another little artist ramble

Ack, I just burned the top of my mouth with my coffee. ergh.

Anyway.... for any of you out there that have made large moves in your life you will know what I am talking about here. But ... I have had 4 total location moves in my life and have found that with each one massive change and growth in yourself is invited and occurs. When I first moved from Ohio to the East Coast I made the decision to fully identify as an artist to my community, get a studio and really take myself seriously, when I moved for graduate school I made the decision to more fully embrace my leadership skills and try to make things happen and build community, when I moved to NY I consciously chose to become a more outgoing and relationship risk taker as well as embrace other intellectual roles as an artist, and now I have moved again...


I have been thinking a lot with this move about my life. I always tell people that if they want to get happier that they have to imagine what they want there everyday to look like and make that everyday occur and let everything else fall in its place. And this has been so true for me and then all of a sudden I was blessed and had that everyday. But as I settle into our new surroundings and face the reality that your kids grow up really fast, and that your work as an artist trying to get shown NEVER ends no matter who you are- I question what else do I want in that everyday.

In the curatorial and writing work that I do I have realized that I want more then to be in my studio everyday. In the end that is too lonely and too repetitive to be the "everyday" of my life but then I SO do not want a traditional job at all, I crave flexibility. So I have been reflecting a lot on how do I want my "new" everyday to look what new things do I want to manifest and invite into my life. How does one choose to identify themselves.


A lot to think on and I have no answers just thoughts. But I often wish artists would share their thoughts and vulnerabilities like this with me so I share them with you.

While this has been mulling in my head I also read this incredible post at Joanne Mattera's blog about pigeon holing yourself as an artist. READ IT. It was very timely as I have been trying to figure out how I feel about being classified as "fiber" as I feel a little uncomfortable there. I always correct writers and interviewers to call me an "artist" and not a "fiber artist" and always ask for them to call my work "narrative portraits" not "portraits" as I do not want to be limited or confined by labels. Then I wonder what labels do I want and how can those labels be a step in the growth of myself and my career.

Do you benefit from reading this blog? Please help support independent writers consider donating $1, $5, $20 whatever you can. All donations appreciated.