Follow Up

Alison Lee, of www.craftcast.com, recently interviewed one of the authors, of the book Art & Fear, Ted Orland. I had written about this book and how transformative it was for me in a recent post. (Thank You Donald Murray) You can listen to her podcast of the interview. (http://www.craftcast.com/main/?p=79 ) It was great to hear the author talking about the evolution of the book and his latest work. Be sure to check it out. Alison has had some wonderful interviews in her podcasts. Each time I am left wanting to see the artist’s work, or learn more about them. You can subscribe to her podcasts on iTunes, or just listen to the interviews on her website.

I also wrote about the Art Salon group I belong to that has been meeting for the last year. (http://judydunn.blogspot.com/2007/01/group-hug.html )
This group has been a wonderful supportive network of women/artists. Each of us is looking to grow as artists and business people, and we have found this to be one way to help that happen. Today’s meeting welcomed three new artists into the group. It was a fun meeting of sharing stories and a few dreams. There was lots of laughter along the way. As we each shared our stories, there was always some recognition. Something in another person’s story that connected us with one another.

Too often we go through life thinking that everyone else has it all figured out. “They” know what they are doing. “We” however, are somehow bumbling through, still trying to figure out what it is we are supposed to be doing. The one thing we all shared today was lives full of changes. Jobs, relationships, moving. Each one of those changes bringing us closer to who we really are. Each time learning a little more about what makes us tick. Straight lines might be the shortest distance between two points. But the zigs and zags of life sure make things interesting! They are what builds spirit, resiliency, and perspective. Hearing the stories of others can bring perspective to our own life travels as well.

One of our participants shared a story about a technique she loved to do. Early on, someone dissuaded her from pursuing it. She couldn’t make enough money doing it. It was labor intensive. People would not pay enough for it. So she spent the next several years trying to figure out what she should do instead. What should she make? Now she is coming back to the process she loved, but abandoned for awhile. Now she has a greater understanding of her own connection with this process. It may be indulgent to pursue working in this area. But if the indulgence feeds an essential part of who she is, is that a mistake? If this is how she is most satisfied in expressing herself in her work, is it the wrong path? And maybe by exploring this path further, she will find ways to make it work for her. I can’t wait to see what comes of this new direction in her work.

You can see the work of these talented and amazing women at their websites:
Paula Barry, Wallace Hill Pottery: www.wallacehillpottery.com
Sandra McCaw, www.sandramccaw.com
Sara Matias, Bumpy Beeler Designs, www.bumpybeeler.com

Their work is inspiring. But having the chance to meet and begin to know each of these women today was even more inspiring. Zig-zaggers all three. But women with more depth and richness as a result. I look forward to spending more time with them in the future.