Jamie Marie Waelchli’s Thought Maps

Vee Hua 華婷婷2 min readFebruary 6, 2011Add comment

Have you ever tried to map your thoughts in a cohesive manner? What would you find? How long would it take?

Portland-based artist Jamie Marie Waelchli decided to delve into her own mind between 2007 and 2011 (a duration of which no doubt resulted in a particularly fascinating set of results) to create thought maps. The geometric and stylistic appeal of these thought maps might be enough for some, but it’s the devil in the details that is really special, here. This show will be running through February 20th at False Front Studio, concluding with a Research Club-affiliated brunch, and you definitely need to see it in person to have even the slightest clue about what Waelchli is thinking.

Here’s what Waelchli had to say about this series:

When I work on a map, I’m getting a visual read of my life and mind. I think that for everyone it can be difficult to acknowledge our fears, disappointments, and aspirations. A lot of these might be painful or complicated, or even hidden to us because they’re happening at the subconscious level. The act of mapping out these thoughts encourages self-understanding and acceptance. It also fosters solutions to the things in one’s life that they wish to change for the better, and to help in planning for the future. So the act of creating the thought maps has both taught me about myself, and helped me to improve many aspects of my life.

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Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!, and are pursuing a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.

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