Hey, It's been a rough week so far with several national tragedies taking place, precious lives lost.
It's okay to take it in, to feel the range of feelings.
It's also okay to feel numb.
Whatever you are feeling take care. Take whatever action feels right for you.
It's also very important to celebrate anything that is going well because this weight we feel is overwhelming.
Last weekend at the opening of Pulp: Wood, Paper & Print Exhibition at Center for Visual Arts in Wausau this piece Refinement Artists was chosen to receive an Excellence Award.🎉.
I was not there in attendance because I was at a wedding so I waited till @cvawausau announced winners publicly to take this celebratory photo with the other print that's printed on muslin.
When we process wins and losses collectively we hold each other, we hold space for all that we are and work toward making everyone feel seen, loved and cared for. We can hold all emotions at once Together we keep us safe.
Sending love, holding grief and pain and celebrating with you. If it is helpful please share a recent win of yours in the comments and we'll cheer you on
artist portrait
Artist talk March 17th
If you live in an around Madison there are numerous art exhibitions up right now that will knock your socks off.
Many are still up from the SGCI conference that happened a few weeks ago. There are many MFA thesis shows currently up and also coming up.
If you'd like any recommendations, send me a DM.
My exhibition at the Overture Center alongside Brady Nichols is up through April 17th.
I'm thinking of hosting an informal gathering at Overture Center Friday April 8 evening. Comment below with if you're interested.
Photo credit: Angelica Contreras
Image description: 1-Sara ( white woman with tan jacket and oxford shoes) giving a talk in front of large painted woodcuts
Reflections on being an artist
As I sit here in my bed with a head cold...
I'm taking the opportunity to slow down and reflect on how far I've come on this art journey
It hasn't been easy and I hope you know that a path worth venturing on is rarely easy.
I look back with such tenderness for all those moments I believed that impossible dialogue in my brain. I bought into programs of others that claimed to know more about what I'm supposed to do or who I am supposed to be than recognizing that the answers were already there.
On any social media platform it is too easy to look back with scorn on our former selves and criticize with 20/20 hindsight, But that would be a huge mistake!
When I look back I see all of the struggles and sticking points that I needed to endure to become who I am now. I love that I know now that no amount of programs you pay for to help you do x or y are going to let you skip further down your path.
We hold what we can at the moments that are right for us. You are an expert on your journey, don't let anyone expertly tell you need ( insert any variable) before you can get to where you are going. ( hello, all marketing to artists?!!) That is not you talking darling, it's so many systems that rob us of ourselves, distracting us from the time we have to put in.
You already know how to do this. You are already an artist! Wherever you are at on your path, take a moment to love yourself now and send love back to all of the selves you've been before that got you here.
You may always want to be further than where you are now, but look at how far you've come ❤️
On Showing my face on Instagram
A little ditty about showing my face on Instagram:
I have forgotten to show my face on an Instagram post in awhile but it doesn't feel like it because I have been sharing selfies on the regular in my stories.
Why did I start doing that?
I am experimenting in combining, taking 1 selfie in the morning no editing no redos, accountability, self talk, morning pages, realness/ vulnerability about myself in ways that are not generally practiced on social media platforms. It's me holding a mirror up and letting you in on the process of acceptance.
Artists often show process videos or in progress photos of what we're working on. We create artwork and in the process many of us learn to embrace ourselves, our flaws and strengths.
I think the most of exceptional works of art are the lives we lead, and how we hold ourselves and others along the way.
If you're here with me, here on this platform it means some part of my life / work that I share with you, has value to you. I take that very seriously.
I hope when you're scrolling that when you come across my face or my work that you don't feel like you need to compare our lives because we are different in our own beautiful ways. I intentionally show and discuss the progress and not just the pretty bits to welcome you here to this tiny section of the internet.
We're all works in progress our whole lives... No one really knows 💯 what the heck they are doing even if they make it seem like they do.
Image Description: White woman ( Sara) with messy hair, brown eyes, brown glasses wearing a smock that is mustard, purple, pink and black standing in front of her art installation of interconnected patterns.