The rug above is “One For Orlando,” which is part of a series called “Four For Orlando.” I made this rug series in response to the attack on the night club in Orlando, Florida. I made them for a benefit thrown by friends of mine in Louisville, KY, who hosted several performers and managers who were present at the Orlando club on the night of the shooting. I made one for each of the people who bravely came to perform in our city. I believe that art is one way for our world to heal itself. When I started making rugs, it was in response to my own personal pain and loss. Initially I called my creations “Rage Rugs,” because I was stuck in a cycle of hurt and hate. But the more time I spent focused on healing, loving, and learning, the less rage I felt. I think rage is a perfectly acceptable human feeling, but also an unproductive one. Emotions, like the weather, are unpredictable and uncontrollable. Our response to our emotions is where we can take responsibility and start to take back control. I believe that both looking at and making art are ways to take pause and take inventory of our emotions. I now call my rugs “Sage Rugs,” rather than rage rugs. With each knot, I weave in my profound thanks for the wisdom that my difficult time has provided me, and I hope a similar sort of sageness for all of us on this strange planet.