decided to create a collage about my memory of standing next to my mother Theresa and grandmother Dorothy (known as Nanan) in a family photo that was taken during my parents’ 25th wedding anniversary celebration in 1986.

I remember my mom being so happy to renew her vows with my dad in the presence of her children, family, and friends. I was very happy to serve as her maid of honor and celebrate my parents. I think Nanan was happy to see her daughter so happy.

This photo is one of the only photos I have with all of us together. It’s hard to believe that it was taken 40 years ago. When I look at it now, I can truly appreciate the layers of mother-daughter love that existed between us as imperfect human beings.

I started the collage with a photo that my niece Jordan took of me during our 2021 visit to the KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden that featured the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. She encouraged me to pose by the floral exhibit.

Side Note: We both love flowers.

I was so happy that day because I got to spend it with my niece who is the daughter I never had and one of my favorite people in the world.

I remember telling my mom how happy I was that Jordan and I got to share the joy of seeing one of our favorite artists together. I also texted this photo to my mom. She loved art and flowers just like Jordan and me.

Both photos are filled with moments I wish I could have bottled so I could open them on days when I need a quick reminder of how I blessed I am to be Theresa’s daughter, Dorothy’s granddaughter, and Jordan’s aunt.

YOUR INVITATION

Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the question below.

If you could bottle moments spent with your loving + wise + well ancestors, what would they be?

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 8 – Concrete

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s Day 8 of my #Februllage digital collage-making journey dedicated to celebrating my loving + wise + well ancestors!

The prompt for today is CONCRETE.

Family foundation is what I think about when I hear the word CONCRETE.

My grandparents’ Dorothy Mae Johnson Gartin and Robert Warren Gartin, Sr. laid the family foundation for the Gartins in Indianapolis, Indiana. They started with their love, care, and commitment to their five children in a house they owned on Cornell Street in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. A photo of the house is included in the collage.

When they bought another house and moved to N. Adams Street, they continued to love and care for their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Now that they are ancestors, they have expanded their love and care to touch every person who is born into our Gartin family.

This collage is called Concrete Family Blessings. The blessings are my grandpatents’ love, care, and work ethic.

I used a photo of part of my paintings “One Drop of Black Blood #1” as the base of the digital collage. The painting was made with red, black, and brown acrylic in 2006. It honors the power of Black people’s blood.

I placed four black Abusua Pa symbols in the corners of the collage. Abusua Pa is a Ghanaian Adinkra symbol that represents family unity, kinship, and support. It reminds me to honor the concrete family foundation my grandparents created and appreciate them for loving and caring the best they knew how as imperfect human beings.

Black and white photos of my grandparents and their five children, Robert Jr., Janet (died as a baby), Phyllis, Theresa (my mom), and Veronica are included.

In 1980, my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a fancy party. During the party, they took a picture with their 12 grandchildren and one great granddaughter. That photo is included in the collage.

YOUR INVITATION

Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the question below.

What blessings have you received from your loving + wise + well ancestors that you have incorporated into our family’s foundation?

My Februllage 2026 Collage for Day 7 – Rain

Posted by on in UncategorizedLeave a comment

Creating my Ancestral Medicine collages using the #Februllage daily prompts has been one of the highlights of my week because I get to practice digital mindfulness.

Digital mindfulness is the practice of slowing down and being aware of how you use technology.

Digital mindfulness is also choosing to use technology in intentional and healthy ways that support your well being.

I have been slowing down and becoming aware of how I show up as an artist when I take time to surrender and become a divine vessel of expression for Creator and my loving + wise + well ancestors.

That practice grounds me and helps me use technology (Canva) to create collages in an intentional and healthy way.

That brings me so much JOY and GRATITUDE.

The creative process has also empowered me as I tune in and listen to my ancestors’ wisdom, revisit stories I was told about my them, and discover new information about their lives, families, and/or communities.

All of it brings me closer to them and deepens our connection. What a blessing!

Check out my #Februllage Day #7 (PROMPT: Rain) that is entitled The Johnson Men: Xango’s Sons Rain Down Blessings on Me.

I started with a black and white photo of my Johnson family ancestors (left to right): great-great grandfather William Ernest Johnson, great-grandfather John William Johnson, Sr. (“Big John” and Grandpa Johnson), and great-grand uncle Richard Johnson of North Vernon, Indiana. They remind me to stand in my power and take action to pursue my dreams.

While working with the photo on Canva, I started thinking about the connection I have to Shango/Xango, the Yoruba orisha/Candomble oxisa of thunder, lightening, power, leadership, justice, royalty, and masculine energy.

Shango/Xango is symbolized by a double-headed ax, the colors red and white, and number six.

I placed the ax above my ancestors’ heads and included six red thunder bolts to highlight Shango’s presence in their lives.

My thoughts about Shango/Xango stayed with me for a few days. During this time period, I revisited a reading I had with a Candomble priestess when I visited Salvador da Bahia, Brazil in 2023. Her reading helped me embrace Shango/Xango as one of my guiding Orishas/Oxisas.

Later in the week, I asked Shango/Xango and my ancestors for guidance. They revealed that my three Johnson ancestors are sons of Shango/Xango.

The rain represents the blessings of my Johnson ancestors. I included my baby photo and placed it at their feet to symbolize them raining down blessings on me.

The six cowrie shells represent the wealth of love, wisdom, and guidance they provide.

YOUR INVITATION

Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter as you reflect on the question below.

1) What loving + wise + well ancestors remind you to stand in your power and take action on your dreams?

2) How did your ancestors stand in their power and take action on their dreams?