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The Sound Story Garden is a digital flower garden designed to blend art, sound, and environmental storytelling. Each plant represents a unique essence, expressed through a combination of poetry, soundscapes, and brief descriptions.Project Goals and VisionThe project’s goal is to create a virtual sanctuary where visitors can experience the symbolic and healing qualities of different plants. As they navigate the garden, each flower will unfold its essence, inviting users to reflect on emotions such as love, resilience, and calm. By blending storytelling, music, and nature, the project aims to create a unique sensory experience that educates and inspires. Our goal is to provide a calming virtual space that fosters connection and learning, allowing participants to explore the healing power of flower essences in an innovative format. By using poetry and sound, the garden engages visitors on an emotional and sensory level, encouraging them to deepen their understanding of natural symbols and plant-based wellness.Long-Term Vision: We hope to eventually expand the project to include live open mic events where digital stories and sounds are performed in physical spaces, blending digital and real-world experiences.Project DescriptionThe Sound Story Garden will feature a virtual garden with various flower clusters. Each flower cluster corresponds to a different plant essence, represented by a combination of:• Poem: A unique poem that captures the core emotional essence of the flower.• Sound: An accompanying audio element, such as nature sounds, music, or spoken word.• Essence Information: A brief description that explains the plant’s symbolic meaning and therapeutic properties.Example: A rose symbolizes love. When a visitor clicks on a rose, they will hear a gentle melody, read a love poem, and see a short text that describes how roses are used to promote self-love and compassion.Visitors can explore the garden freely, allowing them to create their own narrative journey. Alternatively, they can take a short quiz to determine their “plant match,” guiding them to the flower that best reflects their current state of being.Project FormatThe Sound Story Garden will be a fully virtual, web-based experience:• Interactive Garden Map: Visitors navigate a simple garden layout, choosing flowers to explore.• Audio Integration: Sounds will play when a user hovers over or clicks on a flower.• Visual and Text Elements: Pop-up descriptions will provide short notes about the essence of each flower.Specific Concept &amp; Mediums:The garden will be built as an interactive website using visual design, poetry, and audio elements. I will use:• Poetry: Each poem will capture the essence of a specific plant (e.g., a rose symbolizing love).• Soundscapes: Customized soundscapes—such as flowing water, wind, or instrumental music—will bring each flower to life.• Visual Design: Using digital sketches and visual art to represent each plant and its environment.Execution Timeline (30 Days)• Week 1: Content Development• Gather poems, sounds, and essence descriptions for each plant.• Reach out to artists and writers for contributions.• Week 2: Web Design and Development• Create the digital garden layout.• Integrate audio and text elements.• Week 3: Testing and Refinement• Test for user experience, ensuring smooth navigation.• Gather feedback from early viewers.• Week 4: Launch and Promotion• Announce the launch on social media.• Host a virtual event (e.g., live reading of the poems).Community ImpactThe project serves as both a creative and educational tool, promoting holistic healing through artistic expression. The Sound Story Garden encourages community members to explore their emotions through poetry and sound, fostering a deeper connection to nature. The accessibility of the digital garden makes it available to a global audience, breaking barriers and encouraging cross-cultural dialogue.Personal GrowthFor me, this project is an opportunity to deepen my practice of integrating multiple art forms into cohesive experiences. It will push me to refine my digital storytelling skills and expand my knowledge of sound design. Creating this project will also allow me to explore how digital spaces can be therapeutic and support emotional well-being, contributing to my growth as an artist and creative entrepreneur.

Pockets of Eden : The Sound Story Garden

Merlin is an artist, scientist, and writer from Ibadan, Nigeria living and working in Edmonton, Alberta. With an academic background in economics and environmental science, her practice is multi-disciplinary; working across fashion and textile arts, visual and digital arts, poetry, fiction and nonfiction.I am an interdisciplinary artist and storyteller. My work focuses on African culture, beauty and identity. Experienced as a fashion and textile designer, writing, photography and directing, my personal and collaborative endeavors are about honoring how people of African descent interact with the global economy, society and the environment.&nbsp;

Pockets of Eden

My work in detail

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I am an artist, scientist, and living and working in Edmonton, Alberta. With an academic background in economics and environmental science, my practice is multi-disciplinary; working across fashion and textile arts, visual and digital arts, poetry, fiction and nonfiction.As an interdisciplinary artist and storyteller, work focuses on African culture, beauty and identity. Experienced as a fashion and textile designer, writing, photography and directing, my personal and collaborative endeavors are about honoring how people interact with the global economy, society and the environment.&nbsp;

My work in detail

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