Connecting with Cotton
A 2-part collaborative series by myself (via the Deep Routes project) and Sunder Ashni (of Mumbet’s Freedom Farm) stewarding a collective experience of connecting with cotton through sensory based exploration, reflective storytelling, agricultural skill sharing, and crafting keepsake jars.
Session #1: Participants engaging with various types of cotton bolls (grown in Brooklyn by Maya the year prior) and materials as we transition to lunch.
Session #1: Ashni grounding the group into the space with a cotton essence meditation and journaling/painting prompt.
Session #1: Participants and Mumbet’s Freedom Farm reflecting and painting.
Session #1: A snapshot of some of the cotton meditation paintings.
Session #1: Cotton seedlings Ashni and Maya sowed in Brooklyn in March 2025, Maya stepped up/potted up in May, and we would be transplanting into the soil at Mumbet’s Freedom Farm during the session.
Session #1: In the second half of the session Ashni and Maya went into cultivating cotton and their journeys with growing cotton in different settings alongside the myriad of things going on in their lives. After a brief transplanting demo and discussion, folks began getting the seedlings into the ground.
Session #1: Maya offering some context about different cotton species’ botanical origins and journeys. (Photo by Grace).
Session #2: Group photo by Corey Blant.
Session #2: Close up of the different varieties of Brooklyn-grown cotton.
Session #2: Getting grounded and offering the group context around cotton, the garden space, and our experiences with cotton before jumping into the crafting component. (Photo by Corey)
Session #2: Participants engaging with the cotton and learning about its growth patterns. (Photo by Corey)
Session #2: Participants getting into crafting their cotton jars and learning about its spiritual properties. (Photo by Corey)