R.F. Bloodworth

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Artist. Educator. Human.

Rain F. Bloodworth

Registered Early Childhood Educator and Artist

Working in so-called London, Ontario, located on Anishinabewaki Territory.

yesterday at noon, i said goodbye to my unwelcome organ that has choked me for my whole life. i'm not bound by its whims. im free. (or at least I will be in 6 weeks when I can lift more than 5 lbs ).
so long, and thanks for all the fish.

Maybe--if you're lucky--you'll find one (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠)(⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

i feel like this little number has aged like fine wine
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Sleeping Easy, December 2024

I Love You Too Much To Let You Exist, mixed media on panel, 2025
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Abortion is f̷e̷m̷i̷n̷i̷s̷t̷ l̷i̷f̷e̷s̷a̷v̷i̷n̷g̷ g̷e̷n̷d̷e̷r̷ ̷a̷f̷f̷i̷r̷m̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷c̷a̷r̷e̷ n̷e̷c̷e̷s̷s̷a̷r̷y̷ 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖

New skill unlocked 🔓✨ Thank you to the brilliant @knottedtheory for your wonderful class @westlandgallery I'm so grateful to have such a talented teacher to guide us through the art of needle felting. Looking forward to doing some of my own projects soon 💖
Little Red Rabbit, needle felted wool, 2025

back on my bullshit. i'll stop when im dead (or when we abolish police, which ever comes first)

This zine is an accompanying piece to Dreams Beyond July, and will be available along with all my other zines going forward. You are worth every moment here 🌼

Today is International Suicide Awareness Day.
On July 26th, 2022, I overdosed on my medication and was nearly successful in taking my own life.
The physical and psychological consequences affect me still, and most likely will for the rest of my life
But I choose to remember the moment I started to die, lost control of my body, and wanted nothing more than to turn back time and survive.
Survivors of jumping will tell you about the regret they felt as soon as their feet left the ground
I wish I could so eloquently describe my desperation for someone to find me, to hear my thoughts crying out for help, locked in a failing machine.
When I woke up, my partner by my side, un-intubated, I was elated to hold his hand and feel his warmth, knowing I was alive.
He took this photo of me, saying "I know you'll find a use for this someday."
Dreams Beyond July is three works three years in the making, a culmination of healing, grief, and forgiveness. It is also a reminder.
According to Statistics Canada, 4,500 people die by suicide every year, which is about 12 people per day--7 to 10 people are significantly affected by the loss, which is roughly 31,500 to 45,000 individuals that are affected by suicide every year in Canada alone.
You know someone who is affected by suicide, has attempted suicide, or has contemplated suicide. In these times of unrest, political injustice, genocide and war, poverty, and instability, its easy to feel isolated and hopeless. We live in an increasingly lonely world, technology simultaneously informing and dividing us, driving us away from trusting others and finding human connection. Even as a survivor, I have those days still.
However, living means hope. Your existence means there is a chance for things to get better, to find community and joy. Death is a part of life, but suicide is never the answer to fear, desperation, loneliness, or grief. Your life is worth the chance to get better. You are worth every day, and deserve to be alive.
Love and community saved my life. Be brave, and soak in the sun.
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You are my life line, 28 by 40 inch, 2024
Special thank you to @ontarioartscouncil

September 10th, 2024 🌼
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spring blooms, hand embroidery on vintage cloth, 2024

if i made him a sticker would ppl take him home? :') #forestcityarts

Gaymers!!! I'm ~proud~ to announce that I have some work as a part of the 33rd annual pride art show! I'll be attending opening night with both my wonderful partners, whose love and queerness inspire me so much everyday 💖💕 See you then, froggits🌈

i've been offline, because I've been getting disillusioned with a lot of things, but mostly stuff i see on the internet. so i've been touching grass, making art, and raw dogging my mental illness while i'm changing meds.
truely, i was just born to be a lurker

