I am grateful for the good things that came out of bad times.
I made a very a conscious decision to remain kind. It would’ve been too easy to become bitter. No one would blame me if I blamed someone or something else. By coming out of the fire, to bring others the light, I win. We all win.
One of my proudest achievements came from opening my mouth. I could’ve also moved on from a church I had been involved with, letting go of old memories. Instead, I chose to speak up.
“I noticed that there’s a group for writers, but why isn’t there a group for artists?”
And just like that The Artists Guild of All Saints was born.
And I was in charge.
Oy!
That was four years ago. It’s been a real labor of love… sometimes more labor than love… but what a rewarding experience.
Twice a year we have shows with about 30 artists, spanning three halls. Many of them are elderly, a few are disabled. All are incredible artists.
We do craft shows a couple of times a year, where some artists completely sell out their goods.
Most of these artists would just be hobbyists and could never afford to be in a show on their own. Some didn’t even think it was possible,
It’s such a joy to see them believe in themselves.
I’m truly inspired by them all. Several are wheelchair bound, using their non-dominant hand to push charcoal around on paper, or a stylus across a digital tablet, to create true masterpieces.
Whenever someone starts to tell me all the reasons why they do something, I often reply, “well, let me tell you a story about so-and-so…”
They inspire me to become a better artist.
Last year, the church gave us a permanent wall in one of their halls, essentially turning me into a curator of a gallery. There are themes every month, and I’m constantly hustling to get the next month’s art collected and prepped for the space. (If any of you readers are interested in participating in future shows, please let me know)
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Thank you for helping bring this dream to life. Every bit helps. https://gofund.me/f6cfc391