Hello to everyone out there in the Do Art Nation!
My recent series of comic book and acting workshops in St Charles, MO made for a busy, fulfilling week, and I got to have many conversations about art: both the thrill of making it and the pride we get when we complete something special. Two conversations with strangers stand out in particular.
The first I had on Tuesday, when I went camping at the Cherokee Lakes Campground, just outside O’Fallon, Missouri. A nice fishing spot, I enjoyed pitching my tent and cooking over the campfire, playing music and drawing the sunset. The camp manager, Marie, was extremely helpful getting me set up with my spot and helping me use the camp’s laundry facilities. She also loves to paint! She told me that she attended a paint-and-sip back in Corpus Christi, TX, and caught the art bug from a friend of hers. “I realized that I was pretty good at it,” she said, and even started running paint-and-sips in TX at a dance studio run by a friend of hers.
Three days later I was at a gas station just up the street. I asked to use the ATM and the gas station attendant mentioned that she’s going to art school! I asked about her favorite medium to make art with, and she told me that she’s particularly passionate about ceramics. She even showed me a prize-winning piece she made: a turtle with a shipping box for a shell. She talked about the process of sculpting him, evening coming up with a pet name for him as she created him out of clay.
In both cases it was remarkable to see how people respond to being asked about their art. Their faces light up, and they begin to talk to you as though relating a grand adventure, exposing something special about themselves that might otherwise get lost in the humdrum mechanics of an ordinary human interaction. It reminds me that making art is about more than just spending time with our own imaginations. It is a way to relate to others, to let our personalities shine through.
What art have YOU made, that you are proud to share with others? Let us know! And don’t forget to check out our schedule of events for more workshops, programs, and more. Remember above all that the art you make is beautiful, special, and deserves to be shared with the world!