Some of you might not know the name Louis Wain, but I bet most have his famous "acid-trip cats".
Wain was a British artist and illustrator in the Edwardian period. His whimsical art used for advertisements, children's books, cards, etc. Wain married Emily Richardson, the governess to his sisters, but she soon developed breast cancer, and passed away three years later. He knew H.G. Wells, and despite being a somewhat reserved young widower, he was well loved by his community. After the first world war, Wain was struggling to find commissions, and he slowly fell into poverty. His sisters, whom he once had a strained relationship with but reconciled soon after his wife's death, committed him to Springfield Mental Hospital in a pauper ward, worrying about his sanity. But when bookseller Dan Rider came across Wain in the ward, he put together an exhibition of Wain's work to raise money for the artist, so that he could live the rest of his life comfortably. They raised over 2400 pounds (which is about 214,300.00 CAD today) and he spent the rest of his days peacefully at Bethlem Hospital.
Wain still made art at the hospitals, which is where he produced his famous "psychedelic cats". Because of the change in style that seemed to coincide with his insanity diagnosis, many modern folks speculate Wain suffered from a form of schizophrenia. While we will never know for sure, I believe that his intricately drawn cats weren't a manifestation of mental illness, but playful experimentation with his beloved medium. He was never in discomfort or paranoid. Wain was gentle, kind, and cheerful.
After Wain was moved to Bethlem, he created one of my favourite pieces of art ever. 'Happy Cat'-unofficially named-was dedicated to all the friends and fans of his work who helped raise money for both him and his family.
People think the past was devoid of caring people that you would know today. And yes systemically, many people were marginalized and mistreated, the truth is that love and understanding are intrinsic to our humanity. Communities are loyal and care for each other, regardless of circumstance. This work reminds me that we all can, and will, be loved.
An Ode to L. Wain, 2024

Who needs agoraphobia when I can make disability look this good? 🫰

NEW ZINE ALERT! i have a new silly comic zine inspired by the 'Farside' style of captioning. And it is 10 pages of recreated still shots of some of the best ACAB flavored blunders by police. I also included a wonderful quote from a book you SHOULD read, along with some resources to learn more about incarcerated people because hey! what else do you put on a back cover~?

She's premiering THIS Sunday @print_pop 11 am to 4 pm at 777 Dundas street (The Palasad on Oxford lol) so you don't wanna miss out! ❤️

I went to therapy for a decade, and it all started with a psychologist in the children's mental health ward at Victoria Hospital. I saw her for 80% of my mental health journey, and I wouldn't be where I am today without her. I may not have survived.
So I was going to recommend her to a friend...until I discovered the foundation of her career.
I had never googled her, never thought to. I started seeing her so young and hadn't seen her in years. I didn't think about her until my friend asked for a C-PTSD therapist recommendation.
Dr. Devita Singh completed her dissertation in 2012. It is titled A FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF BOYS WITH GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER. Google it if you desire. It claims 82% of AMAB children who had been to a gender clinic run by Dr. Kenneth Zucker in Toronto had "dissented" from their gender identity "confusion". Her methods, and the grounds of her work, are flawed, and her paper has been cited has recently as 2023 by anti-trans academics, journalists, and activists. She stands by her research, which encourages practitioners to make children feel "comfortable in their bodies" rather than helping children express themselves. She cites and asserts that gender "confusion" can happen when children are depressed, abused, etc, and that makes it a version of inauthentic transness. She doesn't support early social transition, or "accommodation" care like puberty blockers. No, she supports "preventive" transgender healthcare.
Dr. Zucker and his associates are an other mess I don't have the word count to get into.
Nobody is born with an "innate" gender. We are all subjected TO gender and sexuality objectified by the society we live in. I was abused and traumatized, but I was already queer, and always have been. No queer person is trans or non-binary because they got abused or experience trauma or have a mental illness. They are queer because queer is a label created in a world that attempts to categorize the human experience into sections "female" and "male". We all want to live authentically, and queer people, no matter the age, deserve to have their sense of self validated. (caption continued in comments)

In other news, I made a new variety of free zine!! I'll have them available at any markets I attend, but I'm also working on getting a store on my website to buy things like my zines (fuck Etsy lol). These will be available to "buy" in packs of 20, only charging for the printing at $2. But in the meantime! Anyone can DM me to get up to 10 zines for free!! Share the love y'all 🇵🇸🍉✨💖 #freepalestine #freegaza

hey all, sorry i've been hiding away. once again, our medical system has failed me. i'm not shocked, i'd describe my state as heartbroken. i know i'll have chronic pain forever, and i'll probably always need mobility aids to some extent. but thats okay.
our bodies all decay, some faster than others. we haven't conquered death or the way cells deteriorate. all we can do is cope, relish joy, and love recklessly.
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meniscus, mixed media on paper, 2024

Huge HUGE thank you to @museumlondon for letting me present at their ML Youth session last week!! I'm honoured to share my practice with such a great group of folks as a member of the @forestcitygallery board. I hope everybody enjoyed their free zines and were able to take something meaningful away from my ramblings OR my zines. Peace and love ✨💖🐰

🏳️‍⚧️⚧️💛💜💛 #transdayofvisibility🏳️‍⚧️ #t4t #intersex #forestcityarts

Patience isn't a virtue, it's necessary for survival. Stay queer 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈⚧️♿ #forestcityarts

