Born a prairie girl, Rachel grew up dreaming of the wild, restless beauty, of the BC coastlines and became an Islander 2003. Though Rachel grew up with paintbrush in hand, she also began writing poetry in 2008. She says it was not a conscious choice, only picking up the pen to record words that had begun waking her most nights. It was during this time she was plagued by desires to give up the life she had in order to receive the one that wanted to be. Unable to ignore that voice any longer she left a lot of possessions behind in 2009, moving with her two sons to a rustic strawbale cabin among the trees out of town. The cabin seething with creative energy, has a composting toilet and a high gossamer covered ceiling, (cosy home of innumerable spiders). Happier then ever Rachel gathers and chops a lot of wood for her abundant muse, a great big stove named Omar. Rachel is now working to express the words from her poems with a paintbrush, contentedly waiting for whatever inspirations will come next. Aspirations for the future include publishing a collection of poetry, acquiring a vegetable car, building a cob home with her own hands, and perhaps one day walking a pilgrimage.

 Learn more about Rachel and her art by visiting her blog Theartwithin at http://rachelcruse.blogspot.com

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

--Harold Whitman