Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Harris Hayden, also known as the Pom Pilot.
Hi Bonnie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a lifelong Angeleno, estate attorney, and artist whose murals, toy portraits, bejeweled hummingbird paintings, and Ed The Chicken series have been displayed in art shows, shops, homes, offices, and pottery studios.
As an attorney, it’s hard to find several hours of chunked time to paint. There’s not much progress daily if I only have 20 or 30 minutes to spare, so I used to skip painting altogether until that chunk of time freed up.
But art is my meditation, and I wanted to create something artistic, from start to finish, in an hour or less(ish), every single day for a year. I was curious to see if I could do it and also to see if/how it would transform my life. The question was, what kind of art can I create every day to fulfill this goal?
When I was a kid, I had little pom poms with googly eyes and feet– I won them at the dentist’s office for a good checkup and I loved them. So, after a googly-eyed inspirational trip to an art gallery in Paso Robles a couple of years ago, I started making pom pom creatures as an adult. I quickly realized that I could make anything out of poms – people, animals, emotions, even giant pom monsters. So, I committed to creating a new piece of pom pom art for 365 consecutive days for a project titled “Pom 365.”
Each day, I make one new pom pom creature, called a “Pom” – based on a person, place, animal, object, concept or feeling. I give every Pom a name (that may or may not have the word “pom” in it), a character, and a story that includes historical & fun facts. I really love the creative writing aspect of this project as well – which was a wonderful surprise for me. I used to love creative writing as a kid. But, as an attorney, I’ve been writing legal briefs for years, and creative writing was dormant. So, switching gears for an hour each day and revisiting that love has been refreshing. I get to explore and learn new things or re-discover stuff I probably studied in school but had forgotten – like how raindrops are made with my Pom, Remi The Raindrop, the accomplishments of Abraham Lincoln with Abrapom Lincoln, and the difference between a hedgehog and a porcupine with Pointy The Porcupom.
With each Pom I create, I research how that particular person, place, animal, object, concept or feeling came to be in the world and then transfer that into The Pom Universe. Every day I ask myself, “What/Who do I want in the world today? What/Who do I want in the universe today? What is important to experience in life?”
In the Pom Universe, pepperoni is Pomperoni. An anchovy becomes Pomchovy – not to be confused with musician Pom Jovi. A brontosaurus is a Pomtosaurus. So far, The Pom Universe includes superheroes, entertainers, artists, inventors, philosophers, animals, monsters, mountains, planets, science, food, games, a fireworks Pom, a meditation Pom, and a solar-powered Pom. It also includes things I wish existed in our world that I make up for the Poms – like the 20-Minute Pom. Wouldn’t you love to accomplish anything you need to in 20 minutes?
There’s also a series of Micro Poms – teeny tiny poms all based on real-life tycoons and public figures. Plus, original characters like Leopold, an extreme sports sheep who has a whole line of sweaters he sells at Pomnana Republic. And unsung heroes like Kurt the Pomtrician, who makes sure our electrical wiring is working and that the red & green wires don’t touch, and of course, Marge from Accounting.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When people look at my art, they think it’s for kids – they see animals and sparkles. But there’s more to it than what you notice at first glance. This project has saved my life. I started it a week before I ended up on the floor calling the paramedics.
I’ve been navigating ongoing mystery health conditions for months, which has been taxing physically, mentally, and psychologically. I knew that if I could figure out a way of incorporating an artistic practice every day, it would greatly improve the quality of my life. I began Pom 365 in order to heal – to have control over something wonderful and positive and to have a safe space to let go and explore.
Pom 365 gives me a nurturing, healthy thing to do every day – even if the day has been full of obstacles. Because of this, the struggles or challenges I have had with relation to this project have all felt nurturing to me. I have learned something new from of every challenge and have actually felt pretty happy even when I’ve had various frustrations. I fall asleep with glue on my fingers every night, have ruined a bunch of clothes and me and my loved ones constantly have sparkles on our faces because glitter is everywhere.
It has been challenging to create a Pom and its story every single day when my schedule is packed, when I’m traveling, when I’m exhausted, stressed, and/or my body is in pain. But I’m committed. I made a travel kit so I don’t miss a day when I’m on the road for work. I may be the only attorney who walks through airport security with a supply of pom poms, googly eyes, glue, and jewels. I also have an understudy in case I’m not able to make the daily Pom. But even when I had my ablation on my heart, I came home and still made my Pom of the Day that evening. #71. My heart is perfect now. I also text a photo and story of that day’s Pom to several friends daily – so that they hold me accountable for making the Pom of the Day and to also get their feedback.
Another challenge has been writer’s block – or Pom block. Since I don’t plan in advance what (or who) I am going to make for the day, sometimes I sit down and don’t know what to make. Usually, something comes to mind pretty quickly, but on rare occasions, nothing comes. Nonetheless, I have committed to making a new Pom every single day. There have been times where I had to explore and research for an hour before settling on which Pom to make. I cannot let Pom block stop me.
