BLOOM Sculpture

I often hear the sentiment that for queer people being out is the goal, or the only way to ‘be our authentic selves’, but being out is not always safe or possible for everyone, and it takes time. In my experience, it wasn’t actually being out that really changed my relationship with myself, but being surround by the queer community. Although I grew up in a very accepting and queer friendly community, I didn’t have many close openly queer friends. I learnt quickly that being surrounded by supportive people is not the same as being in your community. Lucky for me, the community is welcoming, and even before I was out, attending queer events and talking to queer people changed my relationship with my life, my sexuality and myself. ‘BLOOM’ is about prioritizing queer joy, about flourishing in whatever way you can, regardless of where you are in your journey.