Around Here – Creative Arts Edition

Jesse and I stopped by Granville Moore’s for a beer before walking up H Street to the Atlas  Performing Arts Center to see my dear friend Cara put on a lovely show that she wrote and performed.  There I am in the “Special Thanks” list.  No big deal.  I’m just up there with Kojo Nnamdi is all. It’s totally cool.  I didn’t freak out when I read my name or anything.

A few days later we drove to Baltimore to see Tim Horjus‘ first solo exhibition. There’s Hadley checking two of his pieces out and I’m afraid, plotting how to climb on that structure jutting from the wall.  And there I am talking to Angela, Tim’s wife. I think we are talking about the best stage of motherhood so far (Tim and Angela have a two year old). Note that I’m holding a glass of wine while my kids are sucking on Ring Pops.  Jesse and I bust out the Ring Pops when we can see in their eyes that we have about 30 seconds before something explodes.  You may say, “And SUGAR is the way to stop that,” but listen:  Ring Pops take a long time to finish, they’re not messy like chocolate or a powdered sugar donut, and by the time the sugar kicks in we will have them nice and far away from the art show folks.  Jesse and I bought ourselves at least 45 minutes thanks to Ring Pops.

Finally, I made myself a little journal for my upcoming residency this week and next. I stamped each page with the date, punched a couple holes in an envelope to store some journaling cards in, and I will take it with me to Whidbey Island.

I’m glad that Cara and Tim’s shows occurred a few days before I leave. While I loved being witness to the finished product, what I’m more thankful for is knowing (at least a little) the amount of work that went into their art.  I think they know about doubt, and fear of failure. I think they know about confusion and the uphill, uncertain climb. I think they know how to keep working through all that doubt and fear and confusion. In fact, I think they know all that has to be there to create the beauty that only they could make. I’m glad to call them both friends, and I will think of them next week when I’m sitting in the middle of what will probably be a lot of confusion and fear and failure. And like them, I’m sure, I’ll know that we need all that to squint at the thing we think we might create.