‘Creative for a Cure’ by Amy Goodrich
Spreading love and support through the arms of Teddy Bears.
My artistic journey of being surrounded by furry faces, with jet-black, shiny, glass eyes looking back at me, began immediately after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art (Sculpture) from the University of the Arts, London.
I do still exhibit my Fine Art work, however the last two decades or so have been spent creating collectable, soft-sculpture animals, predominantly teddy bears, that have found homes in every corner of the world.
My love of textiles, antique toys and period costume heavily influence the creation of these anthropomorphic, whimsical characters that I bring to life. Also being born on the east coast of America, yet raised in the north of England, led to a mergence of these two quite distinct heritages. This fusion manifested itself as my signature blend of eclectic, English eccentricities amidst a propensity towards the traditions of American folk art.
One example of this would be, for instance, an Edwardian lady bear created from vintage patchwork quilting, dressed in the finery of a Duchess with bejeweled gown and tiara.
I am also drawn to the techniques of hand-dying fabrics and the craftsmanship of early embroidery, including cross-stitching, which are methods I have used to create the fundraising bears for SRF.
I became aware of SRF through being an admirer of the comedic genius of Bob Saget.
In 2020, during the pandemic, I recall listening to his podcast, ‘Bob Saget’s Here for You’, which became a true lifeline of connection in those times of great isolation. Bob spoke openly of his initial involvement with SRF, shining a light on the importance of the research being done. He also spoke of his own experiences, sharing his sister’s diagnosis of Scleroderma a year or so later, and the impact that had had on his life, making him even more determined to support the funding to find a cure. I was extremely touched by his dedication to raising awareness and how he rallied support for this important cause. I have experienced loss in my life through conditions that are extremely rare. So even though it was not Scleroderma, I have an understanding of just how important it is to advocate for those who are affected by this relatively unknown disease.
I donated and participated in the online CCHC events, when it was the only option available during lockdown.
When the world began to open up again, I was keen to support the LA 2022 CCHC event in person. Sadly, it was the first time Bob was not in attendance, due to his tragic passing earlier that year. The evening was filled with such heartfelt affection and loyalty to not only continued support for SRF, but to honouring the legacy of Bob carrying the philanthropic baton forward; consequently Bob’s energy appeared to flow through each and every one in attendance. As a creative, I was and still am receptive to the infectious passion of Bob’s that resonated throughout that room. So much so that he inspired me to create a bear at the end of the following year in 2023 to help raise awareness and funds for SRF.
‘Serenity’ is a hand-dyed purple mohair bear with a hand cross-stitched sunset scene over the ocean. I chose to use this embroidered front for the bear as I was aware of how much Bob expressed his love of sunrises and sunsets at the beach.
When I forwarded the funds raised to SRF, Kate Ceredona not only thanked me wholeheartedly, she reached out to me with great enthusiasm and warmth - encouraging me to share with her my creative thought processes and motivations behind creating this bear and running the giveaway/raffle for SRF. Her genuine interest in my endeavours became a catalyst to not only create a new fundraising bear this year, I was given an insight into the selfless hard-work that the team behind the scenes, as it were, continued to strive for. I was touched by their unwavering determination to get closer to a cure, year after year. I was overcome with inspiration to create another bear that would serve as a companion to the team - so that in moments of possible need, he would be there to give them a smile or even a hug if so required!! Reminding them of how loved they are and how Bob is never far away. As bonkers as that may sound, I sincerely felt like I was in the unique position to provide them with a token of gratitude, that would embody Bob’s, mine and all those thankful for all the efforts being tirelessly made.
I subsequently created “Here for you“ - a large dark blue hand-dyed mohair mascot bear appropriately dressed in a chef’s hat, a custom printed CCHC apron with a vintage style microphone - that now resides in the San Francisco offices.
As well as supporting SRF by attending this years 2024 CCHC event in LA, I have made another fundraising special bear that is going to be drawn on 15th December - in time for the bear to travel to the winner during the holidays.
‘Hope’ is a large hand- dyed mohair bear with a hand cross-stitched front of a sunrise scene over water.
The tickets are $20 to enter and all the proceeds will be going straight to SRF. The draw is automated by the site’s system making it anonymous, random and fair.
I would truly appreciate your support - www.Amygoodrichart.betterworld.org
I would also like to encourage those who believe they could hold a fundraising event or run a project that will help people support SRF in as many varied ways possible. No amount raised is too small and each new person who learns more about Scleroderma spreads more understanding, thus awareness to this disease.
I plan to continue supporting SRF throughout the year with numerous creative projects that encourage self-expression and continue to grow this community. I am also in the throws of writing children’s books which incorporate various disabilities, including Scleroderma. If you would like to be notified of these, please feel free to join my email list - creativeforacure@gmx.com
