And it all starts here…

Welcome to the mind of this Revolutionary Renaissance Woman! My name is Toni Boling and I am a wild and eccentric 30-something living in Ohio that is fearlessly pursuing a life of joy and freedom, while nurturing a kinder, more inclusive and ecocentric version of the world. My hope for this space is to create and inspire a deeper excavation of life in all its many facets. This will include radically challenging antiquated systems in our society that keep us divided and disconnected (from ourselves, our communities, and our environment), all while retaining a deep sensitivity and appreciation for art, nature, and beauty in the midst of our oftentimes violent and chaotic world. This intersectionality of things can appear messy and complicated, but there is much to gain from understanding that this tangled web of life—that is full of diversity and uniqueness—is intricately tying us all together to see life from many differently lenses. From this rich tapestry of experience, we can embrace what sets us apart and celebrate each of our divine gifts, while also seeing how much we overlap and share throughout space and time. I’m here to help connect some of those dots.

For a long time, I’ve struggled to find my voice and my place in the world. In the past, I was aimless, grasping, lost, and truly disconnected from my authentic self and the world around me. It can still seem like a struggle to stay connected to my intuition, even after a decade of self-analysis and growth. This work—the seemingly impossible task of both creating and discovering yourself—is truly never completed in one’s lifetime. I’ve always had this gnawing feeling, this deep rooted need to dig deeper; into myself, society, the natural world—to study the essence of life itself. Where this has led me is to embody the classic idea of the philosopher, artist, scientist, revolutionary, and meld this old-world archetype with a 21st century millennial mindset to inspire real change—a true modern-day renaissance.

My journey to this point was not a typical one. In my youth, I was a shy, sensitive soul who got lost in her imagination and was drawn to creative expression, thus I was convinced at a young age that I didn’t show much intellectual potential. This led me to throwing myself into the sanctuary that art provided me and I explored the endless excitement of mediums; painting, photography, glass blowing, drawing, writing—these all became my primary outlets. But art alone could not sustain my curiosity and the pull for something more kept nagging.

 At 27, I attempted to put my fear of academics aside and I enrolled in a small community college with a very unclear plan of where it would take me; self-doubt and fear still lurking in my mind. However, during that first semester I took an environmental class that changed the very fibers of my being and something profound clicked in my head over the course of those few months; something fierce ignited in me. This was the piece that had been missing. Suddenly a whole new world of potential opened up for me and I changed my major to biology and never looked back. That shy, intimidated young girl that never thought she belonged in the intellectual world suddenly vanished, and in her place arose a brilliant mind that was lying dormant this whole time.

 After assisting with research with an ecology professor and presenting our research at local student conferences and excelling at my studies, I graduated with my A.S. in Biology and moved on to Kent State University to finish my undergrad with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Geography. This added even more context and richness to my studies as it provided a multidisciplinary approach to environmental understanding and allowed me to see the macro view of how all these different areas influence each other. Environmental ethics, history, literature, sociology, ecology, environmental justice, all of these things were all intricately tied together to create such a fascinating web of intrigue for me. And despite the complications that the pandemic ushered in, I managed to finish my last year of school in the spring of 2021, graduating Summa Cum Laude and becoming a first-generation graduate of my family at age 33.

So, where does this leave me now? I am yet again standing on the precipice of another big unknown, another leap into uncertainty, taking a step forward in the dark. My intuition has led me this far, so who am I to question it now? So here I am, creating an artistic, philosophical, and nature-based space that coalesces all of my interests and knowledge that, hopefully, will inspire, unite, resonate, and bring about some tiny shift in the world for the better.

 My vision for this space is to foster a community that encourages curiosity, connects with nature and all of life’s creatures, actively works on ways to dismantle oppressive systems in society, explores self-growth, and shares art in many forms (among many other topics). I hope to continue to produce and create artworks that I can make available as originals and prints in the future. There is also a plan to release an environmental thesis book that will be based off my research and studies throughout my academic career. This, I hope, will grow enough interest to travel around the world and host ecocentric teach-ins that encourage communities to create a more sustainable and just world. I also have a fiction book series mapped out that I will slowly be dropping hints about as it continues to develop.

 All this to say, there is a lot to look forward to, and I hope you’ll stick around and join me in bringing forth another beautiful revolutionary renaissance.