Logistically, I had to figure out where I was going to keep the 365 Pom creatures. Even though they are small, 365 of anything takes up a significant amount of space. And I also have a lot of supplies that I use to make them – everything from foam, holographic paper, rhinestones, yarn, charms, various kinds of glue, all different kinds of pom poms – the supplies take up a fair amount of space as well. I had to create a Pom infrastructure that not only housed the Poms and the supplies but also enabled me to keep track of them and keep them in numerical order and protected.
The Poms themselves have had their own challenges: E-Pom Musk’s glass generator broke when I had to evacuate for a fire, and Pom Selleck “escaped” and mysteriously ended up on my front lawn. You are welcome to read about their adventures on the website.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Each character I create for Project Pom 365 starts with a one-inch cotton pom pom. I never know what I’m going to make until I sit down that day. Some Poms end up very furry or extra sparkly; some are simple, some are complex. Some end up being gigantic – like King Pom or the Apominable Snow Pom.
I love trying to nail the likeness of famous figures and presenting them in pom forms, like Cleopomtra, Pomcasso, and Pomcrates. It’s all in the details.
Stretching my imagination to create original characters like Julio Froglesias, Marty, the lactose-intolerant mouse, and the Pom of Spades is very challenging.
Celebrities like Rhianna, wrestler Jake The Snake, and Pamela Anderson have all been Pommed.
Every element is thoughtful and intentional. Pomzilla is made of 20 poms. A U.S. Army veteran is made of purple hearts. Each day, I am challenged: How do I make a miniature hard hat? How do I create the feeling of intuition as a character? How do I show feng shui in pom form? I get to surprise myself and feel triumphant daily, especially because almost every Pom I make is something (or someone) I have never made before. I feel much more fearless as an artist. I have accomplished some wonderful feats of pomgineering!
The consistency of making art every day has made me feel more confident. I’ve evolved as an artist. Whether I start from a positive or negative place, when I sit down to create these little creatures each day, I am able to let go, and my energy shifts in a really nice way. It’s been more effective than meditating. It’s definitely improved my mental health and been a constant source of joy in my life. A bonus is that is has also turned into a constant source of joy for the friends I share it with as well. They all look forward to Pom of the Day. I feel proud to be doing something that spreads positivity and inspiration to others. Of course, these positive benefits and lessons have enhanced all areas of my life and make me more focused for legal work, able to give more of myself to loved ones, and I am generally, a much happier person.
Although I wasn’t thinking about sharing this project with the world when I first began, the reaction from my loved ones made me realize that it would be a wonderful thing to share with as many people as possible. I’ve launched a pretty comprehensive and super-fun website www.beholdthepom.com, where people can explore the Pom Universe, see the Pom of the Day, meet the Pom Team, and watch the Behold the Pom Song video until they know all of the words by heart. I’ve also started an Instagram account @beholdthepom, and people can follow the Poms and see the Pom of the Day there as well. I love the colors and sparkles. This is definitely a new aspect of the adventure for me.
I am very proud of fulfilling my commitment to myself, my healing, my mental health, and for all the lessons I have learned – and will continue to learn – from this project. And I am excited to share this joyous creation with everyone.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
In order to fulfill this goal, I realized that I needed an amazing Pom Team. As The Pom Pilot and Chief Pom Creator (CPC), I would not be able to document and share my Poms without the help of the Chief Media Officer (CMO), Brandy. She is the leader of the website, www.beholdthepom.com, and the Instagram page @beholdthepom. She has also photographed each and every pom for their glam shots.
Jason is our Chief Harmony Officer (CHO) – who has created a totally original Behold the Pom song that goes with a “making-of” video that Brandy made. The video can be seen on beholdthepom.com, and it is a magical (and hilarious) 2.5 minutes to add to your day. (Jason is also my Understudy).
Noodle, my dog, is our Chief Wellness Officer, (CWO) and she is responsible for reminding me to take breaks, have cuddle time, and keep the creating space relaxing and positive.
Shoutout to my Grandma, who taught me how to draw and scale things starting at age 3. Because of Grandma, I can look at a picture of a 2-inch palm tree and I can paint it 6 feet tall in a home without sketching. This skill transferred to being able to make Poms and their parts in the correct proportions pretty easily. Grandma also bejeweled everything from tissue boxes to purses to toilet seats – so jeweling things and creating tiny details is second nature to me.
Grandma is my CAO (Chief Angel Officer), who cheers on my art from the heavens. She is a constant, loving, positive presence and inspiration, and I can still hear her famous quotes like, “You are as graceful as the bird they call the elephant” and “Do you want a hunk of cheese?” Pretty great.
If others would like to support me and the Poms, they are welcome to contact me for commissions, showings and to brainstorm ways to spread the word and good cheer. I also enjoy when my friends come over to create Poms with me – I call it “Pom Talk” and we catch up on life while we make Poms together. It’s super fun. The Poms and I are open to speaking engagements, gallery shows, book deals, and a world media tour.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beholdthepom.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beholdthepom/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/mgDx0Y4FBU4
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pom-pilot-944652289/
Image Credits
Brandy Menefee
