I very nearly decided to not write anymore blogs in order to focus my efforts to spread the joy of Art and Gardens everywhere in my neighborhood and contribute to feeding the homeless through a portion of my art sale profits. But how else am I going to be able to keep everyone informed about what's happening and why?
So, here I am again. And the plan at this moment is to check in with you and post at least once a week.
This has been a very exciting and creative past year for me, despite of or perhaps partly because of what's happening in the world today with the pandemic and isolatIng with my own thoughts much of the time.
I've always had a lot of creative projects going but I've never felt quite so centered in purpose with them as I do now. I've had some time in isolation to think about what matters most to me and to make some choices about what to let go of in order to better focus on what it is I want (need) to create going forward.
Any of you who know me know that I have a love for both art and gardening (and always have). Well, there's another passion connected to those two loves of mine that might be even more important to me. And that is SHARING the joy of those two things with others.
So, here's where everything starts to come together for me and some ideas about how you can support my efforts if you care to.
1. I turned 70 years old last November. While I hold a vision in my heart of me creating art and gardening for a long time yet, I've been made newly aware through the recent loss of others in my life that no amount of time left to accomplish things is guaranteed. So, it's kind of a now or never thing for me.
2. I've blissfully lost any desire to compete with others in the art world and recognize that I can paint or draw for the pure joy of it and I can inspire others to do so too. At the same time, I recognize that I have been given an incredible gift of being able to uniquely express myself though art and there are ways for me to use my "voice" to inspire and help others, even feed them.
3. I have a strong (growing) need to feed. Every desire of mine circles back to this. This isn't just about feeding the hungry food, although that's a large part of it. It's also about feeding people hope and joy.
So, here's what's happening. I'm going to keep making art. I'm putting some of that art on T-shirts and other products and asking you to buy them to help me spread the joy of art and gardening.
Here are some the ways it will spread.
A portion of my sales profits will help me keep making and handing out food to the homeless. I don't make a lot of profit from each sale but I can promise that every purchase will at least make a meal for someone.
This will be true of purchases through Etsy shop (ArtandgardensShop), this website eventually and the Wheel-a-Barrow adventures.
I have adopted the block I live on and will care for it (mostly trash pickup) and encourage others to help me or take on their own blocks. Some of my t-shirts will spread this message.
I will grow a garden that will feed more than myself and share the bounty with others. Some of my t-shirts will spread this message.
I will continue to paint and every now and then give everyone an opportunity to purchase a painting benefitting a charity or neighborhood project focusing on art and/or gardening and sharing of the same.
Once the world opens up a bit more, I'll invite you to join me out in the neighborhood for free art lessons or just for company drawing or painting. If you are thinking "I can't draw," you are the person I look forward to meeting. Yes, you can and I hope to show you how soon.
