|
I recently visited my local library, in need of some inspiration. In the aisle with books on writing, I found it—a book an astute librarian had placed face out on one of the shelves. The book was Your Art Will Save Your Life by Beth Pickens, an artist and arts organization consultant. In her books, Pickens talks about her work with artists of all kinds, including writers, and lists what every artist, paid or not, needs to maintain emotional health. I would expand Pickens’ definition of “artist” to include “social artists,” that is, those who do transformative work both personally and in community. I am one. I suspect many of you reading this are one. Given Pickens’ suggestions, I’m making some changes. I’ve started outlining a book I plan to publish next year. I am gathering some social artists locally for support. I am attending local arts events, such as the Frida Kahlo exhibit I visited recently in Portland. Kahlo used her art to transform her pain and that, in the end, is what all of our artistic endeavors are about, be they literary, artistic and/or social. Happy art-making. Carolyn
|
