Motherlode
Ancestral Stories, Poems, & Art
A Collaborative Exploration of Intergenerational Storytelling, Embodied Experience, and surfacing the Un-nameable
There is a moment, sometimes, when a story rises in the body before it reaches the tongue. A memory, an image, a sensation that belongs both to us and not to us. The Motherlode is our attempt to listen more closely to these places.
In the next cycle of this work, between February and July 2026, I am returning, alongside Moi Tu, my creative partner, to complete the one hundred conversations exploring motherlines, lineage and the threads that travel through families. This is not a project with a fixed destination. It is a practice of listening, witnessing and tracing what moves beneath the surface of our ordinary lives, wherever we are in the world.
The work unfolds slowly. Some conversations will become poems, some will inspire artistic responses, and some may simply remain what they were: moments of human connection that opened something for both of us. You are welcome to take part if you feel a pull towards your own lineage and would like to explore it with care.
An Invitation to Join the Conversation
We are inviting people from all walks of life who are curious about their ancestral heritage and eager to explore the depths of human experience through creative expression. If you are drawn to the power of storytelling, the wisdom of elders, and the transformative potential of art, we invite you to join our circle of ancestral conversations.
Here's what you can expect
Intimate Conversations - engage in one-on-one conversations with Jamie, sharing your own stories, reflections, and experiences related to your motherline.
Creative Exploration - participate in creative practices designed to help you connect with your ancestral lineage through art, movement, and writing. You will receive an image or a poem crafted by Jamie or Moi, as part of the gift of this work.
Collective Wisdom- contribute to a growing tapestry of voices that honours the diversity and complexity of our human experience.
What We Will Create Together
A Tapestry of Voices: Through recorded conversations and creative collaborations, we will hear a tapestry of voices that explores the diverse experiences of motherlines across cultures and generations.
Embodied Art: We will explore the intersection of creative practice and embodiment, using movement, sound, and touch to connect with the wisdom held within our bodies and the living world around us.
Ancestral Reflections: We will delve into the complexities of family dynamics, intergenerational patterns, and the ways in which our ancestors' experiences shape our present.
A Space for the Unnameable: We will create a space for the "unnameable" – those feelings, sensations, and experiences that defy easy categorization but hold profound meaning in our lives.
Here is a flavour of Moi’s art - born out of The Motherlode
"What happens if we just...hold connection for longer and just be with each other and be with what comes up when we're with each other?"
Jamie Colston
"Often I feel like it's there, quivering, waiting for a hug, just wanting a really delicious hug."
Moi Tu
Before the shape of this next phase became clear, Moi and I recorded a short introduction to the earlier cycle of the work. At the time we imagined it might become a book, or a crowdfunded project: something we could name neatly.
The work has shifted. Listening has led us somewhere more open, more spacious and far less defined.
The video is here because it captures the heart of what we were reaching towards: the call to listen more deeply, the gratitude we felt for the stories already shared, and the sense of something larger wanting to come through. Please watch it with the understanding that this next phase is different. The invitation remains the same.
This work is an offering, a gift in the spirit of reciprocity
Each conversation will be audio recorded, and you will receive a copy of the recording, along with any insights that emerge from our conversation. These recordings are private, shared only between myself and Moi, and will not be used in the final work without your consent.
This work is ritual work. Before we begin you are invited to create a sacred space at home before the call, honouring you and the women in your ancestral lines. This might include photographs, written names, meaningful objects, or any elements that resonate with you. During our call we begin with a check in and an embodied and ancestral meditation. For the last 15 minutes we take part in intentional creative practice, together.
This work is multilayered. It is in service to our sons and daughters, mothers, grandmothers, and to our fathers. It is for those who yearn for deeper connection, understanding and practical compassion. It is an invitation to see ourselves and the world through a wider lens, honouring the unseen and unknown forces that shape our lives.
Between February 1st and July 4th 2026, I will be hosting 60 further conversation interviews to complete the original creative impulse of this work. Please join me if you feel inspired to.
These sessions have no financial cost, although you are welcome to make a financial gift towards to creative development of this work over time (see below).
We meet through Riverside, a specialist recording programme which uses google chrome browser.
They are held with care over 90 minutes, and we invite you to ensure you have space to digest the experience after the call.
You can choose a time that suits you here.
If you would like a shorter conversation beforehand, to feel into whether this work is right for you, there is also the option of a free thirty minute call.
Our conversation will be a blend of storytelling, reflection and quiet attunement. I draw on systemic constellations, ritual practice and embodied listening. None of this is prescriptive; it simply means we make room for what wants to be seen.
Here is what usually happens:
• We begin with a pause, a settling and a meditation.
• You share whatever feels present about your motherline.
• I listen and follow the threads that emerge.
• Sometimes we explore images or sensations.
• Sometimes the conversation becomes more spacious.
• Sometimes it becomes very precise.
• There is no right way for it to unfold.
The tone is steady, gentle and respectful.
Nothing is pushed. Nothing is analysed.
We stay with what feels true in the moment.
Afterwards you will receive a private audio recording of our conversation and a voice note of the poem that I often write as part of the call.
What to expect
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Moi Tu
Moi is an artist, consultant and facilitator who works at the intersection of creativity and collective sense-making. She supports groups in workplaces and communities to collaborate with more imagination, meaning and human connection, especially when the work is complex or emotionally charged. Her practice draws on visual and artful dialogue methods that loosen knots, surface hidden stories and make space for voices that are often overlooked. In The Motherlode, she brings a keen eye, a steady presence and an instinct for opening conversations that matter.
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Jamie Colston
Jamie is a writer, photographer and community storyteller whose work explores belonging, identity and the threads that sit beneath everyday life. He has a long history of creating spaces where people feel able to speak plainly and be heard without judgement. His practice blends attentive listening with a quiet, incisive curiosity that draws out what is often left unsaid. Through The Motherlode he brings a steady hand, a gift for narrative, and a commitment to honouring the lived experience of others while tracing the patterns that connect families, places and memory.
Privacy and respect
Your recording will be kept securely. Myself and Moi Tu will listen to it as part of our creative practice, and occasionally a trusted collaborator may listen if it supports the wider work. This is always done with respect and with the understanding that these conversations are sacred.
Nothing from your story will appear in any creative output unless you have given clear consent. Most stories remain entirely private.