My limited addition tote will ONLY be available at the arty-party on May 4th. "Out of Luck, Full of Hope" was inspired by the number one tool of survival for anyone experiencing housing insecurity: community. I had so many friends and neighbors extend a hand to me when I was in crisis, from letting me sleep in their spare room to sharing a meal with me. Each moment of kindness I felt from my community I remember, and I pass on that kindness today. The folks struggling today are your neighbors and a part of your community. Any kindness you have to spare will be remembered by them. Show your support through UPwithART, and give back to your community. ♡ #upwithart #forestcityarts

I am proud to announce that this years UPwithART will feature a limited addition tote bag with my artwork "Out of luck, full of hope", available ONLY at the Arty Party on May 4th @museumlondon . I'm honoured to have been chosen by the organizers not just for my work but because of my lived experiences with poverty and homelessness that give a unique insight. Join me and dozens of local artists this spring in celebrating community, resilience, and hope. LINK in BIO
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Artist Statement:
Luck is not a resource we should be counting on to help the disenfranchised. Our time is better spent creating sustainable community support, breaking down barriers cross-culturally, and building trust by understanding the needs of the most vulnerable. I believe that holding hope for a better future drives people to make a better world, and luck has no place in a compassionate, collaborative community that can give everybody a place to call home.
#forestcityarts #upwithart2024 #upwithart #unityprojectldn

according to some, im worth less with mobility aids than i am able-bodied, and i deserve to be paid less
#forestcityarts

i keep reminding myself that patience is a virtue, but its hard to stay still when i feel like the world is against my body
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nausea, mixed media on paper, 2024
#forestcityarts

i got the results of my MRI today--multiple horizontal tears on my left lateral meniscus, plus a bonus cyst! long story short, i have no idea what my future mobility looks like, whether i need surgery, long term rehab, or using mobility devices for the foreseeable future. regardless of what's in store, im still practicing forgiveness and appreciation for my body, and all its carried me through

yeah, im a mid-twenties person using mobility devices. stop looking at me with pity. i don't need you to look sorrowfully while i wait for the automatic door to open. don't push my wheelchair with my consent. don't ask me what 'happened'. don't complain about how difficult it is to fit my mobility devices in your car.
i am not your inconvenience, or bothersome, a hassle, or waste of time. i'm a human being with needs, and if that makes me more trouble than i'm worth, i think we're all guilty of stealing oxygen
#forestcityarts

you wanna know what one of the most overwhelming experiences is? realizing your gender AND sexuality are way different than you interpreted.
i realized that being polyamorous wasn't a choice. ever since i can remember falling in love, i've always been in love with more than one person (that second person was usually someone i considered my best friend). i feel compersion seeing the people i love be in love with others.
not everybody involved in a poly relationship will feel compersion, and thats okay. individuals can always be monogamous even if their partner has another partner. its about being honest about your feelings always, so we can dissolve discomfort, tension, or resentment before it has a chance to fester.
some people use the terms "primary and secondary partners", which works for them, but i don't think those labels adequately describe how i feel about mine. i tried "hard and soft partners" but that felt off. i've settled on my "pragma and philia". coming from the ancient greek ideas of love, pragma means a "longstanding love", and philia is "deep friendship". how i love them is rich and distinctly different, but neither is more or less. what makes them different is intangible and difficult to describe, but I feel lucky to know how to love more than one person in all aspects.
i was taught growing up, by my family and societal messaging, that people with multiple partners are sluts, weird, toxic, or even dangerous. i was told by all my friends at the time that polyamorous relationships always end in disaster. i felt ashamed of my sexuality, of my love, and i repressed myself for years.
but all i know is that i've never felt happier being out. being able to express my love for both of my partners is exhilarating. i feel human.
our family fell ass-backwards during a pandemic into the life we live now. if you had told me this is where'd i'd be after university when i was a teenager, i would have been offended.
but i would change a thing about all these years together. we'll be a quartet of old coots many decades down the road, and that future looks heavenly.
im queer, in love, and bein brave about it.

hello, all. its been a minute but i have been making art, mostly about the big changes that have happened recently in my life, my body, etc. the Horrors of the world continue on, but remember that you are still entitled to joy, happiness, and rest in between activist work. that's what i've been doing, giving myself the space and patience to heal, while keeping on top of events, and avoiding burnout. otherwise, one is tempted to hide from the world forever. stay strong, and listen to your spirits

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@rainbloodworth

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Rain F. Bloodworth

Registered Early Childhood Educator and Artist

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Find me on Instagram